# people say im crazy but im human



## sm04257 (Dec 19, 2009)

i plow mine and my daughters driveways every year with my atv. this year my neighbor which is an elderly woman was trying to shovel her drive,she has 3 sons and they dont shovel her drive, so i make it a point to plow her drive which only takes 2 passes and about 5 minutes. one of her sons asked me how much have i been charging her to plow , i told him i havent charged her, i do it out of kindness since she is elderly and a widow.he didnt say anything else just left. the storm we just had i went to plow and the woman came out and tried to pay me she said her son said she should pay me , i told her noo just keep her money that she could make me a pie or something. when i got done with my daughters drive the woman came over with a fresh baked apple pie. to me the kindness paid off. i use an atv on the drive so its not much time or money involved.should i have taken the money i do a few drives i get paid for so it all comes out to me i think


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

You should've taken the pie and smashed it in the son's face...........although it would've been a shame to waste a good pie.


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## nixray (Jan 31, 2008)

got-h2o;1568787 said:


> You should've taken the pie and smashed it in the son's face...........although it would've been a shame to waste a good pie.


I agree 100% there needs to be more people like us. And the son is a jerk


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## G.Landscape (Oct 20, 2011)

The neighbor at my cottage always plows out the top of our driveway for us so we can get in off the road. He has never asked for money and when I asked how much I owed him he said "its just what neighbors do" 

We usually pay him a couple hundred each season and a nice bottle of wine. We never speak of the money, but I pay him to help cover his fuel and repairs.

Enjoy then Pie!


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## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

I would have kicked the son in the nads and sped off. Obviously he did not get the point kindness otherwise he would take care of his mother.


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## Spool it up (Oct 30, 2012)

sm04257;1568783 said:


> i plow mine and my daughters driveways every year with my atv. this year my neighbor which is an elderly woman was trying to shovel her drive,she has 3 sons and they dont shovel her drive, so i make it a point to plow her drive which only takes 2 passes and about 5 minutes. one of her sons asked me how much have i been charging her to plow , i told him i havent charged her, i do it out of kindness since she is elderly and a widow.he didnt say anything else just left. the storm we just had i went to plow and the woman came out and tried to pay me she said her son said she should pay me , i told her noo just keep her money that she could make me a pie or something. when i got done with my daughters drive the woman came over with a fresh baked apple pie. to me the kindness paid off. i use an atv on the drive so its not much time or money involved.should i have taken the money i do a few drives i get paid for so it all comes out to me i think


we need more people like you . the son came out to see how much you were getting so that he can take over from there . what a POS

. good man , keep it up .


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## trustyrusty (Dec 31, 2008)

Actually the son wanted to know how much you're paid so he can sue you for something. He could be setting you up by telling his mom to pay you. Don't ever exchange money and watch your back with his kind.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Do you like apple pie?


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## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

The Karma gods will shine their black asses down upon you, someday..... 

or


You'll just do a lot of kind stuff for people around you in your circle of life, and never be appreciated for it.


Either way, welcome to the club, friend. 




BTW, I agree with the above statements. The son is a real pineapple. He should be taking care of his own mother's welfare and not leave it up to the kindness of neighbors.



Yesterday, I was making funeral arrangements for my ailing mother. While there, the funeral director, myself and my wife were all talking about how people use other people for their own greed. his story he told me yesterday comes to mind:

They live in a somewhat wealthier neighborhood and next door is an older couple with no children. They do, however, have 2 nieces who's parents were passed on. For several decades the funeral director (call him Bill)'s wife was taking care of them, as there was no one else to do so. They both were old, couldn't balance a checkbook, and appointed his wife as P.O.A. for them, so they would be taken care of while they lived. His wife took care of everything, soup to nuts, including bills, bank accounts and all the home maintenance issues that came up, including snow plowing, by hiring contractors for them. This went on for several decades, as the husband and wife swore up and down that Bill's wife would be "taken care of" when they passed.

Well, up to present day america, and both of them passed. At the time of their death (wife passed last), the two nieces produced a will leaving them everything, and since when someone dies, so does your P.O.A. Bill's wife had no real recourse as she and her husband were left NOTHING. Everything was willed directly to the nieces, who made one yearly pilgrimage to these peoples home, yet they lived in the neighborhood, but never stopped in.

So..... no good deed goes unpunished ??? Well for some of us it does....


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## theplowmeister (Nov 14, 2006)

sm04257;1568783 said:


> i plow mine and my daughters driveways every year with my atv. this year my neighbor which is an elderly woman was trying to shovel her drive,she has 3 sons and they dont shovel her drive, so i make it a point to plow her drive which only takes 2 passes and about 5 minutes. one of her sons asked me how much have i been charging her to plow , i told him i havent charged her, i do it out of kindness since she is elderly and a widow.he didnt say anything else just left. the storm we just had i went to plow and the woman came out and tried to pay me she said her son said she should pay me , i told her noo just keep her money that she could make me a pie or something. when i got done with my daughters drive the woman came over with a fresh baked apple pie. to me the kindness paid off. i use an atv on the drive so its not much time or money involved.should i have taken the money i do a few drives i get paid for so it all comes out to me i think


Thank you


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## Fourbycb (Feb 12, 2009)

Maybe the 3 Son's are worried your taking advantage of her money because there wanting it for them selves when she croaks.


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## willshome (Mar 5, 2012)

sm04257 maybe he knows what you are doing has value and knows she is doing ok with money. Do you know how much she wanted to pay (may have just been gas money)


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## jhall22guitar (Dec 11, 2011)

I applaude you. Not many people are willing to do something like that these days, and when you try to most people end up being like her son.

You will have good karma... and some good pie.


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## xgiovannix12 (Dec 8, 2012)

I plow my neighbors driveways with my truck all the time.. They always offer money but I reject it. 

Sometimes they give it to my parents tho. SO they always find a way to cover my fuel costs. I dont mind helping out neighbors. 
But god bless you . WE do need more fellas like us around.


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## KBTConst (Oct 25, 2009)

Son is a POS he should be doing her drive and if he can't he should be offering to pay for it.


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## Spool it up (Oct 30, 2012)

Dogplow Dodge;1568920 said:


> The Karma gods will shine their black asses down upon you, someday.....
> 
> or
> 
> ...


the new obummer inheritance law says uncle sam gets HALF of the empire . now thats what i call a POS law


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## shovelracer (Sep 3, 2004)

It's insane that after paying for and raising a child from poop diapers to an adult the payback is to be put back in poop diapers and not even have your driveway shoveled

A few weeks ago a 10 year client of mine passed. I never really spoke to the wife only the husband. Sort of the old world man takes care of business thing. Never in 10 years any major issues. First I get a call from the daughter, she wants to dispute charges on the invoice that is 30 days past due. No story about times are tough, or woe is me, just straight up she feels I should give a discount because the husband passed. Nope sorry. A few days later the son calls. Good job, BMW driving, DB son. He feeds me this line about times are so tough with the economy, blah blah. 

The deceased was very high up government with pension to boot. The wife owns and still runs a very successful cleaning company. So I'm not certain that things are that bad. Now if times are tough because their property taxes are 25K cause they live in an 800K home that is not my problem.

So the son goes on about how he is going to have to find a way to get there in snow storms to help his mom. She just cant't afford to continue our contract. Blah Blah. So I go against my instincts and agree to instantly release them from the seasonal contract. The whole time I'm telling myself I'm loosing this one. So 2 days ago it snows 5 inches. While doing my client quality checks I notice that this driveway was plowed. WTF I offered to work with the family through the times, and I have given them quality for 10 years. Had they been honest I still would have let them out, but with the cancellation clause effecting. This is just an example I run into crafty DB sons all the time.

I still have not been paid from December.


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## TehTDK (Jan 17, 2013)

shovelracer, I would send them one last warning to pay the bill and then send them to collections just for being idiots and unfair to you. 

You have been nothing but fair and honest with them, but at the same juncture they stabbed you in the back.


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## xgiovannix12 (Dec 8, 2012)

TehTDK;1569779 said:


> shovelracer, I would send them one last warning to pay the bill and then send them to collections just for being idiots and unfair to you.
> 
> You have been nothing but fair and honest with them, but at the same juncture they stabbed you in the back.


Indeed


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## camp61 (Nov 20, 2011)

sm04257;1568783 said:


> i plow mine and my daughters driveways every year with my atv. this year my neighbor which is an elderly woman was trying to shovel her drive,she has 3 sons and they dont shovel her drive, so i make it a point to plow her drive which only takes 2 passes and about 5 minutes. one of her sons asked me how much have i been charging her to plow , i told him i havent charged her, i do it out of kindness since she is elderly and a widow.he didnt say anything else just left. the storm we just had i went to plow and the woman came out and tried to pay me she said her son said she should pay me , i told her noo just keep her money that she could make me a pie or something. when i got done with my daughters drive the woman came over with a fresh baked apple pie. to me the kindness paid off. i use an atv on the drive so its not much time or money involved.should i have taken the money i do a few drives i get paid for so it all comes out to me i think


An apple pie is great. I received a half gallon Vodka. Good stuff too! 
I'm a firm believer that we have to take care of our elderly. If I can help with my truck and plow I will. 
A long time friend asked my to do the snow removal at his parents house. Wanted to know how much. Now his sister lives two miles away and her husband doesn't make the effort to help so, I gave them a deal for $25 to clear their drive and yard (two stall behind house and very tight). I plow, shovel and salt. They are in their 80's and both in walkers. 
I have another buddies mother lives on the road to this other job. I just stopped and back dragged a couple of times and she was very happy, hence the vodka.
Anyway, most elderly can afford to hire but they grew up in the 30's and 40's and snow removal was something you did, not paid for. You did it yourself.
I applaud you for helping, without being asked!


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## shovelracer (Sep 3, 2004)

TehTDK;1569779 said:


> shovelracer, I would send them one last warning to pay the bill and then send them to collections just for being idiots and unfair to you.
> 
> You have been nothing but fair and honest with them, but at the same juncture they stabbed you in the back.


The truth is that for a few hundred bucks it is not worth my time. I'll send statements and let late fees incur for a year then if I'm not paid by the end of the year it becomes a write off. Anyone who has ever been through real collections knows it costs a ton of money, nothing is guaranteed, people lie, and in the end there is no certaintee you will get any money. Best you get most of the time is the hope that 10-20 years from now you get a call that someone needs to pay you because the house sold with a lien. I've worked the neighborhood for ten years and have contracts for next year already lined up so at least I get to wave while mutter obscenities under my breath for a few months. Funny how people treat us like we are disposable morons, but the truth is you treat people like garbage and within a few years word will get around and you will not be able to find anyone to help you.


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## TehTDK (Jan 17, 2013)

Here were I live you can "drag" most people to collections over roughly 125 US. You have to give them 3 notices 10 days apart and the money owed *including* notice fees has to extend above 125.

Sure collections cost money, but here that cost is added on top of what is owed. So someone owing you a $100 can quickly get to owe you 2 or 300 in the long run, with incruing interests.

And at least here you can put a "hold" on the things that people own, I am however uncertain whether that particular practice requires a higher "owed" amount. So if people own a car, well guess what now they cant legally sell it without settling their debt to you in the same turn, can't sell their house, will get less of their deposit back etc.

If it was me and I had a contract with the client and they treated me like this I would tell them to pay the bill in xx days or consider the contract unlawfully broken. If the bill was then not paid I would quote them a second bill consisting of the original owed amount, AS WELL as payment for the following months, up and to the month where they can legally get out of the contract.

The second bill should hopefully be larger and more substatial and thus be worth dragging through the system . But yes I know that particular approach is rather extreme, but IMO a customer that doesn't pay for any valid reasons, has showed me that they have no repour for upholding the original contract and in that case I am not really interested nor motivated to work with them beyond that point.


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## shovelracer (Sep 3, 2004)

I have liens out from 10 years ago I'll likely never get paid on. Maybe someday someone will call and offer settlement, but more than likely they will want to reduce the debt. Might never see that day as well. Bottom line is it is not like you can send Vinny Knee Breaker over there and ring dollar bills out of them like wet laundry. There is a process, it is expensive, and if the defendant is experienced in the process they can drag it out for years which costs more money. 

Not to say there is not a place for it though. We have had times where it was necessary, and did help with HOA's, breach of contracts, etc, but generally not worth losing hours of time for a pitiful residential contract. Karma works it's way around eventually. The son will likely get thrown in a nursing home to rot in his soiled diapers in 50 years.


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## ponyboy (Dec 19, 2006)

It is what neighbors do I plowed both of my neighbors drive way for free for 5 years now my son has a quad and plow he does it for free also 
Now at 13 he goes out and gets paid to do some in our neighbor but he knows better to take money from our neighbors and actually does an olderly lady for free he is learning that there is more to life than money 
I hope when I'm dead some one will help my wife out


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## camp61 (Nov 20, 2011)

ponyboy;1570777 said:


> It is what neighbors do I plowed both of my neighbors drive way for free for 5 years now my son has a quad and plow he does it for free also
> Now at 13 he goes out and gets paid to do some in our neighbor but he knows better to take money from our neighbors and actually does an olderly lady for free he is learning that there is more to life than money
> I hope when I'm dead some one will help my wife out


Sounds like you're raising him right. Some things are more important than money. And I'm sure he'll be there for his mother when the time comes!


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## mranum (Jan 16, 2013)

sm04257;1568783 said:


> i plow mine and my daughters driveways every year with my atv. this year my neighbor which is an elderly woman was trying to shovel her drive,she has 3 sons and they dont shovel her drive, so i make it a point to plow her drive which only takes 2 passes and about 5 minutes. one of her sons asked me how much have i been charging her to plow , i told him i havent charged her, i do it out of kindness since she is elderly and a widow.he didnt say anything else just left. the storm we just had i went to plow and the woman came out and tried to pay me she said her son said she should pay me , i told her noo just keep her money that she could make me a pie or something. when i got done with my daughters drive the woman came over with a fresh baked apple pie. to me the kindness paid off. i use an atv on the drive so its not much time or money involved.should i have taken the money i do a few drives i get paid for so it all comes out to me i think


Some people are brought up thinking that you should get paid whenever you do something for someone else. It could be the son was just wondering what your "angle" was and was thinking that you might come after her estate in time for services that were never paid. Or, it could be he's just a pos and probably so.

Lots of older folks don't like to feel indebted to someone, this comes from standing on their own two feet their whole lives. I found that bartering is a great way to deal with that. You don't want to take money but they insist on paying something. That pie is a great example of that. ussmileyflag


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## fordtruck661 (Feb 26, 2011)

Reading this made me think of this video


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## IPLOWSNO (Oct 11, 2008)

I take care of my old new neighbor I seen her outside trying to snow low with a pos

After I finished mine I went over and told her she doesn't need to be outside and have been doing it ever since,

But she is ditzy, she parks her car in the worst spot ever I need to be able to have room for the inevitable 4' storm so I open up a lot if room 

I go there after a heavy storm and she pulls the snow off her roof( metal) which freezes solid I can't move that,

Sometimes I wonder about people,I had to use my snowblower and it died so I left it there she comes walking over trying to tell me I out gas in it, maybe you need dry gas

I was like no I need a recoil rope I'll get it in a few minutes when she said you can always tell me to mind my own business

So I did, but what really pissed me off was when she moved in her dog barks non stop , the dog warden goes there and she says oh the neighbor has dogs too wtf

We got a notice but screw them we never answered it, they can kiss my ass

But it really makes me feel less neighborly when **** like that happens


Kudos to the op for being a decent human being


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## kg26 (Feb 5, 2013)

This is big of you thank you.


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## snopushin ford (Feb 20, 2010)

You guys have some good stories, and some that are not so good. I lived out in Lake Tahoe for a winter doing snow removal for my uncle. I was out in the blower cleaning up the berm's from the graders and I saw a older lady trying to shovel it (it was about 4 feet high). So I stopped and motioned for her to move out of the way and she watched me make the first pass in and she walked away back to the house. I couldn't believe she walked away but I finished her driveway anyway. I thought she was not even going to thank me but when i was about to back out into the street to leave she came out of the house with a case of sierra nevada pale ale on her shoulder. I was shocked because I thought she was not even going to give a thank you to me. It felt great to help her out, and getting some beer out of the deal.


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## mercer_me (Sep 13, 2008)

I applaud you, not many people are willing to help others out for free these days. I help my elderly grand parents (82 & 87) out a lot and I never take a dime. Just spending time with my grand parents and hearing stories about the way things used to be is payment enough for me.


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## yardguy28 (Jan 23, 2012)

sm04257;1568783 said:


> i plow mine and my daughters driveways every year with my atv. this year my neighbor which is an elderly woman was trying to shovel her drive,she has 3 sons and they dont shovel her drive, so i make it a point to plow her drive which only takes 2 passes and about 5 minutes. one of her sons asked me how much have i been charging her to plow , i told him i havent charged her, i do it out of kindness since she is elderly and a widow.he didnt say anything else just left. the storm we just had i went to plow and the woman came out and tried to pay me she said her son said she should pay me , i told her noo just keep her money that she could make me a pie or something. when i got done with my daughters drive the woman came over with a fresh baked apple pie. to me the kindness paid off. i use an atv on the drive so its not much time or money involved.should i have taken the money i do a few drives i get paid for so it all comes out to me i think


I think you did the right thing.

sounds to me like the son is a POS but there could be a reason for his asking. maybe the mother is well off with money and he feels she should pay instead of taking advantage of your kindness. perhaps he wanted to make sure you weren't taking advantage of her. but in my opinion sounds like he's garbage.


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## sm04257 (Dec 19, 2009)

sadly the old woman died but her son asked me if i still was going to plow the yard this winter, i told him no i dont plow other yards than my own


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## xgiovannix12 (Dec 8, 2012)

sm04257;1648606 said:


> sadly the old woman died but her son asked me if i still was going to plow the yard this winter, i told him no i dont plow other yards than my own


He thought he had it good this winter while you plow and he watches you from behind the window


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## sm04257 (Dec 19, 2009)

well he can use a shovel


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## Triton2286 (Dec 29, 2011)

Now you should plow the people next to his house for free just to piss him off.


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## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

Triton2286;1648702 said:


> Now you should plow the people next to his house for free just to piss him off.


Great minds think alike !Thumbs Up


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## sm04257 (Dec 19, 2009)

come to think of it, the other neighbor is new to the area and has never had a winter here. he has no snowblower i know so i will tell him i will do his lol


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## Triton2286 (Dec 29, 2011)

sm04257;1648794 said:


> come to think of it, the other neighbor is new to the area and has never had a winter here. he has no snowblower i know so i will tell him i will do his lol


Your welcome!


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## sm04257 (Dec 19, 2009)

i talked to the neighbor that is new to the area and made a deal with him, he knows the other guy so he is going to tell him that i am doing his yard for free just to piss the guy off lol but the new guy said he didnt mind paying so we will work that out later


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## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

sm04257;1654378 said:


> i talked to the neighbor that is new to the area and made a deal with him, he knows the other guy so he is going to tell him that i am doing his yard for free just to piss the guy off lol but the new guy said he didnt mind paying so we will work that out later


Don't you just love it when a plan comes together ?


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## xgiovannix12 (Dec 8, 2012)

sm04257;1654378 said:


> i talked to the neighbor that is new to the area and made a deal with him, he knows the other guy so he is going to tell him that i am doing his yard for free just to piss the guy off lol but the new guy said he didnt mind paying so we will work that out later


Nice Thumbs Up


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## Triton2286 (Dec 29, 2011)

Like I said...your welcome! lol


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## sm04257 (Dec 19, 2009)

triton that was great advice you gave thanks


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## sm04257 (Dec 19, 2009)

well with the 13 inches we got i was busy plowing my land and helped a neighbor that was new to the area, while i was out the guy that i plowed for his mother called and asked my girlfriend when was i going to plow his drive since i had been doing it for years, she told him that i wasnt plowing it since his mother passed that he would have to get someone else that no way was i going to do it for same price as for her mother. i laughed about it when i got home


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## xgiovannix12 (Dec 8, 2012)

wow he had the nerve to call.. thats sad


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## CrazyCooter (Jan 29, 2005)

*Favors*

My neighbor is out of town; I always plow his driveway but he is driving in late tonight; I went up to his house and started his woodstove so he comes home to a warm house. Repays the guy who pulled me out for free when I was stuck today. You just gotta pass it on.


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## Triton2286 (Dec 29, 2011)

[Edited.......changed my mind on comment


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## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

Today, I took my wife out in the plow rig and cleaned up the last job I had on the list that didn't need to get done till Monday morning when they came in to the shop. We then drove out to another job I have where I knew we were under the trigger depth, but figured I'd take a ride past anyway. 

On the way home, there was a woman in a moderately affluent area cleaning the end of her driveway as the rain washout of the snow left a big pile of wet heavy mush at the bottom of the driveway, as well as from the twsp plowing it back in. At 40mph, she looked like an old lady, and I said.... should we help ? Wife agreed, and we went back. I pulled up and said.... if you move out of the way, I'll take care of that for you. Turns out she was only in her early 50's but she said her husband was away on business and needed to get out of the driveway. 

So as I backed up into the apron, my wife struck up a conversation with her. Turns out she's a real estate broker and she actually works with my wife's friend of 30 years. She asked for my card, we cleared the apron and went on our way. I refused any money (yeah, dumb I know) but I felt good that she didn't get stuck having to do that .

who knows ? Karma may get me someday...


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## SnowGuy73 (Apr 7, 2003)

got-h2o;1568787 said:


> You should've taken the pie and smashed it in the son's face...........although it would've been a shame to waste a good pie.


Agreed, sounds like her son is a real a$$hat.


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