I've never had a written agreement for any yard we have had, with the possible exception of a letter in the case of a very distant yard in another province and the contracts we had with seed companies for pollination. In that latter case, we were paid to place specific numbers of hives of specific strengths at specific times.
I had to enforce one once when the company had over-contracted and decided they di not need all the bees they had promised to hire. In spite of the fact the contract was written by lawyers and seemed quite clear, we still had to settle a bit short or risk a legal expense of the magnitude of what we had to give up -- and even the possibility of a more adverse result if we went to court.
Jurisdictions vary, but it seems to me that, where I live, a person is better off with a "handshake" or a freindly, informal, clearly-written confirmation letter (email) in simple plain language outling what was agreed without being complex.
It should imply that in case of any insoluble problems, the beekeeper will remove the bees and leave things as they were found, and that should be the end of it.
Something to the effect of...
--- begin letter ---
Dear Tommy,
I just moved a 'yard' of 30 beehives onto the corner of your property we visted together and discussed earlier this week.
As you requested, we will try to keep things neat and tidy and we'll be sure to close the gates if we find them closed. I'll also ask my guys to be careful not to run down more crop than we agreed and to be considerate of any livestock nearby, and of the neighbours when working on the bees.
We may on occasion need to work there at night and move hives in and out. Should we call you or the neighbour beforehand so that nobody worries? I know that most people keep an eye out for mischief and we appreciate that. I expect that we won't have more than 100 hives there at any one time, and usually far less.
If, for any reason, you decide that you need to have the bee hives removed, we will move them as soon as practical after you notify me, keeping in mind that at some times of year the hives are buried in snow and subject to damage if moved, or heavy with honey and not at all easy to move on short notice. At any rate, please give us as much advance warning as you can if you need some or all of them moved and we will cooperate as best we can.
We'll deliver the 30 lbs of honey we promised some time later this week and every year that we keep bees on the location, after we have finished extracting the fresh honey in the fall. You mentioned you prefer 1kg tubs of creamed honey and we have some on hand.
Please call me any time you have questions or concerns or if the property changes hands or has a new renter. My name and phone number are stencilled or written on some of the hive lids and elsewhere, and most people know me.
Thanks for providing me with that excellent spot on your land. I'm sure your apples and vegetables will benefit from having them nearby.
Jenny
867-5309
--- end letter ---
Otherwise, if legal words are used, a lawyer really should write, or at minimum, read over the document. If it looks like a legal document, then it had better be a *good* legal document becuse it will be interpreted as such.
The more words that are in a contract, the more places there are to go wrong, since words do not mean to lawyers what they mean to laymen in many cases, and by specifying various conditions, and including clauses, the absence of other conditons and clauses may become problematic when it comes time to interpret it.
If it is a letter, then it just has to be a good letter and most people can write one of those.
On the other hand...
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