The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: Roxy on June 08, 2011, 12:31:25 am

Title: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: Roxy on June 08, 2011, 12:31:25 am
It will be a sad day.  Over 50 years in the same family, and if I had my way, it still would be. I have made a last minute plea to keep it, but my brother will not listen.  I cannot go to the auction, it would be far too upsetting .....I am bad enough as it is, so going there would make things worse.

One nice family have looked round, and keep coming back, and they really want the farm.  If anyone has to have it, then I would like them to have it.

I walked round the house, and all the fields today - have so many memories over the years.  I went every weekend to see my uncle and aunties, from when I could walk.  A picnic in the woods with banana sandwiches was a favourite  weekend treat, and helping my uncle collect the eggs.  We always had a roast beef dinner, and then sandwiches for tea, with whatever was growing in the garden (all sorts of fruit) and custard. 

The apple trees in the orchard were put in 50 years ago, and last year was amazing the amount of apples there were, and its looking good again this year.  Pity I will not be there to pick them.

Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: SallyintNorth on June 08, 2011, 12:34:33 am
I feel for you Roxy.  I hope someone nice gets it.  {{{hugs}}}   :bouquet:
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: Sandy on June 08, 2011, 07:47:59 am
Roxy, so sad, changing times but I am sure loads of farmers were not able to pass farms down in the family due to death duties, my ex husbands family sold their farm to a local land owner Lord something, and he kept the place as it were with the house going into ruins and the farm sign with the family name on, time passes and things change, I often say to myself we are only borrowing houses/land, the way to look at it is some one else will have that chance for happiness and you have your memories and will be able to start on a new path, you never know what the future has in store!!! Hugs
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: Rosemary on June 08, 2011, 08:38:28 am
I hope it sells well today - to nice people for loads of money. I know money's not a compensation for losing your home but it will help make a new start - and no-one can take away the good memories.
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: jaykay on June 08, 2011, 09:33:35 am
That's sad  :-*
I hope a nice family gets it, since it has to go  :-*
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: Hilarysmum on June 08, 2011, 10:34:17 am
Perhaps you will be able to buy somewhere which will be the beginning of a family home for your family for generations to come. 
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: Roxy on June 08, 2011, 11:12:18 am
Thank you everyone for your kind words,.

The estate agents have done ther usual trick of saying there has been not a lot of interest, obviously wanting us to reduce the guide/reserve price.  I have said NO WAY.  Whether my brother will take heed I do not know.  Personally, I am not materialistic, and the money is not important to me - I would rather keep the farm, even though it is in need of a complete overhaul, and thats putting it mildly  - it needs a lot of work.

Unmodernised farms do not come on the market round here, but times are hard, the housing market is in the doldrums, no one has sold their house and mortgages are nigh on impossible to get .....so its no surprising the interest is not as it should.

But farms that are in good order, selling for a million pounds, even with 4 acres!!!  We are mid way between Sheffield and Manchester, so ideal for commuters to live in the Peak Park, and have a country lifestyle with access to the city.  And we have Man Utd footballers, Corrie and Emmerdale stars  who like it here too.

Well, we will wait and see - it only needs two bidders to make an auction, and if they both want it badly enough......
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: doganjo on June 08, 2011, 11:23:40 am
It only needs one person to want to buy it Roxy, and your nice family just might be the ones.  They will try to get it as low as they can - that's only common sense.  But perhaps after a little bit of negotiation you might both get what you want.(As well as your greedy and unfeeling brother!)
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: OhLaLa on June 08, 2011, 11:27:44 am
I don't know the story behind this but with regard to the reserve price, surely one of you can't do anything without the others ok in writing if it is owned in joint names.

If the family have owned it for over 50 years - no mortgage - so that's a good start if you wanted to buy your bother out.

On the brighter side - if it sells, you get your agreed reserve (I would not have lowered it either), if it doesn't sell you still own it. Perhaps then your bother will be more open to negotiation......
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: sabrina on June 08, 2011, 11:28:51 am
Such a sad day for you, I do hope it goes today to save you any more stress  :(
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: Roxy on June 08, 2011, 03:08:25 pm
I cannot concentrate on anything today ......in one way,  I want tonght to get her quickly, but another, to stop the clock, so it will never happen!!!  Apparantly, the other property being auctioned tonight has not generated a lot of potential bidders either.

I went down to feed my farm cats this morning, passed the farmhouse, stopped and it hit me, that tomorrow it will no longer be mine.  Farmer who rented our land, and lost his cows to TB has just rung to see how I am. He is well aware how hard it is for me.   Yes, its only a house, other houses I have walked away from, but this time its different. Even my husband wants to keep it, and he is not emotionally attached to things like me!!

There is no likelyhood of us buying another place nearby, nor indeed land, as the prices are so high, and much in demand.  My ponies are on the farm land at the moment, but will have to come off quite soon if its sold. Thats my major worry, finding grazing for them.

Oh well, another 4 hours and all the wondering will be over. At least I can walk away from my troublesome family and leave them to enjoy their much wanted blood money :(
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: Daisy on June 08, 2011, 04:15:48 pm
Oh Roxy I'll be thinking of you and hubby tonight, I know just how much the farm means to you.

Sending you hugs  (http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/liebe/a055.gif)  (http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/liebe/a055.gif)
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: Hatty on June 08, 2011, 04:28:14 pm
Oh Roxy

I feel for you families can be awful sometimes, I lost my Dad 4 years ago on the 27th of this month and haven't spoke to a lot of my family since, and probably never will. Why do people become so selfish at times of bereavement ?

And to all those who are going to tell me life is to short, I know, but some things to me are unforgivable,

Hope it all goes how you would want it to

Hatty
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: doganjo on June 08, 2011, 06:10:42 pm
My late partner's brother hasn't spoken to me since soon after John died and the will was sorted out, as he was under the impression when I gave him John's personal items that I had retained the original photo of their Mother - I would have had no need to do that as I never knew her, and anyway John only had a photocopy from his sister.  I gave him the photocopy but he still didn't believe me,
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: robert waddell on June 08, 2011, 06:38:54 pm
yes people can be funny      when there is a death in the family before the smell of death can get into the atmosphere the smell of money gets there first          one of my earliest memory's was just after granny died one of my uncles on leaving our house lifted the barometer of the wall saying i will have this since i have not had anything else  :o
just before my mother died my sister tried to get possession of the farm by unscrupulous methods and 2 weeks after had a letter from her solicitor say she never wanted to see me or speak to me ever again          suits me :)
at one time it was easy to get started in farming i know of one family 4 brothers  one paid out the other 3 who went on to buy farms of there own with the value of farms now it is nearly impossible to retain a farm and pay out siblings and still Cary on farming even if they agree it is only trouble for the future when family's get bigger and want to go there own way :farmer:
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: little blue on June 08, 2011, 06:46:11 pm
Will be thinking of you and Rick tomorrow Roxy, its so sad that you cant keep your home, and your brother doesnt listen.
Especially as theres the heritage, the animals and everything else to consider.

hugs for you, and good vibes for a good price and nice buyers
X
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: doganjo on June 08, 2011, 11:22:52 pm
Do let us know what has happened, Roxy?  We are all rooting for you.
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: Roxy on June 08, 2011, 11:46:34 pm
 ;D  I am very happy tonight!!  Because ........the farm did not sell.

The more reasonable brother rang me just before the auction, asking should we withdraw it.  I took a deep breath and said no ....but insisted on a decent reserve price. (still £100k less than we were going to pay!) I drilled it into him not to let the farm go for any less.

I then sat for the longest half hour of my life, watching the clock, wondering what had happened. Then got a phone call from a well off friend, who said he had bid at the farm, with the intention of selling it to us.  Knowing full well we could not bid ourselves.  We had no idea he was doing this.  But it seems he was the only bidder, and it stopped £85,000 under the reserve.

Where we go from here  I do not know.  It seems people are not prepared, or do not have the money to renovate the house.

But, whatever, it means I still have the farm, at least for now.

Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: SallyintNorth on June 08, 2011, 11:55:43 pm
BRILLIANT news!   It seems that for you this was the best possible outcome today.  Maybe now some reality will sink into other brother and some agreement could be reached.  I do so hope so for your sake, Roxy.  But whatever, tomorrow morning you will again feed the farm cats on your farm, and you didn't think that would happen!   
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: Womble on June 09, 2011, 07:30:08 am
Wow, that's great news. I so hope you can work something out to move forward from here.
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: Eastling on June 09, 2011, 07:38:03 am
Great news gives you some breathing space xx
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: Hilarysmum on June 09, 2011, 07:55:12 am
Wonderul hope things get better and better from now on. 
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: Rosemary on June 09, 2011, 08:34:49 am
I hope your brother will now agree to let you buy it now. Fingers crossed.
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: Hatty on June 09, 2011, 08:52:34 am
Sending you lots of positive thoughts Roxy hope your brother thinks again x
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: doganjo on June 09, 2011, 09:30:10 am
Just goes to show he was being really greedy - he could have saved himself the shared cost of this exercise by selling it to you at your suggested valuation, and gone away with more money in his pocket - now he has to take what you offer him! He should now only have a share of the price it reached with perhaps a small premium if you and your other brother feel generous!  Perhaps the good brother might still want to be a part of it?
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: Sandy on June 09, 2011, 10:17:08 am
Wow, sounds like the farm is destined to be in your family, what a nice friend, hope things get settled soon as the suspense is bound to be stressful to all of you!
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: Daisy on June 09, 2011, 10:25:07 am
Oh I hope this means that you will be able to buy the farm now Roxy
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: sabrina on June 09, 2011, 11:07:46 am
fingers crossed for you that you have a could outcome  :)
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: Roxy on June 09, 2011, 01:22:42 pm
Brothers will not accept the low offer - but want £60,000 more.  Unfortunately, other people are now in the running - and we are not getting any preferential treatment.  We either come up with the money NOW .....or someone else will :(  As I do not have a money tree in my field holding hundreds of thousands of pounds, I am in a sticky position.  My only hope is to sell our cottage and small croft to a cash buyer for whatever they will offer.......

My phone has not stopped ringing, from people either who have heard about the auction, or were there, offering their support and wishing they could help.  They have all urged me not to give up, as they all said, its a lot of money, but I am actually only paying two thirds, as I own the other third of the farm.

Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: McRennet on June 19, 2011, 08:11:27 pm
Brilliant news that it didn't sell!!! How about you get in touch with that well off friend?????

McR x
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: tizaala on June 20, 2011, 09:28:38 am
Just a thought, how about you move in to the farm and pay your brother a rent , then when you sell your own property you can pay him off. In Germany you can rent places but the rent is taken off the price of the  property so you end up owning it. (mietkauf) you have to pay rent for a set time of years first then every thing you have paid is deducted from the price.
This would be a regular  income for your brother, and a benefit for you.
Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: bazzais on June 20, 2011, 10:12:25 am
Maybe your brothers would consider looking for an investor who would be into renting the property on a long term basis back to you after the sale?  It maybe a tall order if the house needs renovating upto a safe standard for the rental market but its worth considering.

This must be putting a terrible strain on you and your family, hope it all goes well for you.

Baz

Title: Re: Farm will be auctioned tomorrow
Post by: faith0504 on June 20, 2011, 08:20:04 pm
Good luck roxy, i hope it all works out for you  :bouquet: :wave: