but how much money are you going to end up spending trying to prove all this, written contract or not? i'm all for fighting for the "principal" of things but there is a point where it becomes fiscally irresponsible, especially when you never actually paid for anything anyway.

its a bad situation no doubt.

And when all else fails, punch him in the throat!

Agreed....it boils down to what its worth to you

... or in the nut balls...

That is downright crappy. You busted your tail helping him out and now, no hunting.

Go knock on his door and submit an invoice with a dollar amount, for all the labor you put into his place.

If he refuses.

That's when I'd get even. I'd rip the sonofabuck's fence down and leave a flaming bag of poo on his porch.

This is always a big problem. He's fighting for something worth a few thousand. Legal fees might very well be a few thousand. You can sue for the money plus legal fees, but with nothing in writing, there's a huge chance he loses and is now also out legal.

I work in a capacity where we're always suing, being sued, foreclosing, trying to enforce performance under contracts, etc.

It's never clean.

thanks alot obama

Make him pay you for the work and take your blinds/feeders off the land.

What a jerk move.

As said above oral agreements of labor or services performed are legal in Texas but can be very time consuming and expensive to collect on. It's possible if explained to him in person in a nice way about paying you for your services or following through on hunting privileges he could have a change of heart. If not then lesson learned and welcome to THF.

I agree. Just in my experience, a contract can be just as costly to collect on as a verbal agreement...you just stand a better chance of winning

For the win!!!

To file in small claims court is inexpensive, probably less than $50.00, I think you can sue up to statutory maximum of $5,000. It will be a pain in the arse for him. You have nothing to lose, everything to gain.

If you really did all that work and didn't get paid, send him an invoice. If that doesn't work, hire a lawyer to send him a demand letter. If he digs in, consider your bluff called and walk away, lesson learned.

In my neck of the woods (south Texas), we would say, "F*#k him up and give him a putaso!"

I would sit down with the landowner and discuss it with him. Tell him, if he doesn't follow thru with your agreement you will take him to court and he will have to pay for your services. See if he bites.

file a lien on the property...

I would think this would be the best coarse to take. After he refuses to pay from the invoice you should submit to him.

I think the invoice idea would be a start.. Get a couple of written bids for the fence work that you have done from reputable contractors that do similar work in the area, and base your invoice off of those bids. Use a middle ground, to prove your asking price is reasonable. The cow works would simply be those of a day worker, maybe $125/day. Include a letter that states you would be willing to trade hunting rights for the season as previously agreed for consideration. Send via certified mail, so you get a signature back that he received it.

If you still can't work out an agreement, have an attorney send him a letter. If you still don't have any luck, file in small claims court, and keep those bids around, along with copies of everything you have sent him to present if you end up going to court. I wouldn't worry about getting an attorney to go to court with you. It could end up costing too much in the long run. It is just a process that you have to go through. Tell both sides of the story, and let the judge make a decision.

I know you just want to hunt, but maybe you could get some money out of the deal to pay for a hunt.

This, and I also like the small-claims court and lien options.

I'd try and contact the group that leased the place out of Dallas. If they have any sort of integrity they will see the landowner's move for what it is. I know if I were a leaser I wouldn't want to throw in with a landowner who would behave that way. May be able to get them to pull the deal out from under the LO. May not get you a chance to hunt, but it would hold him accountable for what he has done to you. Can try and get their contact info from the LO by telling him you want to try and buy into the lease with them.

Follow these instructions and file a lawsuit on your own in Justice Court, formerly known as small claims. You can sue up to like $10,000. Go tell the judge your story and the other guy will tell his under oath.

Otherwise you will just be whining about it on here, the THF with no resolution.

Texas Justice Court

http://www.texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?...;ContentID=8755

http://www.texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?...ContentID=24859



You may not get anything if you win but you will get a judgement. If you pursue that judgement and keep it active it will create all kinds of headaches for him or his estate some day.

verbal contracts are enforceable in Texas if you can prove the necessary terms of the agreement. If you acted in accordance with the contract, there are correspondence referring to the agreement or other items indicating an agreement exists, it can be valid in Texas.

We have payed $20 per hour for day workers working cattle for several years now and covered them with workers comp.

Im sorry but that is comical. I doubt a single deer leaser would back out of their new lease they have already put money into because the landlord was a shister to someone in the past.

Has he done this before? Will he do it again? What’s to stop this lying crook from doing it to some other guy? I’d like to see the landowner’s name attached to all of this. I do not doubt the veracity of the OP’s accounts but what good does it do anyone else if this clown makes verbal deals with other men and then screws them? If it’s true it is neither libelous nor slanderous.