Help on the ins and outs of cutting firewood on someones land?

[CountryGirl81]

I am writing because a few months ago a neighbor of ours gave us permission to go in on her land and cut firewood. In exchange she needs some work done around her house, we put a woodstove in for her, new piping and many other odd jobs around her house and also some firewood in exchange for allowing us to cut on her land. We held up our end of the bargain and did all these things for her. Now she is sending us nasty texts and calls threatening the law on us saying that she did not give us permission to cut down her trees only the dead fall that was there....this was never mentioned in beginning conversations and there was never anything written up in writing....any suggestions on how to handle this situation and does she have a leg to stand on in court with this? I think honestly she has lost her mind...

 

[lone wolf]

I am writing because a few months ago a neighbor of ours gave us permission to go in on her land and cut firewood. In exchange she needs some work done around her house, we put a woodstove in for her, new piping and many other odd jobs around her house and also some firewood in exchange for allowing us to cut on her land. We held up our end of the bargain and did all these things for her. Now she is sending us nasty texts and calls threatening the law on us saying that she did not give us permission to cut down her trees only the dead fall that was there....this was never mentioned in beginning conversations and there was never anything written up in writing....any suggestions on how to handle this situation and does she have a leg to stand on in court with this? I think honestly she has lost her mind...

Do you have a witness ? Does she?

 

[CountryGirl81]

Do you have a witness ? Does she?

Her son worked with us cutting wood for about a month out of the 5 months we were cutting there, and we had others working with us as well...She knew we were on the land...what did she think we were doing? it was agreed upon that we were cutting wood.

 

[lone wolf]

Her son worked with us cutting wood for about a month out of the 5 months we were cutting there, and we had others working with us as well...She knew we were on the land...what did she think we were doing? it was agreed upon that we were cutting wood.

If her son was there then she should have been aware. Did she see any of the cutting? When she agreed to let you cut did you have a witness with you?

 

[CountryGirl81]

It was just my husband and myself over coffee at her house....and it was just verbal conversation....and she used to bring her son up lunch on occasion while we were skidding out the logs.

 

[lone wolf]

It was just my husband and myself over coffee at her house....and it was just verbal conversation....and she used to bring her son up lunch on occasion while we were skidding out the logs.

Well then two of you can testify in your own defense. If it gets that far, I would play it cool if push comes to shove and let her rant and rave and look like the nut. You have two or three things in your favor a witness , it went on so long she must have known and her son was with you so how could she not know.

 

[CountryGirl81]

Well then two of you can testify in your own defense. If it gets that far, I would play it cool if push comes to shove and let her rant and rave and look like the nut. You have two or three things in your favor a witness , it went on so long she must have known and her son was with you so how could she not know.

That is what I was thinking as well...I am just going to let her blow off steam or whatever it is she needs to do because she is having a moment or whatever you call it and not going to communicate with her any further.....I have been completely honest with her from day 1 and she knew what was going on....I think she thinks she is going to get compensated if she takes us to court after giving us permission....well I will not go down without a fight and needless to say will not be working for her again...

 

[lone wolf]

That is what I was thinking as well...I am just going to let her blow off steam or whatever it is she needs to do because she is having a moment or whatever you call it and not going to communicate with her any further.....I have been completely honest with her from day 1 and she knew what was going on....I think she thinks she is going to get compensated if she takes us to court after giving us permission....well I will not go down without a fight and needless to say will not be working for her again...

She may not take you to court. She is old I gather? Could be senile I don't know but maybe.

 

[square1]

Are you still on good terms with the son? Can he mediate?

 

[CountryGirl81]

Are you still on good terms with the son? Can he mediate?

I am sure more than likely he will not mediate as he lives with her...but her house is connected to the property where we were cutting and she heard us out there everyday cutting as well....and drove by multiple times....we even visted with her multiple times during the duration of us up there cutting on her property and had conversations about it...

 

[Cheesecutter]

Welcome to AS. Can you still have a civil conversation with her? Did you cut alot of standing or live trees instead of the dead fallen ones? Or make and leave a mess? Something must have upset her. It sounds like she thinks she been taken advantage of which could be a symptom of dimentia. Hope things work out for you.

 

[cus_deluxe]

im guessing she assumed that you were going to cut the least desirable trees (dead/dying ash, dead/dying standing and downed trees, uglies...) If you were back there cutting what could be nice veneer or saw logs, then i can see being upset. When you say skidding logs, how do you mean? like with a big skidder or a pick-up or horses or atvs? Seems to me like the best thing to do would be cut your losses (pun not intended) and part ways. sometimes these things happen and best not to let it jam you up. If i remember right upstate new york has lots of trees

 

[CountryGirl81]

im guessing she assumed that you were going to cut the least desirable trees (dead/dying ash, dead/dying standing and downed trees, uglies...) If you were back there cutting what could be nice veneer or saw logs, then i can see being upset. When you say skidding logs, how do you mean? like with a big skidder or a pick-up or horses or atvs? Seems to me like the best thing to do would be cut your losses (pun not intended) and part ways. sometimes these things happen and best not to let it jam you up. If i remember right upstate new york has lots of trees

we were pulling them out log by log with a small tractor...and no nice saw logs it was curvy ash and broken trees...nothing worth anything for nice wood....we didnt leave any messes...actually cleaned up where she had loggers come in and take down the nice trees and left the tops, and the blown over trees and such,,,,and what we did cut that was live was all over grown areas of basically curvy wood that would not make good lumber or anything like that....and we are going to part ways because it seems she just wants to argue and trust me it is really overgrown in there.

 

[cus_deluxe]

good call. nothing you can do will make a person like her happy.

 

[lone wolf]

I am sure more than likely he will not mediate as he lives with her...but her house is connected to the property where we were cutting and she heard us out there everyday cutting as well....and drove by multiple times....we even visted with her multiple times during the duration of us up there cutting on her property and had conversations about it...

Stick to your guns you have two of you that can back up what you say . No one will believe all this could go on without her knowing if her son was with you . What is she a shut in she never looked at this in months?