Rural landowner leases 80 acres of farmland to a neighbor, a politician, to farm—neighbor plants illegal corn, plows through the landowner's driveway—tries to deny ever signing a contract when cops arrive, loses elected seat: 'I showed him the contract'

Brad Dickson • Managing Editor

Jul 7, 2026 7:15 AM EDT

At what point should trust give way to written documentation, even when dealing with someone you've known for years?

A landowner's carefully written rental agreement becomes the deciding factor after a tenant ignores payment deadlines and destroys property improvements. He then tries to claim no contract ever existed.

It can feel really good to trust someone and be able to take them at their word. That what they say will get done will, and there will be no behind-the-back, backdooring dealing. This trust is a valuable thing. But sometimes the written word needs to exist. It becomes a matter of responsibility to get things in writing regardless of how things seem when first setting out in the business relationship.

Written agreements and contracts signed with the ol' John Hancock became a thing for good reason. There have been plenty of famous situations where verbal handshake agreements eventually came to haunt one side of the equation or the other. As they say… the devil is in the details. And ensuring that there are some ground rules set ensures that everyone will have something to refer back to no matter how you trust the person.

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People have short memories. And what we do actually remember isn't reliable. Even if the best of intentions are had, it's easy for things to get crossed. And then, the best of intentions aren't always had…

A rural landowner purchased 80 acres with plans to build a home and rented the surrounding fields to a neighboring farmer. who was also a prominent local elected official, after negotiating better terms and requiring three specific conditions in a signed contract. The neighbor ignored those conditions, literally plowing right through them… and through a prepared driveway. Then planting crops where there had been construction immediately scheduled.

When construction crews drove through the unauthorized cornfield to continue the project, the neighbor denied ever signing a contract and attempted to use his influence as a county commissioner to stop the work. After the landowner produced the signed agreement, a responding police officer supported his position, eventually purchasing the corn, paying him the rent, and refusing to participate in the neighbor's attempt to falsify payment records.

All of this eventually led to events that likely led to the neighbor losing his elected position after allegations that he had used his office for personal gain. A costly mistake all over a little corn.

No contract? Okay.

I bought land and was planning on putting a house up on the back of the 80 acres. The driveway would approximate .4 miles. I knew I would have to get the driveway prepped long in advance and divided my parcel with the driveway on the highest section, fields on either side.

*A young landowner shakes hands with the older farmer leasing his land.*
*_{Not actual subjects.}*

Shortly thereafter, a neighbor, Sh for Brains (SFB) approached me to rent my fields. He had rented from the former owner and offered to pay me 60% of what he paid the former owner. I declined. When I told him why, SFB offered to pay the same.

Again, I declined. Every other property around me was earning $75 an acre, and he was only offering $50. We finally settled on $70...with three conditions: First, he couldn't plant on the area I had staked out to be my yard. Second, he couldn't plant on my driveway (which was easily identified as it was now sculpted with the hump in the middle and had 10 loads of gravel already delivered.)

I lived in the cities at the time this was happening, so imagine my surprise to get a call from Dad two weeks later and learn SFB had plowed straight through my driveway and planted on it. Further, he PARKED all his equipment on the far side of my freshly seeded lawn!! He drove over

Third, he had to have his corn out before December 1 because I would need at least the adjacent field cleared for a new pole shed. He agreed. I put it in writing, and after grumbling, SFB signed.

the flags and twine indicating the yard. I was livid. My dad told me to relax and just put the driveway back in (most of the gravel would still be there). At that time, Dad also realized SFB had driven over a burn pile (old outhouse torn down, mostly burned) with his tractor, and two tires were now flat.

He came to retrieve his equipment on probably the muddiest day of the month and knocked on my dad's door (he lived next to the parcel I purchased) to see why I plowed down. his driveway and flattened his tires. Dad explained to him he shouldn't have planted corn in the driveway, and how could I possibly have flattened his tires when I hadn't been up since he parked there?

That December, I still hadn't received my first half of rent money (first half prior to plant, second half at harvest). Corn was ripe and due for harvest, and I had two days to prep the field for my shed. I had loads of gravel arranged for December 2nd or 3rd,

and there was corn where it was supposed to go. I drove to the renter's home, and only his wife answered. I explained that the corn was supposed to be harvested already and I hadn't received rent yet. She said she'd tell him. He never showed.

December 2, gopher state one call staked out electric lines. Corn still there. December 3, gravel and materials are delivered to my property for the shed. Corn still there. December 4, morning of, guys arrive to build the shed but can't come down the driveway because the renter parked his massive combine at

the road, completely blocking my driveway. They call to let me know they can't start. I tell them just drive over the cornfield on either side of the driveway. According to our contract, there wasn't supposed to be corn there, and the rental agreement expired.

The shed was a standard 40x60. They had to bulldoze about 1/10th of an acre to level the gravel. Some time that afternoon, the renter came down screaming at me about his ruined fields. I explained he signed a contract requiring all corn be removed prior to December 1. He said he never signed a contract. I told him if he never signed a contract, and I didn't receive money for the rent, the corn was mine. I could do what I wanted with it.

SFB was also a county commissioner, and SFB called upon a cop friend for a favor: get out to my property right now and put a stop to further construction damage. When cop showed up, he obviously heard only one side of the story. So, when I showed him the contract, explained SFB hadn't paid for it, showed the crop wasn't removed in time, and explained that he damaged my driveway and k led a bunch of my grass, I asked him what he'd do in my situation.

"I have access to a combine. I can cut it down for you. If he pays you, I can give him the corn...less the cost of harvesting it. And rent for storing it. If he doesn't pay you, I'll cover the cost of the rent." By January the following year, the renter had paid the cop for the corn, and cop had paid me for the rent. He came to the cop with the money...and a receipt for payment...backdated to the preceding year (tax purposes). Cop said he wouldn't sign it unless the date was correct. SFB was fur

That very next year, SFB was booted out of his commissioner seat because he was using the position for personal gain. I think the cop narked on him.

*A young farmer looks at a husk of corn while a combine works the field in the background.*
*_{Model portrayal.}*

Hot-Win2571 You have to admire a fully rural cop.

modernsparkle It is always so crazy to me when someone in a removable position will blatantly exploit it instead of being extra cautious. Hope your driveway looks so good

Random-Generation86 Fun read. Small nitpick: it's "narced", the word coming from "narcotics" detectives using a lot of informants.

Notmykl My farmer relatives would be incensed by that man.

backgroundnerd SFB sounds exactly dumb enough,crooked enough and incompetent enough to be a politician. I assure you he will hold state- wide office soon.

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Rural landowner leases 80 acres of farmland to a neighbor, a politician, to farm—neighbor plants illegal corn, plows through the landowner's driveway—tries to deny ever signing a contract when cops arrive, loses elected seat: 'I showed him the contract'

At what point should trust give way to written documentation, even when dealing with someone you've known for years?

No contract? Okay.

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