Problem with loggers! What do we do?

[Big E]

So we had a logging company come so we could thicken up our property for better deer, bear, grouse and rabbit hunting. We told them we didn't want much taken out. 30% of the birch, 30% of the maple and absolutley no oaks or pine. Some ash, basswood and aspen. We marked all of the pine with tape and fence. Also a lot of the oaks. In the contract it says in very big and bold letters NO OAK OR PINE. It also states in there about have 50 foot buffer lines along all the boundaries and our big food plot. Well I talked to my Mom and Dad and they both said they started to cry seeing what was done. So I thought it can't be that bad. Well they took everything and left us with a field with a few trees. There was A LOT of oaks taken. They left a couple piles of wood that they had forgot to drag out and there was 2 oaks in there that were well over 30 years old. we found a lot of stumps from big oaks and over 80% pines were ran over. They didn't need to take any of these down for roads or anything like that. They just wanted to take them. They still had leaves on them and orange tape. They maybe left 5% of the birch and maple and took out every aspen, ash and basswood. only a 10ft buffer zone was left on the boundaries and they made roads going into our food plot when we drew a map of how that was to be left alone. It was horrible! The guy blamed the "new guys" that he had working for him. They were also only taking out trees for chipping but our neighbors watched them take load after load of lumber.
 Now I ask is there anything we can do? We have a copy of the contract and I took pictures of some of the oaks and the roads into our big food plot. We did not get a lot of money for this at all and we didn't do it for the money just the habbitat. The woods and those trees was my Dad's life and now it is all gone and he'll never see it the same all because of some "new guys" well that's not a good enough excuse for what they did. Please any info on what we can do would be GREATLY appreciated.
                                                         Big E

[Bobby Bass]

Don't ask here, go lawyer up. Bring your pictures and contract along with pictures of what they left you and ask legal advice. I would think you would have some recourse here.   

[Cody Gruchow]

absolutly go get a lawyer and contact the logger. you have pictures and the contract. it wont be the same obviously but they will be forced to pay the damage and im sure order to plant new tress, like your oaks and pines.

[beeker]

 man that freakin sucks. sorry to hear it.

I know it's not about the money but right now that's all you got since you know he didn't toss your trees into a land fill, he's making money on em and is probably counting on you to do nothing.

he can't put your trees back but atleast you can get some satisfaction.

get a lawyer

[JohnWester]

i'd break this mother-fo... take every penny from him.  the "new guy" excuse is lame.

[jd mn/nd]

I would put his butt out of business the law suit your looking to bring against this moron is called a breech of contract lawsuit. He violated the contract and profited from it and you lost huge so you sue him for the ALL of the money he made on the logging off of your property and then future money for fertilizer, new trees, cultivating, of new trees, the DNR plan that you will have to follow for replanting, and the many, many dollars it will cost you to put back what they took from you and your family!! DO NOT LET HIM GET AWAY WITH THIS!!!! The new guy excuse is a crock of BS!!! No one leaves a new guy in charge of a operation like that!!!! How stupid did he think you all were? IF you need the name of a good attorney let me know I can help you out.

[JohnWester]

i'd break this mother-fo... take every penny from him.  the "new guy" excuse is lame.

I would put his butt out of business the law suit your looking to bring against this moron is called a breech of contract lawsuit. He violated the contract and profited from it and you lost huge so you sue him for the ALL of the money he made on the logging off of your property and then future money for fertilizer, new trees, cultivating, of new trees, the DNR plan that you will have to follow for replanting, and the many, many dollars it will cost you to put back what they took from you and your family!! DO NOT LET HIM GET AWAY WITH THIS!!!! The new guy excuse is a crock of BS!!! No one leaves a new guy in charge of a operation like that!!!! How stupid did he think you all were? IF you need the name of a good attorney let me know I can help you out.

I think we say the same thing here... but I am a man of so few words.

[22lex]

Take the legal route and don't contact him again. New guys= is a bs lame excuse.

[jd mn/nd]

I gave him the name of a GOOD attorney that should or will recommend someone that will do good by the family. People like that should only be allowed to dig ditches by hand for a living!!!

[Big E]

Thank you guys and Jd I called him and he told me the route on what we need to do from here. After my Dad asked around a few people said that this guy screws a lot of people. If anyone has gone through this jor knows any tips would be a big help. I wonder what restitution on oaks is. It has to be pretty steep I would think since they're very slow growing.

[jd mn/nd]

The courts will sepeona all of his records and will have to turn them over to the courts and you will get what is yours. But yes oak, and some soft woods cost lost of money per board foot.

Later JD

[beeker]

I would like to hear how this turns out for you. please keep us posted.

[trout whisperer]

http://www.minnesotaforests.com/

[Fawkinnae]

I would like to hear how this turns out for you. please keep us posted.

I agree. This is really tragic but I'm fascinated to find out how things work out. I hope for you and your family it's a reasonably quick resolution.

[deadeye]

Big E,
You never mentioned how many acres are involved here.  I don't know how far the property is from where you live, but you were a little too trusting by not being there during the logging process.  Much of the issue could have been avoided by meeting with the loggers while they were there.  I don't know the circumstances involve so maybe that wasn't possible.  You are on the right track taking legal action.  Be sure to get the neighbors involved early while their memories are fresh regarding what was taken from the property.  I may come down to their word against the logger regarding logs being hauled off the property.  Can you find out where the logs were hauled?  Was the trucker an employee of the logger or did he hire someone?  Start asking questions early before things get buried.  Good luck.
On the bright side, a lot of the land I now own was clear cut a number of years ago.  It how the trees regenerated.  Also, hunting actually improved due to the logging. 

[beeker]

deadeye is 100% right when he says the new growth will be great. we logged a 40 about 4 years ago and right now that new growth has held deer on our land consistently. 

Big E... did you check your contract for an Indemnification agreement?

[dakids]

As in most legal procedings.  He who has the most documentation WINS.  Count EVERY stump.  Take lots of pictures and back everything up on a second disk.  There might be 2 ways to get payed. 1 What the logger was payed for the lumber.  2. Replacement of living trees that will be moved in with large tree spade trucks.  Very expensive.

It sounds to me that the logger is a real piece of work.  He probably has done this to others and has gotten pretty good at victomizing land owners.

[Big E]

Here is some answers to the questions some of you had. We have 80 acres and my parents live on that 80. The reason we didn't know until it was too late is my dad works during the day and gets home after dark. He asked if they could cut when my Dad had 4 days off in a row so he could be there but that didn't work out. Yes we trusted them WAY too much. It is a big logging company and they were in and out in just under a week. It didn't take them long at all. I talked to the local DNR forestry department and they knew exactly who I was refering to before I told them. We are having a Forester come out and count stumps and look at how many Oaks were taken and also how they ran over our fenced in 4-6ft pine trees that also had bright blaze orange on them in the no cut zones. He will also see that WAY more than 30% maple and birch was taken due that there's only about 20 each left on the property. He will also see where they made 4 roads going into our food plot that was not to be touched within 40ft (also in contract). We are in the middle of finding out who hauled the lumber out and where it went.
   The guy told my Dad he would get us a few trees. Well we all know it's going to be the 6" free ones he gets from the county. The only way we'd be happy with that is if he could call up Doc Brown and jump in the dolorian and go back to 1970 and plant those oaks they took out! Let this be a lesson for you guys if you're planning on having your land logged watch their every move and make sure they ALL have read the contract and know what the heck you want done.
 I'd like to thank you guys for all your help and PLEASE keep the tips and info coming. We need all we can get. If you know someone this has happened to I'd like to hear what they did. I will be keeping you all posted on this.
                     

[kingfisher1]

If the need were to arrise, I'd be willing to help plant any new trees you get.

[Bufflehead]

 Let me tell you this. I live in logging country. I worked servicing equipment for loggers for 14 years. about 50% of them are crooks! We had to chase them and chase them to try and get paid.

 My father had his place logged along with two neighbors by the same logger. They tried to rip off my dad by lieing about how many loads were taken out. My dad counted them. Both neighbors threw them off their property. They run over more than they take out with the new type logging equipment. The chain saw is a thing of the past. I own 170 acres here in Minnesota, you will NEVER see a commercial logger cutting any of my timber. Think about it, 1 truck load of logs these days, can be worth near a $1000, depending on type of wood. If they can steal several loads on each job site. It can add up FAST!

 PM me the loggers name...I know most of them and I already have a name in mind who did this to you

 Chuck 

[Big E]

Thanks KF for the offer but I think we'll have it covered with our relatives. They all have offered to come help this spring. We have taken a lot pictures and talked to our neighbors on how many loads went out and who was hauling it. A forester is coming out this weekend to count stumps and look at the damage. The logging company has been calling quit a bit but my parents aren't answering the phone. I think he has heard through the grape vine that we are taking legal action. They obviously know that they are in the wrong.

[kingfisher1]

Offer still stands Big E if you need it.   

[kgauker7]

what  sry i just read this for the first time i'm sry to hear this but i've seen lands that have produced more game after clear cuttin but i've also seen some that don't have any animals in them yet i hope you get every penny and are able to milk them dry what a bunch of SOB's good luck like KF said let us know if you need any help

[Go Big Red!]

Once this is figured out via court system, would it be possible to release the name of the logging company, trucking firm, etc.  as I'm sure some of us may need to have our lands logged some day.