The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: reedos on July 22, 2011, 08:39:53 pm

Title: Hello
Post by: reedos on July 22, 2011, 08:39:53 pm: Hello all been reading this forum for a little while, whilst hoping and planning for the opportunity to upgrade from our allotments to renting a field somewhere nearby and expanding into livestock.

Well we found a field about 50 yards walk from our house, located the owner, plucked up courage and knocked on the door. It all seemed to be going well, the field is 2.6 acres and is currently overgrown - after some initial misgivings about planning permission and livestock housing the landlord agreed to rent it to us for £60-00 per month. We have no idea if this is too much, but it's worth that to us - so I guess it isn't really ;D So far things were going OK.

The day before yesterday we got a letter from the landlord basically asking us to share the cost of drawing up a contract, but not telling us how much it would be. We replied (it turns out the landlord lives next door but one but they only talk to us by letter!) straight away explaining that we wanted to use the land for us, that we may sell some surplus produce and would like a contract of around 3 years to give us chance to plan for stuff with some certainty. We expressed our surprise that the tenant would be involved in paying for a contract the landlod drew up.

Today we have another letter asking for two referees, offering us a one year contract, asking for more detail as to what extent and where we wanted to sell our surplus from and telling us that advice from their land agent was that the tenant paid for the whole cost of the contract - but again not telling us how much it'd be. Is this normal, how can we agree to pay for something when we don't know the costs don't appear to have much input into what goes into it.

We are very keen to take the field, we really want to have a go at producing our own food etc but we don't want to be taken for a ride - can anybody offer any advice as to how we approach things from here?
Title: Re: Hello
Post by: Sandy on July 22, 2011, 09:03:13 pm: Hi, sounds an ideal bit of land but you seem to have to do all the work. I suppose you can get a contract written up fairly cheaply, just ring around some solicitors to see if there is a fixed fee, although there may also be complecations that will put the price up. Good luck,!!
Title: Re: Hello
Post by: doganjo on July 22, 2011, 11:33:56 pm: I think your neighbour has seen an opportunity to make some cash here. I'd have a word off the cuff with a friendly land agent. Just a general query should do it. Thsi site might help - http://www.netlawman.co.uk/bizdoclist/equestrian-land-leases.php (http://www.netlawman.co.uk/bizdoclist/equestrian-land-leases.php)
Title: Re: Hello
Post by: little blue on July 23, 2011, 11:15:16 am: hello and welcome :wave:
Title: Re: Hello
Post by: faith0504 on July 24, 2011, 10:32:57 am: hi and welcome and good luck from moray :wave:
Title: Re: Hello
Post by: reedos on July 25, 2011, 10:26:40 pm: Thanks for your replies and welcoming messages - we've drafted a sternly worded letter, well a letter anyway. I spoke to some local land agents and it is normal apparently to get the tennant to pay the costs of the contract - but more sneakily than they were bineg, they advised to add it into the rent! (I pretended to have land and had got somebody asking me if they could rent it)

Anyway we await their reply!
Title: Re: Hello
Post by: sam.t on July 26, 2011, 06:49:58 am: i no it not the same but if you live in private housing you have to pay towards the cost of the tennancy agreement so would think this is simular
i would be worried about the 1 year contract though he could just be using to to clear the site and makeing it usable if very over grow then thats a lot of work for not very long a lease
but on the plus side welcome to the forum
sam (east yorksire ) :) :chook:
Title: Re: Hello
Post by: reedos on August 28, 2011, 08:27:01 pm: Well it's finally done, we signed on the dotted line yesterday - have spent the best part of two days strimming and moving stuff. I'm knackered but it's just great ;D
Title: Re: Hello
Post by: Miss Piggy on August 28, 2011, 09:50:09 pm: Welcome from West Wales, good luck in your new venture :wave: :pig: :chook: :cow: :dog: :sheep:
Title: Re: Hello
Post by: SallyintNorth on August 28, 2011, 11:27:13 pm: Congratulations reedos and a belated welcome from north Cumbria :wave:
Title: Re: Hello
Post by: Rosemary on August 29, 2011, 09:49:56 am: Congratulations and enjoy!
Title: Re: Hello
Post by: melodrama on August 29, 2011, 10:55:49 am: Hello :wave:
Title: Re: Hello
Post by: Dougal on August 29, 2011, 01:02:15 pm: All the best to you, nice little start for you. Where are you based?
Title: Re: Hello
Post by: SteveHants on August 29, 2011, 02:22:42 pm: Good luck!

I guess the benefits of a formal contract are obvious, as you have some recourse. I don't have one and graze about 6ac. My rent is one lamb/year, some fencing (materials supplied) and taking pigs to slaughter (fuel paid for).

Usual rents for sheep grazing are 20p/week/ewe, which works out at about £10/yr. Hope this is helpful.
Title: Re: Hello
Post by: reedos on August 29, 2011, 08:48:19 pm: Quote from: Dougal on August 29, 2011, 01:02:15 pm
All the best to you, nice little start for you. Where are you based?

Thankyou all - North Lincolnshire
Title: Re: Hello
Post by: feldar on August 29, 2011, 09:21:51 pm: Hi from Lymington We rent a lot of tenancy land and always get a contract done it protects you both Good luck :wave: