This kind of crap is why I can drive by I don’t know how many barns with beautiful everything…and every. single. one. of them is PRIVATE. No boarders.
People like this give the rest of us a bad name.
:mad:
It’s really sad that people like that are out there because people like me already have so few options. To have everyone afraid to take on boarders will just shrink horse ownership opportunities even more. Some of us just cannot afford to buy our own farm.
[QUOTE=Obsidian Fire;7882600]
This kind of crap is why I can drive by I don’t know how many barns with beautiful everything…and every. single. one. of them is PRIVATE. No boarders.
People like this give the rest of us a bad name.
:mad:[/QUOTE]
Am I the only one who thinks this woman and her horse are NOT going to leave December 8? OP, please have a Plan B in place which may include a lien on her horse and tack. I know you want her gone with or without payment but she may just walk away.
[QUOTE=Obsidian Fire;7882600]
This kind of crap is why I can drive by I don’t know how many barns with beautiful everything…and every. single. one. of them is PRIVATE. No boarders.
People like this give the rest of us a bad name.
:mad:[/QUOTE]
And this why the OP should not just write this off. She should get a judgment on her that will be public record. This woman walks out of this and no lesson is learned. I really am not trying to force this action on the OP but think about it - this is exactly how these people pray on others and get away with it.
I’ve been approached several times about letting people board at my place since I’ve gotten my farm.
“You’ve got all that room and only four horses, I’ve got this friend that’s in a really tight spot right now”…“You’ve got ten acres of pasture and all those empty stalls, I told my friend about your place because she really needs a place to board”…and my favorite to date: “I work with this lady who is trying to get two rescue horses but she can’t afford to board them so I gave her your number, she’s going to call you hope you don’t mind” and a few others.
The stories I read on here are hands down the #1 reason I say no. No. NO every time. Ain’t gonna do it, no way no how. I’m not a business, I’m not insured for it, I’ve no desire to go that route, I’m a big mean selfish doodie-head that won’t share her toys and nobody can make me. I will not trust some stranger with my sanity and peace of mind just so they can stomp and piss all over it.
OP I truly hope for your sake she goes without a fuss but if she doesn’t I’m sure we’ll all enjoy reading about it!
So OP, what happened during the lesson?
[QUOTE=GaitedGloryRider;7882784]
I’m a big mean selfish doodie-head that won’t share her toys and nobody can make me. I will not trust some stranger with my sanity and peace of mind just so they can stomp and piss all over it.
![/QUOTE]
Love this! I really want to be a big mean selfish doodie-head someday. Now if I can just hit lotto…
For what it’s worth, I don’t think this is going to be over on the 8th either. This woman is a professional BSer.
Thank you all again for the supportive and informative comments. You all have really helped me keep my sanity this week.
She had her lesson. I didn’t watch, because I want minimal interaction with her. She has removed all her racks and hooks and things that she had on her stall. She had her stuff all pushed into a smallish pile in the tack room. I take these as good signs that she is planning to go. But hell, who knows.
I am definitely taking the suggestion of those of you who said send her a certified letter. Doing that Monday.
My biggest fear is she’ll leave that mare here. I don’t even know what I’ll do if she abandons her. I mean, I know where she lives, I guess I could haul her to her house and tie her to a tree. I don’t want to do that. I don’t want the mare but I do worry where she’s headed. Hay is expensive this year, I have 3 of my own horses, and I really don’t want to be feeding an animal I have no use for and don’t even really like all that well. But hand to God, if she abandons that animal I will make sure every damn horse person in this part of the state hears about it so they know exactly what she is. DEEP BREATH…calm down.
She IS a professional scammer. Surprise. I learned from a mutual acquaintance that she bought that mare on a lease to own deal, and before the mare had been paid for and before she paid up her back board, she showed up with a trailer and the previous owner had to threaten to call the police, told her to get off the property and if she couldn’t finish payments on the mare she wasn’t taking her anywhere. She somehow managed to produce a check and was allowed to take the mare, but honestly WHO DOES THAT?
And lastly, I’ve only had this place for 3 years. I boarded for YEARS, in all sorts of situations, from full care to self care. I was a good boarder and I knew good boarders, so I know they’re out there. I’d love a GOOD boarder - the first couple weeks she was here, before I became her slave, it really was fun to have someone to ride with and horse talk with (I’m the only rider in my family, gets a bit lonely at times). So maybe, after some time, I might open up a stall again, but holy moly are they ever going to be vetted thoroughly.
I’ll check back in periodically with updates. This is gonna be a looong week.
TBRocks, you have handled the situation really well. I’ve worked in big barns, ran a co-op, then had boarders in my own barn and now I am a boarder. I feel like I’ve seen it all, but your story is right up there with some of the worst. My worst was a boarder who was helping out by feeding our horses when we were away for the weekend. We came home early and his truck was in our stable yard - but our truck was missing! He had ‘borrowed’ it for what I’m pretty sur was a rendezvous with my neighbor -yuck -. Years later when I sold the truck, I found some of his ‘belongings’ down behind the bench seat.
I will keep my fingers crossed that your boarder from hell packs up and moves. You have gone way beyond the call of duty taking such good care of her horse, and she sounds like the real deal professional scammer.
An ex friend of mine abandoned a horse and it is common knowledge on the local horse boards. She still appears to have a thriving horse related business. 
[QUOTE=GaitedGloryRider;7882784]
I’ve been approached several times about letting people board at my place since I’ve gotten my farm.
“You’ve got all that room and only four horses, I’ve got this friend that’s in a really tight spot right now”…“You’ve got ten acres of pasture and all those empty stalls, I told my friend about your place because she really needs a place to board”…and my favorite to date: “I work with this lady who is trying to get two rescue horses but she can’t afford to board them so I gave her your number, she’s going to call you hope you don’t mind” and a few others.
The stories I read on here are hands down the #1 reason I say no. No. NO every time. Ain’t gonna do it, no way no how. I’m not a business, I’m not insured for it, I’ve no desire to go that route, I’m a big mean selfish doodie-head that won’t share her toys and nobody can make me. I will not trust some stranger with my sanity and peace of mind just so they can stomp and piss all over it.
OP I truly hope for your sake she goes without a fuss but if she doesn’t I’m sure we’ll all enjoy reading about it![/QUOTE]
Me too! I didn’t know I was so famous in the horse community. I answered a phone call from a young lady who found me via internet and was hoping to board her stallion and gelding together, since they got along so well. First, I don’t board horses and second, no, I couldn’t care less about boarding, period.
So i would take it that the OP is in the US… and I’m not familiar with US laws. Here in BC Canada we have the Livestock Lien Act, that says after a certain time and a certain amount of recorded warnings the barn owner/manager can take the horse to the auction and sell it off. But you can only keep the money of the board that is owed to you, the balance would need to go to the owner (if there is more then board)… but just out of courtesy what can barn owners legally do if a horse is abandoned at their barn… and how long is considered abandoned?
Btw OP - glad your not completely turned off of boarders… we aren’t all users.
If that mare is abandoned, you get her to sign her over to you and formally relinquish all rights to her, and then you put the mare down.
Sad and hard to do, yes, but a mare with a blown knee and a nasty attitude is not going to come to a good end, and it’s not her fault she’s been owned by a conniving jerk.
Sorry, that sounds dictatorial, I don’t mean to be. But that’s what I would do.
[QUOTE=Obsidian Fire;7882600]
This kind of crap is why I can drive by I don’t know how many barns with beautiful everything…and every. single. one. of them is PRIVATE. No boarders.
People like this give the rest of us a bad name.
:mad:[/QUOTE]
Bad as this is, it’s not really the main reason for all the Private signs. Barn owners have every right to not open their barns to others even if running such a business was permitted by their zoning, insurance, HOA etc.
Have many friends who moved horses to their own places…for peace, quiet and privacy. Imagine how they felt when every one of them were forced to put a PRIVATE sign on their own driveway to stem the parade of uninvited inquiries from those who assumed they were welcome to just drive on up the driveway. Anytime. Even if they had to open the gate.
Oh, the nice little Private notation under the farm name or added under the address? Forget it, need a big red billboard, even then they say “Yes, we saw that but we wanted to see about boarding and/or Pony Rides”.???
[QUOTE=findeight;7883348]
Bad as this is, it’s not really the main reason for all the Private signs. Barn owners have every right to not open their barns to others even if running such a business was permitted by their zoning, insurance, HOA etc.
Have many friends who moved horses to their own places…for peace, quiet and privacy. Imagine how they felt when every one of them were forced to put a PRIVATE sign on their own driveway to stem the parade of uninvited inquiries from those who assumed they were welcome to just drive on up the driveway. Anytime. Even if they had to open the gate.
Oh, the nice little Private notation under the farm name or added under the address? Forget it, need a big red billboard, even then they say “Yes, we saw that but we wanted to see about boarding and/or Pony Rides”.???[/QUOTE]
SEEE?? It’s exactly that “private doesn’t mean little ol’ me” those kind of folks are the ones who make people who might otherwise be willing to share, unwilling to even consider it.
And like someone else said, not all of us have the money to buy our own farm. And some of us live where options are limited.
It used to be you could change barns every weekend if you were inclined… not anymore. And I know some really good people who generously opened up to board only to get so badly burned by not just one but multiple people that they closed up shop, period.
[QUOTE=saje;7883228]
If that mare is abandoned, you get her to sign her over to you and formally relinquish all rights to her, and then you put the mare down.
Sad and hard to do, yes, but a mare with a blown knee and a nasty attitude is not going to come to a good end, and it’s not her fault she’s been owned by a conniving jerk.
Sorry, that sounds dictatorial, I don’t mean to be. But that’s what I would do.[/QUOTE]
Saje, if she leaves the mare this is the only unfortunate solution I can come to as well.
If I posted a pic of that knee you all would be horrified. She looked lame at the walk after the lesson Friday.
I’m just really hoping she’ll go quietly off and I’ll never hear from her again.
You are definitely a good egg 
I hope your barn drama peters out with no flare ups, and nothing left behind!
So sorry you are going through this! But what wisdom you have. You’re right - you won’t see the funds that should be coming to you again - nor get that extra time back you could have spent otherwise than on her horse.
One bit of advice, working in law offices. If you send a Certified letter, also send out the same letter regular mail. It is presumed regular mail always gets to its ultimate destination. She can avoid the Certified mail totally by refusing to sign for it, but if you end up in Court later, and advise you also sent a copy of the same regular mail, it will be in your favor.
I’ve had some very tough times the past couple of years. And would have really loved to have someone else take on my guy who would have done the best for him. However, I wouldn’t since he’s not straightforward. I sold what personal effects I could to pay for him and the mortgage. Ultimately even the mortgage was skipped a couple of times, and my barn owner understood when I couldn’t pay the entire month up front - but I’d pay a couple of weeks at a time. I hardly rode due to the price of gas.
Fortunately back employed and caught up - not taking any of it for granted - but would never have had the nerve to question an unpaid barn owner’s “fairness”. Grrrrrr.
Having a horse abandoned on you is a real disaster, so getting the horse moved is a priority above getting paid. This person does not sound like the kind of person who would reasonably sign over the horse, but without that you are still responsible for caring for the animal and can’t sell it, re-home it, or put it down without some legal proceedings (which depend on your state). It’s not as simple as it just automatically becomes yours after a certain period of time.
I would however pursue the money owed. That’s a lot of money and represents a lot of hard work, feed/hay, and the use of your nice facility, and her getting away with having stolen that from you is an offensive thought because it leaves her free to scam the next person. This person probably specifically chose you as her “mark” because you seemed kind and sympathetic and the kind of person who would let it go in the end. There are some very excellent and not very nice bill collectors that specialize in collections for equine businesses, perhaps one of those (or the threat of one of those) would be helpful. In any case, be very sure that you present her with accurate written bills totaling what she owes and keep copies.
If she takes the horse and leaves, then it’s good.
Don’t even mention the money, because she already admitted in messages/texts how much she owes you. Accept nothing but cash, or the check will bounce, or she’ll put a stop payment on it, and it will cost you tons of fee. Print out everything you have from her stating she owes you, and then take her to small claims court.
