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To kick these people out?

999 replies

CompletePushover · 10/01/2014 18:24

7 yrs and this is my first AIBU, and I'm so cowardly I've name changed Grin

So... After years of renting crappy places dh, the 4dcs and I have finally bought a lovely house.

It's great. Needs loads of work doing on it. Lots of potential, completely neglected and now ours. The people who had it before us had some problems and had criminally neglected their animals. The house comes with a field.

Now begins the lovely story. A few years ago Some people passing by saw how neglected the horse in the field was and took it upon themselves to look after it. They did amazing things, built him a shelter, bought him food, trimmed his hooves, all of it.

The horse is a stallion and unbroken but of nice temperament. But it means he can be flighty.

Move on a year and one of the group has taken on most of the care and bought their own horse who now lives rent free in the field.

Two weeks before completion the owner tells us we will be inheriting a cat and that the horses are staying (he's gifted the stallion to the other horse owner)

So... We panicked until lovely horse person came to our door and seemed very nice, and we said they could stay until Easter and then we'd see (rent free).

This all seemed ok, but there have been annoyances: There's no where else to park but in our drive, when we want to wander around the field with the dcs we have to struggle through two horses and it's a nightmare, and now finally we have bought out longed for dog and I can't walk him on my field without someone with me because I can't carry a baby and a puppy and fend off the horses on my own, in December we were told they use one of our sheds for feed, And there are other people who are part of the group who have not introduced themselves to me, but who go on to my field regularly.

So this evening we've let the horse owner know that beyond the end of march we want our field back. At the moment I've used it twice since we moved in and I want to use it daily.

They're not happy. I tell a lie, one is not happy, the other is completely understanding.

I know they did a good thing, I know they put work into the field (shelter and fencing) but I also know they've had free pasture for 18 months in return, and I think it's become a picnic spot for them all.

AIBU? And should I be growing a backbone, because I'm already trying to think of a way to section off some of it, which I know would only end up delaying the inevitable? I'm also worried because I'm in no way insured to have this all going on on my property.

I want nice things for the people who have done good, but at the same time I want to enjoy my home. I also have PND and desperately want to be outside but can't cope with being around people. Just to throw that in there.

OP posts:
liquidstate · 13/01/2014 11:19

If you create a wildflower meadow it will not only look lovely and be a great thing for your pnd but will also be something you can involve the children in and will also help with local wildlife (bees, dormice, rare flowers etc). Natural England have some great resources on doing this. I think some places give out free seeds as well? There may be a welsh alternative. Anyhow the natural england site is here: www.naturalengland.org.uk/

You might even get some funding to help with it. And finally.... Can I come and help with a dormouse release when it is all sorted?! Please!!! They are so cute Grin

CompletePushover · 13/01/2014 11:28

Liquid that's lovely! There are lots of dormice in the area so they could be around already, just waiting for a lovely bit of meadow to take over.

I'm feeling a lot more positive and hopeful.

OP posts:
halfwildlingwoman · 13/01/2014 11:39

It's a lovely day here OP, and we're on the borders so I'm guessing it's sunny there too. It always helps to have a bit of sun when you're down. I stupidly had both my babies in the winter and I swear it made PND worse! But spring is coming.... I'm imagining snowdrops and later bluebells in your meadow.
Glad you're feeling more positive and hopeful. I'm sure it will all sort itself out. I still feel these 'volunteers' took advantage of the previous owners and that you are being incredibly kind in a difficult situation.

LessMissAbs · 13/01/2014 11:42

Oddly enough the solicitor I usually use was their conveyancer. I'm hoping if I talk to her about the ongoing problem it won't be a conflict of interests and she fully understands why it would have ended up like this with people taking advantage of the previous owners (and now muggins)

I'm a bit confused about this. Do you mean you both used the same solicitor? Surely you must have had an independent solicitor each acting for you? Otherwise then yes of course it would be a conflict of interest. Unless you the solicitor pointed this out to you and you accepted it.

If the field shelter has been there for more than 10 years and this can be proved, it may have acquired planning consent by prescription. Quite useful things, I would hang on to it if you can and keep quiet about it.

CompletePushover · 13/01/2014 11:43

Thanks halfwildling, it's just clouded over, but I'm sure the sun will be back soon. I do love bluebells. I'm liking this idea :) even if I do have sheep on some of it, I can still fence off a manageable meadow.

OP posts:
CompletePushover · 13/01/2014 11:46

Lessmiss, the shelter has only been there a couple of years, and I agree it could come in handy.

The solicitor I have used for other matters was their conveyancer (we used one linked to our mortgage provider). So no conflict with regards to conveyancing, but if I were to ask her about my legal rights now it could be a conflict, since I may have recourse against the previous owners. So I think I'll need to hunt down someone else to give me an idea.

OP posts:
WingDefence · 13/01/2014 11:49

OP, I've just read this whole thread and it's really interesting.

I have nothing practical to say, apart from to ask whether you'd consider holding a mini MN festival on the field in the summer?! Grin

CompletePushover · 13/01/2014 11:52

WingDefence Grin I'd love it! But I'm not being the bouncer or being in charge of making sure everyone leaves with all the dcs they came with!

OP posts:
steppemum · 13/01/2014 13:10

just a thought, but if you are concerned about on-going relationships in the village, you just have to let slip at some point (while buying something in village shop is always a good one, especially if there are other customers) that you and your family had bought your very first house with the dream of planning a garden in that field, and your kids are so excited about the tractor coming to plough it.

That would quietly put the other side of the story.

Just loving the image of you wafting through the bluebells in a frock. Baby in white broderie anglais frills and a bonnet obviously...

Lavenderhoney · 13/01/2014 13:14

Don't worry what people think of you, I expect these people are known and quite a few locals are watching with interest:) have you been in the village shop yet with your baby and chatted:)

Ask them to stop parking on your drive and to stop letting their dogs run loose at once. And they must clear up behind themselves, including dog poo. You should also say you will be billing them for water until they go, and you are getting a quote to have the shelter removed and the land sorted out- it must be very overgrazed.

You are giving such a lot of notice tbh, a month would have been easier for them as end of March is a long way away and a lot of livery people etc only get a months notice. But- if they advertise for someone to take the horses for free, they might get a response. If they don't, they can call the RSPCA.

The last owner sounds as though he was fed up with them and they were hard to get out. So don't be all softly softly - they aren't being nice with you at all.

If they just leave the stallion, who is the owner really? Your solicitor should look at that as if they don't move him you will need to have a plan in place and as they can't actually prove ownership and neither can you, it could drag on. Its all costing you isn't it?

CompletePushover · 13/01/2014 13:16

Steppe, obviously :)

That is the way to go. Lots of enthusiasm for all our plans. Throw in a couple of "Well we just turned up and the horses were there, we let them stay over the winter rent free to give them a chance to rehome, but anyway! Our meadow..!" To make our position clear.

OP posts:
CompletePushover · 13/01/2014 13:20

Lavender, not yet. I've been in PND-hiding. But I'm getting better. I'll get there soon. I imagine all the neighbours think we're a soft touch.

I've done a bit of reading and regardless of owner, the horse's passports should be left where they are. And I know I don't have them.

Ownership-wise, i doubt there's any paperwork, so at best, they admit ownership (he was a gift and they have told us this), at worst he's been abandoned by the previous owners and therefore is our responsibility.

OP posts:
LessMissAbs · 13/01/2014 13:32

Maybe there is some fascinating history to the stallion. Maybe he is a famous horse that did well in his younger years, which was why he was never gelded, and has been forgotten, left to linger in a village...and why he has attracted such devoted carers who look after him, despite not being his owners and him now being worthless.

Maybe I am getting carried away. What does the stallion look like OP? Is he a big horse? Can you find out more history? Its a bit of a mystery really, most horses are gelded before they are about two years old.

CompletePushover · 13/01/2014 13:47

Lessmiss, the previous owners had, had a small holding on the land in the past (the deceased owner, not the two I bought from). They kept horses and he was kept as a stud. When ill health meant she couldn't care for them anymore, she sold all but the stallion. No one wanted an old stud and so he was abandoned in the field.

I've been told he's from an excellent blood line but never broken and never ridden. He's a pleasant chap and in many ways a lot less trouble than his young companion who is far more flighty. I don't want to give the breed, but it's not an expensive one.

OP posts:
CompletePushover · 13/01/2014 13:50

I like your romanticism though :)

I think that's part of my problem, I've romanticised this great coming together of people who saved this poor horse from his loneliness and neglect. But I'm beginning to suspect it could also be the hyenas found vulnerable people to exploit. Apart from the fact that he was alone in the field I have no actual evidence that he was physically neglected.

OP posts:
Pumpkin567 · 13/01/2014 13:54

You should have had it a condition of sale they were removed...too late now though.

I would offer them the use of the field for £500 /£1000 a month or leave in 30 days. they will leave

My friend had the same thing happen, they kept the horses on the land for two years when someone else wanted the stables and offered good money. The original horse people threatened to inform the tax man!!

Get shut, you bought a field for your use, end of story.

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 13/01/2014 15:30

Is it Shergar? It would have to be to let it reside in my field on an open ended basis

If the rescuers think it's such a lovely story, then I'm sure some other soft touch person will be happy to have it move in

DizzyZebra · 13/01/2014 16:08

YANBU. They should put money aside now while they are saving on rent to get stallion castrated. They will find it far easier to move them then as most yards wont take a stallion.

DizzyZebra · 13/01/2014 16:13

Sorry didnt see that stallion is 30 i thought the other one was 30.

DizzyZebra · 13/01/2014 16:31

You need to establish whether they have insurance and passports OP, especially with the stallion being flighty.

When we had problems with a particularly vicious horse i read up on health and safety, Generally peoples interaction with horses are at your own risk" sort of thing, but if you know the animal is of a certain temperment then you as the land owner are responsible for any injury or damage it causes to others.

Insurance is a must anyway. Insist they are insured this week.

Also if it has no passport i cant remember if the landowner or horse owner is held responsible.

As far as ownership goes, legally the woman who is looking after it, certainly after all this time is considered the legal owner, she has claimed the animal. However, if she abandons them, DO NOT call the RSPCA. Whenever we have had abandonment cases all they have done is threaten the land owner and told them if the animal is neglected they will prosecute the landowner.

BadgersNadgers · 13/01/2014 16:35

I think this whole thing is fishy. I agree with Gobbolino that the horse is Shergar and was horse-napped by these evil criminal masterminds. They didn't rescue him, they stole him! Shall I send Scooby Doo round to unmask them?

FrankelInFoal · 13/01/2014 17:48

It can't be Shergar, this stallion is 30 and Shergar would be 35 now Grin

JennyCalendar · 13/01/2014 18:50

I've been following the thread and it is sounding more like they were exploiting the previous owners. I hope you can get rid of them easily and enjoy your meadow.

One thought I had was could you get photographic evidence of them in the field, feeding the stallion, in your shed etc.? Then they can't turn around and claim no knowledge of being involved with the horses if they do abandon one/both later?

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 13/01/2014 19:00

frankel - we only have the word of the do-gooders horse rustlers that it is 30....unless it had a big party in the field......that OP had to cater and clean up for Grin

Pixel · 13/01/2014 20:56

Ah now I was always told that if someone wants to give you a horse you should buy it for £1 and get a receipt to make it legally yours.

The last owner sounds as though he was fed up with them and they were hard to get out.
The last owner probably sold the house just to get away from them!