Help! Told to vacate paddock within 7 days or court proceedings will start

[Smudgingpastels]

Have no where else for our animals, our grazing licence expired Oct 2020 but the BHS legal helpline said stay put as it has turned into a common law tenancy as we have been there for 3-4 years and have maintained the land. What should we do? Any lawyers please?

What is the process if I ignore the letter and let them take me to court?

1. See earlier advice about stop hiding under the bed
2. You will lose
3. You will know what the sharp end of having to pay costs looks like

Not even the DM will pick up a story about a squatter. This isn't some romantic Jolly Cooper saving the horse that turns out to be a Grand National winner story fgs.

Do your horses have passports?

Wouldn't it be easier and less stressful to look elsewhere?

If you have the money to buy it, offer that, if not plan to move.

Hi everybody, thank you for your advice and I am sorry to say yes, I am very naiive (dim and a CF) when it comes to the law as I have never come up against it before. I can't believe I was given such poor legal advice though, I listened to it when I should have come on MN instead because there is much better advice here.

Thanks to you lot I will listen and move them before we get a court judgement (we have shetland ponies, and 2 donkeys). A very lovely poster on here through a PM has offered us the use of her horse lorry and another has some land where they can go which is actually nearer to my flat than the original field .

MN saves the day. I hope this gets printed in the DFail as they like dizzy blonde Karen CF entitlement which is me. Just think, if I hadn't posted on here I would be facing a judge this time in the not too distant future and I would then have a CCJ too. Thank you straight talking Mners

Well done OP

Also I just asked a good friend who is a farmer and has many tales to tell of CF's thinking a field is there to just take.

His response was "hope the horse can jump very high, it's surprising how quickly I can get a fence and gate up".

OP when they didn't renew the licence you had no right to stay. They do not have to tell you to leave. No licence = no right to be there = leave!

Thanks for getting back OP - good luck!

Stop with the Karen insult.

Secondly. You didn’t get legal advice.

But glad you’re moving your horses and donkeys.

X-posted. Very glad you have a plan

@Smudgingpastels

Hi everybody, thank you for your advice and I am sorry to say yes, I am very naiive (dim and a CF) when it comes to the law as I have never come up against it before. I can't believe I was given such poor legal advice though, I listened to it when I should have come on MN instead because there is much better advice here.

Thanks to you lot I will listen and move them before we get a court judgement (we have shetland ponies, and 2 donkeys). A very lovely poster on here through a PM has offered us the use of her horse lorry and another has some land where they can go which is actually nearer to my flat than the original field .

MN saves the day. I hope this gets printed in the DFail as they like dizzy blonde Karen CF entitlement which is me. Just think, if I hadn't posted on here I would be facing a judge this time in the not too distant future and I would then have a CCJ too. Thank you straight talking Mners

Hope it works out as hoped but just a friendly heads up and word to the wise about grazing and livery in general is not to deliberately piss off the owners by being late with your rent, not keeping the place looked after and not being straight, decent honest and upfront with them.

No matter what most land owners will let slide on the odd genuine shortfall but they can whip you into shape and boot you off just as easily.

Good luck.

Very generous MNers!!

and another has some land where they can go

Please make sure you fully understand the terms of their offer! You need to know how much you are to pay them, how long you are allowed to use the land, when you need to leave by. Get it all in writing Op, you aren’t good at this stuff!!

@MotionActivatedDog

Very generous MNers!!

and another has some land where they can go

Please make sure you fully understand the terms of their offer! You need to know how much you are to pay them, how long you are allowed to use the land, when you need to leave by. Get it all in writing Op, you aren’t good at this stuff!!

I agree. Plus i am slightly surprised that anyone who has read this thread and seen how frankly incompetent the OP is is willing to take the risk themselves.

It’s a very brave mumsnetter who has offered to let the op use their land after reading this thread! Good luck to them….

Why didn't you say it was Shetlands and donkeys... in that case set them on the solicitors 😆

@texasss

Why didn't you say it was Shetlands and donkeys... in that case set them on the solicitors 😆

When we first took on rented land we had to convince the farrier ours weren't the “little shit of a bastard Shetland” he didn't want to touch with a 20ft pole. “In all the years in this job I never met a little shit of a bastard Shetland like that 'un” 😆

I might add (if I haven't mentioned already) I have been keeping ponies for years and have never ever had problems with the law or farmers/landlords before.

@Smudgingpastels

Hi everybody, thank you for your advice and I am sorry to say yes, I am very naiive (dim and a CF) when it comes to the law as I have never come up against it before. I can't believe I was given such poor legal advice though, I listened to it when I should have come on MN instead because there is much better advice here.

Thanks to you lot I will listen and move them before we get a court judgement (we have shetland ponies, and 2 donkeys). A very lovely poster on here through a PM has offered us the use of her horse lorry and another has some land where they can go which is actually nearer to my flat than the original field .

MN saves the day. I hope this gets printed in the DFail as they like dizzy blonde Karen CF entitlement which is me. Just think, if I hadn't posted on here I would be facing a judge this time in the not too distant future and I would then have a CCJ too. Thank you straight talking Mners

Sorry I feel you're playing with us now 😆

@Smudgingpastels

I might add (if I haven't mentioned already) I have been keeping ponies for years and have never ever had problems with the law or farmers/landlords before.

I'm then even more curious to know the situation in that case when your agreement wasn't renewed back in October? Surely you would have known then finding an alternative was something you needed to think about doing?

So when did they ask if you wanted to buy the land for you to be thinking that option might be too late now? Was it back in October? If so, there's a good chance they may have sold it on to someone else by now.

This thread is amazing. They've told you they aren't renewing your licence, they've given you the opportunity to buy the land, they've let you stay there rent free for several months and you are claiming that they are now being unfair in asking you to leave. Talk about being given an inch and taking a mile.

I'm amazed any mumsnetter has read this thread and offered up their land.

Amazed

I cant believe this thread is real

You're currently grazing your animals for free on land you have no right to be on. They want their land back - move on.

Reach out humbly and request if you can pay a month's rent until you find somewhere suitable.

Going to court is a ridiculous idea. One morning you may turn up to find the paddock empty and them having called the authorities and declaring the animals abandoned.

It's not worth the fight, find somewhere else you are only endangering the welfare of your animals by attempting 'fight' this. It's not a fight, they rented the land and now they don't want to rent to you anymore. Their financial situation is irrelevant.

I'm baffled someone has offered you land.

I don't want to pay my mortgage anymore. Anyone got a van I can borrow and a free house?