Caretaker position

[denvermartinfarms]

This may be different in other places, but here in mo a one man operation has to buy work comp on himself, strange but true. So if you hand was a sub and you didn't have him insured you would be at risk, and I doubt anyone you find is going to buy it on there self.

I see to much at risk for you to not be insured, we've been hit by subs forging work comp papers and not being properly insured, so maybe I'm overly careful, but I see this as pretty risky. And IMO the partner thing has even more holes.

 

[CottageFarm]

This may be different in other places, but here in mo a one man operation has to buy work comp on himself, strange but true. So if you hand was a sub and you didn't have him insured you would be at risk, and I doubt anyone you find is going to buy it on there self.

I see to much at risk for you to not be insured, we've been hit by subs forging work comp papers and not being properly insured, so maybe I'm overly careful, but I see this as pretty risky. And IMO the partner thing has even more holes.

Workers comp is state run, so rules do vary by state. I thought Texas was fairly reasonable. Most of the states I'm familiar with, the sub signs a (notarized) waiver that states they carry their own WC or are exempt from the requirements. Mo is more the exception than the rule if they require an independent contractor with no employees to carry WC on themselves.

Cross, you'll need to check the Texas reg's. It's usually pretty easy to find on state websites. If they require a sole proprietor with no employees to carry WC, then just pay the guy more to cover the policy premiums.

None of this, however, addresses liability ins. I would advise that the ranch carry it's own policy. It will be a bit more complicated to cover your subcontractor, but a good agent should be able to steer you in the right direction.

And if you really want to keep the taxes all kosher, I would recommend that you lease the house to him, deducted from payments of course. Then you are not giving him an in-kind wage, that might make it easier for someone to decide he's an employee.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Employees are not cheap, some people don't ever think about what all they cost besides what you pay them. That's why we now have full time help and most of the time it's just me and dad.

 

[greybeard]

Is this one of those locations they have to pipe daylight to but hail, sleet, or tornadoes seem to pop up every other day?
That place have fences over run with Mesquite, prickly pear and ocatillo?
Have to gather and split their own wood for heating?
$200/week gross or net wages? % of calf crop?

Mighta been alright for Shanghai Pierce but would be a hard way to do it nowadays.

 

[chippie]

Ditto about contract labor and $200 per month may be too low. I checked with my daughter who lives sort of near you and they have friends with similar jobs who get $300 a week plus a place to live (utilities and a house). The friends also do day work for other ranches and work at the feedlots part time. The cost of fuel where my daughter lives is almost $1 higher per gallon than here on the gulf coast.

You need to look at the cost of living where you live (cost of groceries, fuel, etc...) when determining the salary.

ETA: sent you a pm

 

[J&D Cattle]

As stated above definitely check the state's insurance laws. DMF is correct about MO law. One nice thing is that a contractor can buy a policy as a sole proprietor or even a member of an LLC and elect to exclude them self from coverage through our state's assigned risk carrier. Makes the coverage a little cheaper and this way they can prove they have coverage in the event they hire somebody else or hire an uninsured contractor.

 

[CottageFarm]

As stated above definitely check the state's insurance laws. DMF is correct about MO law. One nice thing is that a contractor can buy a policy as a sole proprietor or even a member of an LLC and elect to exclude them self from coverage through our state's assigned risk carrier. Makes the coverage a little cheaper and this way they can prove they have coverage in the event they hire somebody else or hire an uninsured contractor.

If the owner(s) are excluded, and don't have any employees what is the basis for the premium? Is it a low flat rate to cover paperwork or what? Just curious how they do it there.
We are not required to carry a policy since we don't have any employees and on the rare occasions we sub out, we make sure they have their own policy, or are also exempt.

 

[J&D Cattle]

As stated above definitely check the state's insurance laws. DMF is correct about MO law. One nice thing is that a contractor can buy a policy as a sole proprietor or even a member of an LLC and elect to exclude them self from coverage through our state's assigned risk carrier. Makes the coverage a little cheaper and this way they can prove they have coverage in the event they hire somebody else or hire an uninsured contractor.

If the owner(s) are excluded, and don't have any employees what is the basis for the premium? Is it a low flat rate to cover paperwork or what? Just curious how they do it there.
We are not required to carry a policy since we don't have any employees and on the rare occasions we sub out, we make sure they have their own policy, or are also exempt.

Yes, they charge a minimum policy fee for administering the policy and pushing paper. It's always with a higher risk type company so even these minimums might push the policy close to $1,000 annually. For a city business license here they have to show proof of WC so I write a few of these to sole proprietors.

 

[CottageFarm]

Does that get them any real coverage for hiring uncovered subs, or is that $1,000 policy essentially worthless?
No offense, but $1,000/yr is kind of a racket. That's more than the cost of our current liability policy. And back when we did have employees that premium would have covered about 3 of them in the moderate/high risk categories.

 

[bigbull338]

with what you are providing an what you want them todo id say $300 a week.we always pay our day workers $10 an hour.so that would be $80 a day.

 

[J&D Cattle]

Does that get them any real coverage for hiring uncovered subs, or is that $1,000 policy essentially worthless?
No offense, but $1,000/yr is kind of a racket. That's more than the cost of our current liability policy. And back when we did have employees that premium would have covered about 3 of them in the moderate/high risk categories.

Yes, they would have coverage for any uncovered subs. They would also then have to pay premium on the uncovered sub at the end of the policy term when it is audited.

The premium is high considering all that is being done is paper pushed. Only non-standard type carriers will do something like this so they charge more than a "normal" carrier.

 

[cross_7]

Is this one of those locations they have to pipe daylight to but hail, sleet, or tornadoes seem to pop up every other day?
That place have fences over run with Mesquite, prickly pear and ocatillo?
Have to gather and split their own wood for heating?
$200/week gross or net wages? % of calf crop?

Mighta been alright for Shanghai Pierce but would be a hard way to do it nowadays.

It aint that bad
Now I admit it aint for women, children or men with lacey drawers
It's pretty good cow country as long as they don't see too much of one another.
Other than an occasional blizzard in the winter and a tornado or two in the spring, it's a good area except for the heat in the summer and the cold in the winter and the wind blowing everyday.
If a man couldn't handle that I wouldn't want him on my place

 

[chippie]

I reread your initial post. Years ago when we lived on a ranch where my husband worked, his job description was the same as you listed. He was paid was a 3 bedroom house with utilities, furnished a truck & fuel, a beef for the freezer each year and $800 a month. It was an absentee owner situation. That was 30 years ago.

Unless your place is near a town where a person could have a second job, $1200 a month plus a small house is not a lot to live on. Especially if the person has a car or truck note and has to pay for his own insurance, social security and quarterly income tax out of the $1200.

As for the extra pay for working cattle, what should an emergency arise? Where livestock are concerned, I would want a full time employee.

Lots to think about.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I would think 400$ a week plus the house and extra work. That's about 19k a year, even without many bills that's not easy for someone to live on.

 

[cross_7]

I would think 400$ a week plus the house and extra work. That's about 19k a year, even without many bills that's not easy for someone to live on.

For that much it aint going to be a "caretaker" but fulltime hand that'll have to earn it ;-)
I was thinking part time/semi retired or ?
Just keep an eye on things while I'm away and I'll do the majority of it when I'm there.
For 20k year and a house you're taking care of everything plus I'm bringing a load of calves too, and maybe a little fencing

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I would think 400$ a week plus the house and extra work. That's about 19k a year, even without many bills that's not easy for someone to live on.

For that much it aint going to be a "caretaker" but fulltime hand that'll have to earn it ;-)
I was thinking part time/semi retired or ?
Just keep an eye on things while I'm away and I'll do the majority of it when I'm there.
For 20k year and a house you're taking care of everything plus I'm bringing a load of calves too, and maybe a little fencing

I can see that, I just still haven't completely understood how much of another job this person will be able to have.

 

[cross_7]

I would think 400$ a week plus the house and extra work. That's about 19k a year, even without many bills that's not easy for someone to live on.

For that much it aint going to be a "caretaker" but fulltime hand that'll have to earn it ;-)
I was thinking part time/semi retired or ?
Just keep an eye on things while I'm away and I'll do the majority of it when I'm there.
For 20k year and a house you're taking care of everything plus I'm bringing a load of calves too, and maybe a little fencing

I can see that, I just still haven't completely understood how much of another job this person will be able to have.

I think there is a kid that has a place across the fence from me that I might could work something out with, but I haven't met him yet

 

[denvermartinfarms]

That might be a good deal. Here it's hard to find anyone who will work that cheap, or who you could get you wouldn't want.

 

[orton]

Just trying to help....grade a air strip for a small plane, King Air say.. house, $200/month a few days working cows...should be real easy to find some one

 

[greybeard]

The kind of person you're looking far might not be as difficult as you think. Here's what you probably have in mind.
1. Someone that knows cattle at least minimally and loves being around them.
2. Someone that either has some other income or already has assets or doesn't really care much about $$--cares more about the "doing" than the "having".
3. Someone that knows how and takes pleasure from keeping fences up, and ranch type work, but doesn't want the headache of keeping up their own place.
4. Someone that doesn't mind a solitary type life, or just wants to get away from the ratrace.
5. Someone HONEST and TRUSTWORTHY and in reasonably good health.
6. Probably needs to be a single person, widow or widower, and old enough not to have the need to go chasing skirts or attracting suitors. Ranch prone husband/wife team would work if their children were all grown and off on their own.
7. Self-starter--doesn't need a lot of oversight.

Old Tom Blasingame's been gone nearly 1/4 century now, but there's probably some sorta like him arond today--you just gotta find'em.