Family perks from the farm.

[Sonoftheheir]

Just wondering what do others family members get out of their siblings/fathers farm businesses?

Here, my half sister has lived in the farm house for a year all bills paid (except council tax) for a year while they’re doing a house up.

My other sister has lived rent free in a farm house for 15 years, gets her car insurance paid and also has free diesel.

Any maintenance and house insurance is also paid by the farm.

Now I’m not angry about it, I just let it go, I get what I want out of the farm. I look at it as that is what Dad is doing to help all his children, after all he works full time on the farm and always has done.

Is this the same everywhere? Or are we too nice?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

And do you get a house on the farm rent free?

 

[Still Farming]

Always going to be arguments and gets worst when tax man chips in?

 

[Exfarmer]

Just wondering what do others family members get out of their siblings/fathers farm businesses?

Here, my half sister has lived in the farm house for a year all bills paid (except council tax) for a year while they’re doing a house up.

My other sister has lived rent free in a farm house for 15 years, gets her car insurance paid and also has free diesel.

Any maintenance and house insurance is also paid by the farm.

Now I’m not angry about it, I just let it go, I get what I want out of the farm. I look at it as that is what Dad is doing to help all his children, after all he works full time on the farm and always has done.

Is this the same everywhere? Or are we too nice?

Be very careful, far too often all this is forgotten when there is a farm to squabble over, been there , done that!
I think there are many others with the badge too

 

[britt]

My brother got the grandads bungalow on the farm after father died (he has a "proper" job (as he calls it )). He gets shooting, dog walking, and the use of forklift, tools, workshop, and pretty much anything that he might use for maintenance of his house and garden. He's welcome to all of it, he was very understanding when father died and the benefit of all of that far outweighs what he could have bought if he had got legal.
We see far too many families fall out in such situations. There are far more benefits from getting along that money can't buy.
If visitors ask "who is that ?"when they see him about, I get to say that it's the Game keeper or Gardener

 

[Sonoftheheir]

And do you get a house on the farm rent free?

No, I moved off farm at 21 and bought my own house, borrowed half off my Grandad and the other mortgaged. Currently mortgaged after building my own place on the farm. Yes I could of had a rent free house on the farm I guess.

 

[Sonoftheheir]

Yes I get plenty out of the farm (not beyond reason though) but I certainly put plenty in. Just because I’m a boy isn’t an excuse, I think I’ve got plenty of drive to get somewhere in life.

 

[SilliamWhale]

No, I moved off farm at 21 and bought my own house, borrowed half off my Grandad and the other mortgaged. Currently mortgaged after building my own place on the farm. Yes I could of had a rent free house on the farm I guess.

Do you inherit the farmland or is that split? Its not about being greedy either its about knowing where you stand so you can plan long term.

When I started farming 2000 ish I asked my parents their plans re: land. The reason was if I was to be asked to buy my sisters out then I wanted to know then as I could start planning for it then or whether it was something I wanted to do. As it happened we haven't gone down that route and my sisters will get and have had different things. Its not about the value of the land per se its about the ability of others to crash a business if they wanted to. ie if you build up your whole business based around land holdings to be threatened with it dissapearing is not just mean but its bad planning. Golddigging ex wives don't help either

 

[Sonoftheheir]

What happens when and who gets what is a different matter.

We’re being told all the time to be more efficient, I just wondered if it’s the norm for family members to get perks out of the farm or are we the soft touches?

 

[Still Farming]

Ofter the daughter works away good job ,son stays on farm improves out of all recognition and value and stays on a pittance hoping their's one day.
The day comes around too quick and left half each .
All to be sold or other half bought out and mortgaged to the hilt again in very late life and on it goes again???

Sad time and time again.

 

[Hampton]

It’s an awkward one.
Many farmers are keen for their children to follow in their footsteps and farm. Some are adamant that their children have to farm.
Many farmers want to make sure their children are looked after but want their farming child to uphold the business.
Many farmers moan about their not being any money in the business despite hamstringing their farming child with costs they did not have.
As I often say to the older generation when they are trying to “do the right thing” by all their family
“If you can’t make any money on the whole business as it currently is, how do you expect your farming child to make any money on a farm that has been carved up.

FYI my father was very fair to my sister and myself, but many aren’t so lucky!

 

[Hampton]

What happens when and who gets what is a different matter.

We’re being told all the time to be more efficient, I just wondered if it’s the norm for family members to get perks out of the farm or are we the soft touches?

I pay my sisters car tax and repairs and council tax of her farmhouse and insurance and accountant bill. She is a high flying investment banker!

 

[MrNoo]

I get a house, CT paid for and elec/heating oil, farm truck (12k) and think that's about it, shooting but then I finance that. I pay for all my fuel and that's about it No Countrywide account or anything like that, we used to when father was down here, I bought a pair of socks on "account" and bugger me he turned up a month or so later demanding me pay the £5-99 for the socks!!! But it was ok for them to pretty much run their house via Countrywide products bought on the farm account! I laugh now about it and did then, thought he was taking the pee but was deadly serious!!

 

[Sonoftheheir]

Many farmers want to make sure their children are looked after but want their farming child to uphold the business.

Many farmers moan about their not being any money in the business despite hamstringing their farming child with costs they did not have.

^this with bells on!^

Dad was saying the other day that he doesn’t get much out of the farm, when in reality if you take into consideration what my sisters get out of it, those £1000’s he should count himself.

Im not saying he’s wrong, as I’d do the same for my children I suppose, if I’m running it and my decisions are making or breaking us then why shouldn’t you get the rewards (or the loses)

What triggered this was my Dad said he’d like to pay my sisters gas bill from the farm account as she hasn’t any heating and her children were cold. The previous day she was showing me her new iPhone X !

 

[Exfarmer]

From someof the posts on here, I would guess the tax man would be interested to read this!

 

[rob1]

From someof the posts on here, I would guess the tax man would be interested to read this!

Why ? just because it comes out of the farm account doesnt mean its not accounted for as a private expense in the farm tax accounts

 

[Exfarmer]

Why ? just because it comes out of the farm account doesnt mean its not accounted for as a private expense in the farm tax accounts

Perhaps it is how I read it.

 

[Slippery Slope]

^this with bells on!^

Dad was saying the other day that he doesn’t get much out of the farm, when in reality if you take into consideration what my sisters get out of it, those £1000’s he should count himself.

Im not saying he’s wrong, as I’d do the same for my children I suppose, if I’m running it and my decisions are making or breaking us then why shouldn’t you get the rewards (or the loses)

What triggered this was my Dad said he’d like to pay my sisters gas bill from the farm account as she hasn’t any heating and her children were cold. The previous day she was showing me her new iPhone X !

Screw that, if she wants bills paid she ought to get out and earn her keep.

 

[Hampton]

^this with bells on!^

Dad was saying the other day that he doesn’t get much out of the farm, when in reality if you take into consideration what my sisters get out of it, those £1000’s he should count himself.

Im not saying he’s wrong, as I’d do the same for my children I suppose, if I’m running it and my decisions are making or breaking us then why shouldn’t you get the rewards (or the loses)

What triggered this was my Dad said he’d like to pay my sisters gas bill from the farm account as she hasn’t any heating and her children were cold. The previous day she was showing me her new iPhone X !

You should be paying the iPhone bill too! ?

 

[Pieces_of_Eight]

From an accounting/tax perspective, why should a business be subsidising the lifestyle of someone who isn't an employee, shareholder, director, owner etc?