Ground Lease

[JMP]

I need to move my hives from my property to a new location for about a year. Does anyone have a standard ground lease document that I can use as a template? Thanks all!

[Mr.Beeman]

You PAY for land to put your hives on?

[Acebird]

If someone has one I would like to see want a standard ground lease is.

[sqkcrk]

Have you found a location yet or is this preliminary? I give my landowners half gallon jugs of honey, usually two or three. No standard agreement. Sorry.

[dirt road]

There are a number of different forms on the internet. Just Google it. They are usually designed for farming and acreage, but could be easily modified to fit your needs. Lease pricing would depend on local standards and what is being, or could be grown on the land. They will usually include things you never thought about.

[sqkcrk]

I'm sure there is something of value ther dirt, but if we go as far as written contracts are Lawyers far behind? Find a potential location you would like to use. Knock on the door of the owner of the land. Tell him what you want to do and shake hands on it. Keep it as simple as possible, but keep lines of communication open. Respect the landowners property more than you do your own.

I have 18 or 20 locations in NY and 6 here in SC and that's how I have done things. As far as I know, that's the way everyone I know does it.

I'm sure there are other ways.

[dirt road]

Mark, I agree with your philosophy 100%. I was just answering the op's question. I have rented a little patch of ground to one of my neighbors to farm for several years. We never had anything but a verbal agreement until this year when we had to write up a formal lease agreement to satisfy an issue with the county assessor's office and the tax commission. The written agreement did not change my opinion of the neighbor a bit, still trust his word completely.

[BeeGhost]

I live in California and its known as the CYA state (cover your .....). The four places I have to keep bees are purely on a handshake and verbal agreement that if at anytime the property owner wants the bees gone, they get moved ASAP. I am the one that is more worried about the bees bothering people than the owners are!!

Just goes to show that among an elite bunch of people.............the honor system still applies and that integrity still trumps a piece of paper that some lawyer wrote up, which wont hold water in court anyhow.

[Heintz88]

pm me and i can send you a attachment with a good contract i use if my hives go anywhere off my property.

[sqkcrk]

Mark, I agree with your philosophy 100%. I was just answering the op's question. I have rented a little patch of ground to one of my neighbors to farm for several years. We never had anything but a verbal agreement until this year when we had to write up a formal lease agreement to satisfy an issue with the county assessor's office and the tax commission. The written agreement did not change my opinion of the neighbor a bit, still trust his word completely.

No disrespect, but a bee yard needs less than an acre or two in space. So it seems like a lot of bother. But, I guess it is good to have things spelled out.

If someone does have something they use I would like to see it, for the education.

[Acebird]

No disrespect, but a bee yard needs less than an acre or two in space. So it seems like a lot of bother. But, I guess it is good to have things spelled out.

In the case of death, vandalism, theft, fire or natural destruction, liability how do you prove what was there without paper?

[sqkcrk]

If I am dead I won't care. Vandalism will be evident by what remains as would fire or natural destruction/ Other than my Insurance adjuster who would I have to prove anything to? Liability? What doe sthat have to do w/ a usage agreement and proving what was there w/out paper? I often take photos of my bee yards, but not w/ any idea of proving anything.

are you suggesting the need to protect myself against a landowner?

[BeeGhost]

In the case of death, vandalism, theft, fire or natural destruction, liability how do you prove what was there without paper?

I wonder how many bee yards I would get if I talked to a landowner and then pulled out a contract stating that he would be liable for any damage to my hives? I bet I wouldn't get a single place out here. The last thing a landowner wants is more liability.

On the other hand if the landowner provides a contract stating they are released from any liability, then I would sign it. But that would purely be up to them. I have yet to be provided any sort of contract other than a verbal YES.

The only contracts that should be made is if it involves money either for rent or payment for pollination, and that is only so the set price and service is to be honored and not argued over when the service is completed.

[Ian]

In the case of death, vandalism, theft, fire or natural destruction, liability how do you prove what was there without paper?

Farm insurance will cover liability issues

[Acebird]

are you suggesting the need to protect myself against a landowner?

Unlikely, but a bunch of hoodlums that come in and knock over your hives, get stung multiple times, end up in the hospital, sue you and everyone else because you had no right to put them there.

It is easy to trust the people you know but not so easy to trust the people you don't know.

[BeeGhost]

And laws are made to protect the stupid.

Hoodlums trespass, vandalize something that is not theirs, get hurt and sue and win. The judicial system is a wreck in this country.

[Joes_bees]

aywt.png
And you were there, and you where there...
http://www.beesource.com/forums/arch.../t-268502.html

[sqkcrk]

Unlikely, but a bunch of hoodlums that come in and knock over your hives, get stung multiple times, end up in the hospital, sue you and everyone else because you had no right to put them there.

It is easy to trust the people you know but not so easy to trust the people you don't know.

What the heck are you smokin'?

[Rader Sidetrack]

What the heck are you smokin'?

Take it easy, Mark. Acebird is in a real tough spot. He's trying to catch up to your Beesource post count, but its difficult because you keep moving the goalposts.

So he simply strings together a few phrases, and clicks "Post Quick Reply". No time for deep thinking!

[JMP]

Thanks for all the replies so far. I agree it's a real pain to draw up paperwork and then deal with the associated issues but the reality is that it's all about CYA these days. However, my friend is willing to let me put my bees on his land and will be more comfortable with a written agreement in place. I have to respect his request. No fees, just a simple agreement.
If his land wasn't so perfect and close to my new home I would look elsewhere.

Unfortunately I am moving to a residential neighborhood from 27 acres of forestland. Put my house on the market and it sold in two weeks. Left me in a lurch. All that was available in the area was a home in a residential area. All the neighbors at the new house have pools. You can see where I am going with this. So I will suck it up for a year, deal with the lease issue and then move into a new home on a larger piece of land with no neighbors.