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#1
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Cost to mow...
My neighbor is in a bind, since their lawn tractor is on the fritz. He
wants me to mow their yard until they make other arrangements. I'm not real keen on the idea as I have a bigger need for time (for all my own projects) than money. But, I want to be neighborly... How much should I charge (he's definitely willing to pay) to mow about 8/10 acre of mostly treeless property with few obstacles? Also, I will not be doing any trimming, edging, raking, etc-- pretty much just what my lawn tractor can do. I want to charge enough so that they want to find other arrangements sooner than later, but not so much as to be ridiculous. We just moved here last July and don't really know these folks at all, so I'm surprised they asked us (although we're their closest neighbor and have a brand new Deere so they know we can do it. I'm in suburban Minneapolis, if that matters. Thanks, -Tim |
#2
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Cost to mow...
"Tim Fischer" wrote in message news:YKYxa.634948$OV.599440@rwcrnsc54... My neighbor is in a bind, since their lawn tractor is on the fritz. He wants me to mow their yard until they make other arrangements. I'm not real keen on the idea as I have a bigger need for time (for all my own projects) than money. But, I want to be neighborly... How much should I charge (he's definitely willing to pay) to mow about 8/10 acre of mostly treeless property with few obstacles? Also, I will not be doing any trimming, edging, raking, etc-- pretty much just what my lawn tractor can do. I want to charge enough so that they want to find other arrangements sooner than later, but not so much as to be ridiculous. We just moved here last July and don't really know these folks at all, so I'm surprised they asked us (although we're their closest neighbor and have a brand new Deere so they know we can do it. I'm in suburban Minneapolis, if that matters. Thanks, -Tim Why not offer the use of your lawnmower to your neighbor for a mow or two? |
#3
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Cost to mow...
"Chas Hurst" wrote in message
... Why not offer the use of your lawnmower to your neighbor for a mow or two? Because it's brand new, cost me about $4000, and it's a ZTR (zero-turn-radius) and they take a bit of getting used to. Basically, I don't know these folks well enough. This mower's worth more than one of my cars, and I don't lend my car to my neighbors either grin. -Tim |
#4
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Cost to mow...
In article YKYxa.634948$OV.599440@rwcrnsc54,
"Tim Fischer" wrote: How much should I charge (he's definitely willing to pay) to mow about 8/10 acre of mostly treeless property with few obstacles? Also, I will not be doing any trimming, edging, raking, etc-- pretty much just what my lawn tractor can do. (Just to be clear, is that eight-tenths of an acre or 8-10 acres?) If it's the smaller, then do it for free, to be neighborly and foster good will. Why charge to do something that small that'll only take, what... 20-30 mins? Do it once or twice because you're a good guy and want to help out your fellow neighbor. You never know when you'll need his assistance with something. If he insists on paying, then ask him to fill your gas can. _____ American Association of Woodturners Cascade Woodturners Assoc., Portland, Oregon Northwest Woodturners, Tigard, Oregon _____ |
#5
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Cost to mow...
"Owen Lowe" wrote in message
news If it's the smaller, then do it for free, to be neighborly and foster good will. Why charge to do something that small that'll only take, what... 20-30 mins? Do it once or twice because you're a good guy and want to help out your fellow neighbor. You never know when you'll need his assistance with something. If he insists on paying, then ask him to fill your gas can. OK, I need to clarify more details. 1) It is about 8 tenths of an acre. 2) We told him we'd do it once for free-- but then they'd have to find other arrangements. Then the wife and older son comes over and thanks us, and acts like we've committed to doing it all summer. When we tried to clarify, they pulled a "desparation act" and asked if we could help them out "for awhile". I have no idea what their idea of "for awhile" is. 3) If this was once or twice I would gladly do it for free. I've already done it once for free. But based on what they've told me, they want me to do it longer. They are not native English speakers and communication is a bit of a problem. 4) I DON'T want to be in the mowing business. We just moved into this house last year and I have tons of projects that need to be tackled. I can't afford the 30 min to an hour a week it will take to mow another property. Thanks, -Tim |
#6
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Cost to mow...
"Tim Fischer" wrote in message news:am6ya.641389$OV.603117@rwcrnsc54... "Owen Lowe" wrote in message news If it's the smaller, then do it for free, to be neighborly and foster good will. Why charge to do something that small that'll only take, what... 20-30 mins? Do it once or twice because you're a good guy and want to help out your fellow neighbor. You never know when you'll need his assistance with something. If he insists on paying, then ask him to fill your gas can. OK, I need to clarify more details. 1) It is about 8 tenths of an acre. 2) We told him we'd do it once for free-- but then they'd have to find other arrangements. Then the wife and older son comes over and thanks us, and acts like we've committed to doing it all summer. When we tried to clarify, they pulled a "desparation act" and asked if we could help them out "for awhile". I have no idea what their idea of "for awhile" is. 3) If this was once or twice I would gladly do it for free. I've already done it once for free. But based on what they've told me, they want me to do it longer. They are not native English speakers and communication is a bit of a problem. 4) I DON'T want to be in the mowing business. We just moved into this house last year and I have tons of projects that need to be tackled. I can't afford the 30 min to an hour a week it will take to mow another property. Thanks, -Tim Just say "no". BTW: Grow a spine, pussy. |
#7
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Cost to mow...
In article am6ya.641389$OV.603117@rwcrnsc54,
"Tim Fischer" wrote: OK, I need to clarify more details. Thanks for adding in the additional details - I read your comments in the repair group as well. Yes, I agree with you that it appears there may be no end in sight. I was under the impression the neighbor was in a very temporary bind and after helping out once or twice the neighbor would have solved his problems and not needed the assistance any longer. If you feel they're taking advantage of your neighborliness, then by all means, don't do the work - it'll only foster resentment on your side of the fence. I'm not sure that doing the mowing and charging a fee is a good idea either - not exactly sure why, but it just doesn't sit well... I guess because you're not in the lawncare business and it may still end up as friction in the relationship. Do you know any teenagers who might be looking for a few bucks you could send to their door? _____ American Association of Woodturners Cascade Woodturners Assoc., Portland, Oregon Northwest Woodturners, Tigard, Oregon _____ |
#8
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Cost to mow...
Are you sorry you asked yet?
I don't know much, but since noone else has really answered, I will say that my yard is about the same size with some obstacles, and the quote I received was $45. That doesn't sound TOO ridiculous, but still adds up to about $180/month. After they pay that a few times, they will probably do the math and figure out that they could buy their own tractor, make payments, and be ahead. "Tim Fischer" wrote in message news:YKYxa.634948$OV.599440@rwcrnsc54... My neighbor is in a bind, since their lawn tractor is on the fritz. He wants me to mow their yard until they make other arrangements. I'm not real keen on the idea as I have a bigger need for time (for all my own projects) than money. But, I want to be neighborly... How much should I charge (he's definitely willing to pay) to mow about 8/10 acre of mostly treeless property with few obstacles? Also, I will not be doing any trimming, edging, raking, etc-- pretty much just what my lawn tractor can do. I want to charge enough so that they want to find other arrangements sooner than later, but not so much as to be ridiculous. We just moved here last July and don't really know these folks at all, so I'm surprised they asked us (although we're their closest neighbor and have a brand new Deere so they know we can do it. I'm in suburban Minneapolis, if that matters. Thanks, -Tim |
#9
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Cost to mow...
Hi Tim,
We have almost 3/4 of an acre. We are charged weekly $35/cut which includes all the extras (edging, trimming and we have several trees that need to be edged around. I've read all your comments and can see where a real problem can begin. Since there is a language barrier, maybe going through your yellow pages and selecting two or three gardeners for them to call or go through the phone book with them and then tell them (nicely) that this will be your last cut. You just have too much to do around your own home. Good Luck!! Brandi "Tim Fischer" wrote in message news:YKYxa.634948$OV.599440@rwcrnsc54... My neighbor is in a bind, since their lawn tractor is on the fritz. He wants me to mow their yard until they make other arrangements. I'm not real keen on the idea as I have a bigger need for time (for all my own projects) than money. But, I want to be neighborly... How much should I charge (he's definitely willing to pay) to mow about 8/10 acre of mostly treeless property with few obstacles? Also, I will not be doing any trimming, edging, raking, etc-- pretty much just what my lawn tractor can do. I want to charge enough so that they want to find other arrangements sooner than later, but not so much as to be ridiculous. We just moved here last July and don't really know these folks at all, so I'm surprised they asked us (although we're their closest neighbor and have a brand new Deere so they know we can do it. I'm in suburban Minneapolis, if that matters. Thanks, -Tim |
#10
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Cost to mow...
Hi folks-- I was the original poster.
I think the problem has solved itself. The other day, a van from Sears stopped by the neighbors (their mower is a Crapsman) and I believe their mower is now working -- they used it to mow their lawn, anyway. Thanks so much for all of the solutions. -Tim |
#11
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Cost to mow...
You should wonder if your neighbor will really pay you at all.
Cut it with the assumption you wont get paid for your trouble otherwise there could be a lot of hard feelings developing. If you decide to cut it wait till it gets rather long to encourage them to fix their lawn mower and take responsibility themselves. .. "Tim Fischer" wrote in message news:YKYxa.634948$OV.599440@rwcrnsc54... My neighbor is in a bind, since their lawn tractor is on the fritz. He wants me to mow their yard until they make other arrangements. I'm not real keen on the idea as I have a bigger need for time (for all my own projects) than money. But, I want to be neighborly... How much should I charge (he's definitely willing to pay) to mow about 8/10 acre of mostly treeless property with few obstacles? Also, I will not be doing any trimming, edging, raking, etc-- pretty much just what my lawn tractor can do. I want to charge enough so that they want to find other arrangements sooner than later, but not so much as to be ridiculous. We just moved here last July and don't really know these folks at all, so I'm surprised they asked us (although we're their closest neighbor and have a brand new Deere so they know we can do it. I'm in suburban Minneapolis, if that matters. Thanks, -Tim |
#12
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Cost to mow...
Do what I did, my neighbors bought the house next door and layed sod, but
didnt have a mower, they asked if I would mind coming over and mowing there lawn once in a while since i have a rider mower. At first I didnt mind, seeing as I have a rider mower, its more fun than a chore. Well I did this for about 2 months, then grew tired of mowing their lawn as well as my own, (I started to feel like I had to do their lawn when I did mine) so I stopped mowing all together, my lawn and theirs. When they asked what was up, I told them my mower was on the fritz. Believe it or not, within a week they had a brand new mower to mow their own lawn, though they never offered to mow my lawn, but a week later I started mowing my own lawn again and gave them the explanation that I took my mower to the shop and had it repaired at the cost of $300.00, they did offer to pay me half of the "supposed" repair bill, but I declined. They now have a new mower and I dont have to mow their lawn. "Tim Fischer" wrote in message news:YKYxa.634948$OV.599440@rwcrnsc54... : My neighbor is in a bind, since their lawn tractor is on the fritz. He : wants me to mow their yard until they make other arrangements. I'm not real : keen on the idea as I have a bigger need for time (for all my own projects) : than money. But, I want to be neighborly... : : How much should I charge (he's definitely willing to pay) to mow about 8/10 : acre of mostly treeless property with few obstacles? Also, I will not be : doing any trimming, edging, raking, etc-- pretty much just what my lawn : tractor can do. : : I want to charge enough so that they want to find other arrangements sooner : than later, but not so much as to be ridiculous. We just moved here last : July and don't really know these folks at all, so I'm surprised they asked : us (although we're their closest neighbor and have a brand new Deere so they : know we can do it. : : I'm in suburban Minneapolis, if that matters. : : Thanks, : -Tim : : : |
#13
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Cost to mow...
"GamePlayer No. 1058" wrote in message news:8d31f5105eb80488d6dc754a8e057cff@TeraNews... Do what I did, my neighbors bought the house next door and layed sod, but didnt have a mower, they asked if I would mind coming over and mowing there lawn once in a while since i have a rider mower. At first I didnt mind, seeing as I have a rider mower, its more fun than a chore. Well I did this for about 2 months, then grew tired of mowing their lawn as well as my own, (I started to feel like I had to do their lawn when I did mine) so I stopped mowing all together, my lawn and theirs. When they asked what was up, I told them my mower was on the fritz. Believe it or not, within a week they had a brand new mower to mow their own lawn, though they never offered to mow my lawn, but a week later I started mowing my own lawn again and gave them the explanation that I took my mower to the shop and had it repaired at the cost of $300.00, they did offer to pay me half of the "supposed" repair bill, but I declined. They now have a new mower and I dont have to mow their lawn. Why not grow a spine and be honest. Tell them you don't want to mow their lawn. You people are a bunch of spineless pussies. You dance all around the issue and lie to others, rather than dealing with the issues in a straight-forward manner. |
#14
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Cost to mow...
"Oscar_lives" wrote in message news:CRyAa.735006$OV.675914@rwcrnsc54... : : "GamePlayer No. 1058" wrote in message : news:8d31f5105eb80488d6dc754a8e057cff@TeraNews... : Do what I did, my neighbors bought the house next door and layed sod, but : didnt have a mower, they asked if I would mind coming over and mowing : there : lawn once in a while since i have a rider mower. At first I didnt mind, : seeing as I have a rider mower, its more fun than a chore. Well I did : this : for about 2 months, then grew tired of mowing their lawn as well as my : own, : (I started to feel like I had to do their lawn when I did mine) so I : stopped : mowing all together, my lawn and theirs. : : When they asked what was up, I told them my mower was on the fritz. : Believe : it or not, within a week they had a brand new mower to mow their own lawn, : though they never offered to mow my lawn, but a week later I started : mowing : my own lawn again and gave them the explanation that I took my mower to : the : shop and had it repaired at the cost of $300.00, they did offer to pay me : half of the "supposed" repair bill, but I declined. They now have a new : mower and I dont have to mow their lawn. : : Why not grow a spine and be honest. Tell them you don't want to mow their : lawn. : : You people are a bunch of spineless pussies. You dance all around the issue : and lie to others, rather than dealing with the issues in a straight-forward : manner. Hmmm, why? Because they are my neighbors and unlike the anonymity of usenet, I have to actually live with them next door, and telling them I dont want to mow their lousy lawn and either create hard feelings or resentment is not my style. Now go wash out your mouth, you filthy foul mouthed baboon. |
#15
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Cost to mow...
"GamePlayer No. 1058" wrote in message news:35698e41796ed16352ce002cdc90bd75@TeraNews... "Oscar_lives" wrote in message news:CRyAa.735006$OV.675914@rwcrnsc54... : : "GamePlayer No. 1058" wrote in message : news:8d31f5105eb80488d6dc754a8e057cff@TeraNews... : Do what I did, my neighbors bought the house next door and layed sod, but : didnt have a mower, they asked if I would mind coming over and mowing : there : lawn once in a while since i have a rider mower. At first I didnt mind, : seeing as I have a rider mower, its more fun than a chore. Well I did : this : for about 2 months, then grew tired of mowing their lawn as well as my : own, : (I started to feel like I had to do their lawn when I did mine) so I : stopped : mowing all together, my lawn and theirs. : : When they asked what was up, I told them my mower was on the fritz. : Believe : it or not, within a week they had a brand new mower to mow their own lawn, : though they never offered to mow my lawn, but a week later I started : mowing : my own lawn again and gave them the explanation that I took my mower to : the : shop and had it repaired at the cost of $300.00, they did offer to pay me : half of the "supposed" repair bill, but I declined. They now have a new : mower and I dont have to mow their lawn. : : Why not grow a spine and be honest. Tell them you don't want to mow their : lawn. : : You people are a bunch of spineless pussies. You dance all around the issue : and lie to others, rather than dealing with the issues in a straight-forward : manner. Hmmm, why? Because they are my neighbors and unlike the anonymity of usenet, I have to actually live with them next door, and telling them I dont want to mow their lousy lawn and either create hard feelings or resentment is not my style. Yeah, I'm sure they respect a pussy-footing, lying idiot for a neighbor. Treat them honestly and respectfully. See how much they respect you then. Now, they just think you are an asshole. |
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