Caught in the middle

[buckfarmer]

Somehow I am caught in the middle of a disput between a friend and the owner if some ground the I do share cropping with. Apparently this guy that I shar crop with bought some seed from my friend last fall. The seed was in a wagon that is now damaged. Oh yea the land owner guy's son works for me. Which I guess is why my friend thinks I have something to do with his wagon being damaged. To top it off I tried to buy that same seed a couple times ealier in the fall. For some reason he didn't want to sell it to me. Someone else got the two of them together. I didn't even know they had made a deal until the son who works for me wanted to borrow my tractor, seeder, and disc to sow his dads seed. I kind of need all parties involved to be happy but don't want to get screwed for someone else's mistake. What would you guys do?

[ncil]

Don't really follow what the issue is from the information provided.

Usually best if ALL parties get to gether on nuetral territory and just discuss it.

Often there is no issue just mis-communication.

Good luck -

[Shaggy98]

I agree with ncil. Need all parties involved to work it out as adults as soon as possible. Sometimes these things can fester for nearly an entire lifetime and friends are lost. This is something my late daddy was excellent at. I remember the speech well, "There is no amount of money that holds more value than friendship, swallow your pride if your at fault or forgive the other party of they are at fault. Learning to forgive and forget is a life lesson that is no longer taught.

Might not be what you wanted to hear Buck, but sometimes being the bigger person pays dividends in the future. Good luck, hope everything works out for all of you.

[buckfarmer]

I have nothing to do with it. My involvement was to lone the guy my equipment to sow the seed. But there is a issue, the wagon is damaged. I told him I haven't used his wagon since my dad gave it to him five years ago. Maybe I need to explain better that I wasn't involved in their seed transaction. I'm reluctant to pay for someone else's damage especially since this friend accused me of farming for a tax break a couple years ago.

[Packard27]

Ncil,

So well said! Wise, elegantly simple, and straight to the point.

Which is why I love farmers and enjoy following this Website so much. It is one of those rare blogs where common sense is also a common virtue.

ANF Amigos

[Kay/NC]

Sounds like a lot of people are sidestepping their own responsibility to confess, making bad assumptions, etc. hope you get them together, and ask the right questions.

[Jim Meade / Iowa City]

I'd explain it to them like you explained it to us and refuse to be drawn into it.  The kid was not your employee on the occasion when the wagon was damaged - he was on his own.  You had no control of or responsibility for his actions.  Say, "boys, this is between you two and it won't help resolve things to get me involved."

[Kay/NC]

The phrase i ise in such circumstances is : I have no dog in this fight.

[buckfarmer]

Yep, Jim and Kay that's what I did today accually. I'm feeling better about the situation. Not really sure how the other parties feel about it now. Just glad I convinced both of them I had nothing to do with it.