Charging for Trailer Parking?

[QUOTE=soloudinhere;8714787]
If a barn owner or their staff damaged my trailer I would expect their insurance to be paying for it, not my policy on my trailer.[/QUOTE]

So you walk around your trailer one day and notice a large dent. How do you know who did it? Could have been boarder kids racing around in a golf cart, boarder’s granny who came to watch a lesson, etc.

I’m going to guess that if the BO chooses a liability policy that will cover nonowned vehicles on BO’s property, there needs to be a paper trail of the vehicle, condition of the vehicle, and proof of ownership.

[QUOTE=Palm Beach;8715299]
So you walk around your trailer one day and notice a large dent. How do you know who did it? Could have been boarder kids racing around in a golf cart, boarder’s granny who came to watch a lesson, etc.[/QUOTE]

Well, in a world where people are responsible for their own actions, the person responsible would fess up and pay.

But since that’s not today’s world, I would notify the barn owner that someone on the property had damaged my trailer, I was getting it repaired, and I would hold onto the bill until the responsible party was located.

Barn owners should not be encouraging people using their property to willfully damage the property of others and just walk away from it. If grandma backs into a car in the parking lot, she’s technically responsible for that damage too, and it’s a hit and run. Just because it happened at a barn doesn’t make it my problem when someone else damages my stuff. My insurance policy will pay for it, but these policies are not like car insurance and my policy premium will go up for a claim.

This has actually happened to me. When I notified the barn owner that I would be individually speaking to every boarder/lesson student/lesson parent, she fessed up that her husband had run into my trailer with the mower and tried to pull the dent out (causing more damage) I presented her with the bill.

^^^^OMG hope you left!!!

So you walk around your trailer one day and notice a large dent. How do you know who did it? Could have been boarder kids racing around in a golf cart, boarder’s granny who came to watch a lesson, etc.

I actually had a boarder claim this to me and complain that the guy who came once a week to mow blocked her trailer. I told her that I was more interested in keeping my mowing guy than her trailer so she could move it someplace else. She wasn’t charged a fee and didn’t want to keep it at her house. Some people don’t realize how lucky they are until they get excused. I am so glad she is gone and my mowing guy is still here.

It seems like some of you want to be able to park your trailer at the barn for free, but also want to make sure the barn fully accepts responsibility for any dings or damages to the trailer. Unfortunately, most commercial farm policies do not cover damages to customer vehicles parked on the premises, nor do they cover damages to customer owned tack, equipment, etc.

Generally, if you choose to leave items out at a barn, it is your choice to do so and you do so at your own risk. A BO should not be expected to be held financially responsible for other people’s belongings and vehicles that are stored on the property. If you store valuable belongings out at a boarding barn I would recommend that you have renters or homeowners insurance or vehicle insurance to cover those belongings.

I think that there are a few exceptions–for example if someone backs into someone else’s car or trailer, I think they are responsible, just as if that happened in any other business parking lot. But a rock thrown up from a mower that makes a ding? Nope. An unexplained ding or dent? Nope.

Some barns ive been at charge, $50 at one barn and the parking was hard to get in and out of. I pay $25 a month now and its in a covered barn with a cement floor so it’s totally worth it for me.

In So Cal I’ve paid nothing, $30 a month and $50 a month to park my trailer

[QUOTE=BeeHoney;8716732]
It seems like some of you want to be able to park your trailer at the barn for free, but also want to make sure the barn fully accepts responsibility for any dings or damages to the trailer. Unfortunately, most commercial farm policies do not cover damages to customer vehicles parked on the premises, nor do they cover damages to customer owned tack, equipment, etc.

Generally, if you choose to leave items out at a barn, it is your choice to do so and you do so at your own risk. A BO should not be expected to be held financially responsible for other people’s belongings and vehicles that are stored on the property. If you store valuable belongings out at a boarding barn I would recommend that you have renters or homeowners insurance or vehicle insurance to cover those belongings.

I think that there are a few exceptions–for example if someone backs into someone else’s car or trailer, I think they are responsible, just as if that happened in any other business parking lot. But a rock thrown up from a mower that makes a ding? Nope. An unexplained ding or dent? Nope.[/QUOTE]

I don’t care about unexplained dings, etc. But major damage caused by the barn owner, her staff, her family, or her guests should be covered by the farm policy and I should not need to insure my property against the property owner damaging it. That’s dumb. If a third party visting the property damages my trailer that is between me and the third party - but the property owner is another thing entirely.

If you’re dumb enough to run a mower into a 8’ tall, 16’ long, bright white box on the lawn, frankly there is more needed here than just an insurance policy. Which is exactly what I told the barn owner whose husband decided to mow directly into the front of my trailer.

I’m happy to pay for trailer parking because it is convenient for me however I would think charging for it would create a service agreement that the barn owner is going to make a reasonable effort to ensure the security and safety of the property she is being paid to store.

[QUOTE=soloudinhere;8717062]
I don’t care about unexplained dings, etc. But major damage caused by the barn owner, her staff, her family, or her guests should be covered by the farm policy and I should not need to insure my property against the property owner damaging it.

If you’re dumb enough to run a mower into a 8’ tall, 16’ long, bright white box on the lawn, frankly there is more needed here than just an insurance policy. Which is exactly what I told the barn owner whose husband decided to mow directly into the front of my trailer.

I’m happy to pay for trailer parking because it is convenient for me however I would think charging for it would create a service agreement that the barn owner is going to make a reasonable effort to ensure the security and safety of the property she is being paid to store.[/QUOTE]

FWIW I DO agree that in your situation the BO should have admitted fault and paid. You are right, the BO’s husband was dumb to run a mower into a horse trailer. But stuff happens on farms (who knows, maybe a dog ran in front of the mower) and it certainly never would have happened if the BO had chosen not to allow people to park their trailers on site.

Just to clarify–farm insurance policies do not cover those types of damages. Farm policies do not cover damages to other people’s belongings. The BO would almost certainly be paying out of pocket either as a personal expense or as a business expense. Expenses like this are yet another category of hidden costs that BOs need to be prepared for. There’s no good way that I am aware of for a BO to insure other people’s belongings. Remember, even coverage for liability to the HORSES that are boarded by the BO needs to be covered by a completely separate “Care, Custody and Control” policy. The best a BO can do is include language in their contract that specifies that the barn is not responsible for loss of, theft of or damages to any belongings stored or vehicles parked on the barn grounds. This would clarify the situation to customers and reduce the risk of being held responsible.

My advice to people who board their horses is to recognize that in general you are storing your belongings out at the barn at your own risk and the wisest course of action is to obtain your own insurance for your belongings and be savvy in your decisions about what you store out at your boarding barn.

There is probably a much greater chance of someone running into your trailer while you are hauling it than while it sits at the farm.

Until Mr.Ed and I had a house with a big enough driveway and side yard it cost $50.00 per month to store the horse trailer at the barn and $100.00 to store our 27 foot Winnebago somewhere else.

[QUOTE=Palm Beach;8718798]
There is probably a much greater chance of someone running into your trailer while you are hauling it than while it sits at the farm.[/QUOTE]

Had my trailer 2 years, can affirmatively state that it’s only damage has been sustained when not even attached to a truck.

Said incident with the mower was exhibit A - then we had storm force winds that ripped open an escape door that was not latched all the way and banged it against the side of the trailer for two weeks.

Scottsdale AZ area…customary to charge $25-$30 a month for trailer parking. No proof of insurance or other paperwork has ever been asked from me.

Never been asked for any paperwork or insurance or anything on my trailers. My barn doesn’t charge if you’re a boarder but if you aren’t a boarder there is a fee. I have actually never been charged- owning multiple horses allowed me to ask the barn owner to waive the fee at a barn several years ago. I think it’s a huge benefit to the barn- in case of an emergency we have lots of trailers.

When in Ohio I boarded at two different barns w/ trailer. Neither charged or looked at papers.
In Florida now, also no charge, no papers.

No paperwork but $60/month for trailers, more for bigger ones - lorries, big LQ goosenecks.

We have limited space at my barn. The barn currently has a six horse gooseneck and 2 horse bp. One boarder also has her own trailer (2 horse gooseneck) that is kept there. The fee is $25/month and mostly because of the limited space issue. None of the other boarders (including myself) own a trailer.