Neighbour's cows ate my apples!!

[Washy]

For the third year now my orchard has been devastated and damaged overnight.  Having blamed wild boar and theives on previous years, this week I caught the culprits red-hooved!  My llamas were squealing a warning noise and looking down the long field where I have 100 apple trees.  I took my dog and went for a walk to come face to face with an enormous bull and 6 cows munching away in the rows of dwarf apple trees.  I went back for the car and my camera, took pictures then tried to herd the animals back by sounding the horn.  This did not work so I drove up to seek help only to find that my neigbour was at the end of the field where he had taken down the electric fence.  The cows must have walked past him to get to my orchard.

Of course I had 'words' with him and he shrugged his shoulders and then said how terrible his life was....moan, moan, moan...farmers are so hard done by etc. etc.  I said I was going to Porte Plainte at the Gendarmerie, he said I was just a tourist playing at being a farmer etc etc....I gave my husband a cider press for his birthday and now we have nothing to press!!

I rang the gendarmerie to be told this was not a legal matter and I could not Porte Plainte but should make a claim on his insurance.  Two charming police women (average age about 12....)came to see me, they said I could Porte Plainte.

I have written a letter to the farmer/neighbour saying I want to claim on his insurance????  Does anyone have any idea how I should proceed???

[Nick Trollope]

[quote]For the third year now my orchard has been devastated and damaged overnight. Having blamed wild boar and theives on previous years, this week I caught the culprits red-hooved! My llamas were squeali...[/quote]

The suggestion is that your neighbour allowed his animals into your orchard - in which case it is most definately a Gendarmerie matter. The dividing line between civil and criminal law is hazy here (to say the least). If he does not want to pay, then the civil route will cost you a fortune (and take a long time) - costs which aren't recoverable, as I understand it.

Go back to Les Flics.

[sue-J]

Put your own electric fence up.....

Sue

[Alexis]

When the cows opposite escaped and devestated the neighbours garden, the owner of the cows dealt with the insurance so unless your farmer does the same, you are stumpted.

Nasty situation because you don't want to be falling out.

When the same neighbouring cows ate my whole crop of three apples, I was very upset....  Never had an apple since so the tree was obviously traumatised

[nimportequoi]

Are you sure you farmer neighbour has adequate insurance? Ours doesn't for third party damage and his cows have been on our lawn a few times - luckily when it was dry, so no damage done - yet.

[Logan]

My farmer neighbour tells me that apples are very bad for cows. Something to to with lactic acid although I might have misheard!

Your farmer may see an opportunity to sue you for not preventing your apples from being so tempting to his cows. I am not joking! Farmer have a position in France similar to the Virgin Mary.