The loss of Family brings out true colors of friends, family, neighbors.
My name is T— P—–. I was born and brought up in North Walton County. Many of older generation may have known or known of my parents.
I have decided to come forward because I have no use for drama. Less use for untruth. And where my parents and property are concerned, I want the record clear. Understand, some already will know the names, or put it together. Instead of name smearing like others elected to do about myself, the daughter who loved and cared her parents, put in difficult situation in making decisions with assistance from… less than 2. I fortunately and unfortunately experienced, witnessed how times, people have changed.
I was brought up where agriculture community assisted and supported ag related families during times of sickness and death. Where family put aside any differences to be there for each other. Made sure others had what they needed.
The person that had leased our farm for years, paid lease check approximately same time every year, took ham or turkey to my parents during holidays and one of the six to carry my daddy’s body to his grave, a church going man, a man with life time in agriculture and agriculture heritage, supposed family friend. My daddy passed in March of 2017. Not once did this person or others from community stop to check or call the widow that lost her husband suddenly after over 60 years of marriage. In 2018, time frame this person would have normally paid land lease had not, I was ask by my mom to contact him to see if he was still going to rent the farm, his answer was yes and he would get a check dropped off. His wife dropped off check, left vehicle running, with the widow after all the years they had leased the farm and knew all indications were some of his employees were hunting without permission. (NOTE: Keep in mind, he was one of six that escorted my daddy’s body to grave 2017). My mom was poor health when my daddy died, her health went down, and sadly, she passed September 2018. 2019 once again, I had to contact the person after normal time of lease payment passed to see if he was going to lease the farm. No contact had been made with me. The unfortunate sad thing, he had already tilled the farmland and it is said that he had applied fertilizer with no notice, no lease, no lease payment. I sent him a lease with the amount requested. I want it to be understood that I have the copy of the lease he sent back unsigned with a note stating he could not do that. Meaning, sign the lease. He never contacted me as effort to discuss, negotiate, but I was approached by several about it, told somethings supposedly said by him. AND, the part I truly enjoyed was speaking to a distant cousin of my daddy months after and instead of this older person, loyal member of church saying anything regarding the death of my parents, his words were I should let XYZAAZXX, the guy lease the property, my daddy would blah, blah, blah.
First, just because no one with exception of one of my mom’s siblings and her family, my dad’s sibling and her family knowing about myself and my profession, no one in Walton County knew anything about me. I have seen firsthand some people assumed how disconnected they thought I was all those years; people are still finding out how in touch I truly was concerning the farm and my parents.
I am so tired of being made out to be the child that inherited the farm and property that did not honor my parents. When the community, two long time church going members, members of the agriculture community proved how they felt by the widow and the daughter and my daddy.
I sent the man a lease after obtaining photographic documentation of his trespassing on the farm. No written lease, no verbal notice, authorization. I sent him a professional, legal lease to sign. Some would have had him arrested for trespassing.
When a person dies, what was becomes history, unless written, spelled out, no one should assume life continues as it did in the past. The funny thing, the farm was put in my name before my daddy died. This guy chose to still deal with my parents out of respect for my parent, their ages, health, I did not have issue with my parents handling. I will go on record that my parents made this person aware the farm had been signed over to me years prior to either of them passing.
Now…. I know this will get to the two men above. If you knew my parents, grandparents, some family members, and friends of my parents, you knew the farm would be left to me, the daughter. Apparently, they trusted me with it. My parents treated both men with respect and trust, yet you disrespected my dad by how you treated my mom, widow after 60 plus years of marriage and more so, how you treated the daughter who loved and cared for them. I do not appreciate either of the men or others not coming forward with the true facts of how you felt privileged and assumed, entered property, tilled land with no authorization. Hunted that land without permission. Actions were not the community or church I recall in a county and community I love so much. It is unethical of anyone in agriculture to conduct themselves in this manner. It is unethical of a human to treat anyone in this manor period.
Business is business. And shame on the two men for disrespecting the churches you are members of, the community, the county, and farmers, not to mention my parents and the way your now deceased parents brought the two of you up.
I hope I do not hear one more negative word about myself, my decisions, my parents, I have written proof, photographic time stamped documents and witness to conversation with distant cousin.
It is because of recent events, a person accusing me of being a con, not doing what was right, that I am sharing this with the public. In hopes that others will learn and take necessary steps to avoid the drama and frustration, to be disappointed thinking people, older or younger will have respect, do the right thing by those enduring loss of family.
Signed,
Farmland Owner
July 30, 2020
