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Timber theives strike old lady

Started by oakiemac, August 05, 2004, 08:15:55 PM

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oakiemac

I got a call this morning from a very talkative (couldn't get her off the phone) older women who lives by herself on 40 acres mostly wooded farm. After much talking on her part, I get the general idea that she has some trees she wants me to take a look at. I put her on the list which could mean a few weeks before I make it out there. She then tells me the name of a forester that I know who recommended that I come take a look. Well this really gets my attention so I tell her that I'll be right out.
Well when I find her house and she starts talking again and me listening, the story of how a timber buyer comes knocking on her door one day comes out. To make a really long story short they logged her land and took out many piggy back loads of walnut and cherry and paid her nothing. She calls the cops who stop the operation and they finally pay her $5000 of the promised $20000. They tear up her property and she has to get a court order to keep them away.
I hate to hear story like this but I'm afraid it is all too common. The woman can barely scratch two dimes together and this "timber" company rips her off big time.
This whole ordeal could end up benefiting me because when she ran them off they left around 200 logs cut and stacked in her field. She wants  me to cut and sell the lumber on a 60/40 basis for the oak logs and 70/30 for the cherry. I'd love to do this because this will help both of us out. She can generate some cash and the logs won't just rot in her field. It will also benefit Hickory and Oak sawmill as well. It'll be a huge job for me-I'm used to cutting stacks of 10-20 logs, not a mountain of 200+ and they are mostly cherry with some white Oak and some red oak. I think I might be busy the next few months! See ya all at the pig roast.
Mobile Demension sawmill, Bobcat 873 loader, 3 dry kilns and a long "to do" list.

dansaylor

shouldn't take u all that long to saw them up on a good day when i was logging i averaged sawing up 60-70 trees with just a saw and 4 foot measering stick and axe...should be able to saw them up in 2 days and not hurt yourself.thats what we average with just one timber cutter and one dozier man and we are on steep terrain.

J_T

Wow that must be some Ax :D Hope you both do good with them logs 8)
Jim Holloway

etat

Quite a few years back I traded to do a roof for an elderly lady.  Before trading I insisted that she show the bid to her daughter and have her daughter contact me.  There was no problem with any of this and we roofed  the house.  She had about a two acre yard with a LOT of fair sized mixed hardwood.

We finished the job and a guy I had working for me asked If I'd let him use my chainsaw that weekend.  I asked him what for.  Sometime when I had left the job he had talked to the lady and he told me she told him he could cut ALL her trees.  

Number one, I've got a pretty strict rule about my hands talking to my customers.  Other than being polite carrying on conversations with the customers is a no no and all customers questions are to be refered back to me.  

Number two, this lady probably didn't even know what she was agreeing too.

I FIRED the guy and told him if he set one foot in that yard or even contacted this lady again I would PERSONALLY tear his head off.  I told him I wasn't even concerned about what the law would do to me cause once I explained why they'd agree with me.  Either way it'd be too late for him.  Let me tell you, I was *DanG serious!  

I also contacted the lady's daughter and told her what had happened, and how I had handled the situation.  

The guy never caused em no trouble, and them trees are still standing.

I'm glad that many logs are left.  I know you'll do the lady a good job and be fair with her.  You'll be glad you did.
Old Age and Treachery will outperform Youth and Inexperence. The thing is, getting older is starting to be painful.

Frickman

Oakie,
That is an all too common story around these parts. I have often said to friends that I hope there is a special place in Hades for people who take advantage of others for their own gain. I too am glad she has something left. Usually the logs are trucked away as fast as they are cut.
If you're not broke down once in a while, you're not working hard enough

I'm not a hillbilly. I'm an "Appalachian American"

Retired  Conventional hand-felling logging operation with cable skidder and forwarder, Frick 01 handset sawmill

Pretend farmer when I have the time

oakiemac

I'm surprised that they didn't get them all hauled away. I think that the only reason they didn't was that she had the police come and kicked them out.
It's going to be a big job-over 10mbf easily. I think she'll make out better this way then just selling the logs.
Mobile Demension sawmill, Bobcat 873 loader, 3 dry kilns and a long "to do" list.

crtreedude

It is always so said, it takes so long for a tree to grow, and then the money from it goes to thieves too often.

Recently I was looking at some Teak trees that needed to be thinned - badly. Well, a logger came in and said that he would harvest the trees. Well, the outside of the 5 acre area has 12" diameters trees, but the inside is about 9". This means that about half of the trees need to be removed, pronto!

The logger came in and only took the 12" trees and left the stunted ones that are overcrowded. Oh well, looks like I'll go talk with about going halves or something. These trees are 9 years old and not growing as fast as they should because of neglect. Oh well, part of the teak scams of about 10 years ago.

So, how did I end up here anyway?

Stan

The second time my Dad sold timber, he was at the site all day every day, measured the logs and got a check before they loaded. The reason was the first logger never paid him a cent.  >:(
I may have been born on a turnip truck, but I didn't just fall off.

rebocardo

Too bad they were not taken to court and had to appear before a judge with an old mother that was a victim of a scam. Then maybe we see $ome justice.

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