Lease electricity

[Grndchecker]

For those that have electricity at their lease in camp area or wherever, how is the electric bill split among members? Is the bill paid by one person and then they get reimbursed? Is a set amount paid and any over/ under adjusted? Is it by paid member regardless of what they stay overnight in, how many times they go to the camp, or if for some reason they don’t get to go, but they pay the lease dues to keep a spot?

What we have tried to do is have power at camp with breaker panel. Electricity is split equally by paid member. Most had campers. Now only a few have campers, but same amount of members. There is a cleaning rack with a plug close for lights. There is a 12x20 canopy that has tables, chairs, and lights.
I got stuck with the bill again. $30 monthly minimum to have power on. Above minimum during October through January. Im stressed way too much and get mad when members don’t want to pay and start with excuses.

[MtnMike]

We estimated what the yearly cost would be per member and added it to the annual lease fee. We had 10 members and it worked well for us.

[Greenheadless]

Originally Posted by MtnMike

We estimated what the yearly cost would be per member and added it to the annual lease fee. We had 10 members and it worked well for us.

This, for each membership hooked to the power. If two members share a trailer, both pay.

[Grndchecker]

I will add that lease dues are paid to the family that have the lease in their name. The small camp area we have is across the dirt road from their house. I’ve been on this lease over 25 years. We put in electricity ourselves along with a small building. They own the lot, but we have paid the taxes for “improvements “ ever since we have had power. They have nothing to do with electricity payment.
We have 8 members and electricity last year was $240 per member for the whole year.

[W E H]

Estimate yearly electricity usage cost add to yearly lease fee. Everyone pays. Camper, camp house, no show. It doesn’t matter because it’s already allotted.

[droebuck]

Originally Posted by W E H

Estimate yearly electricity usage cost add to yearly lease fee. Everyone pays. Camper, camp house, no show. It doesn’t matter because it’s already allotted.

Yep this is the way to go. It blows my mind that grown men join a lease and then complain about paying electric cost.

[brokeno]

Everybody pays equal amounts

[Grndchecker]

Originally Posted by droebuck

Yep this is the way to go. It blows my mind that grown men join a lease and then complain about paying electric cost.

The excuses over the years have been ridiculous. “I only hunted in November so here’s $10.”
“I didn’t get to hunt”
“I don’t have a camper”
What prompted this post was a new one. “Having electricity isn’t a requirement for being on the lease.”
You’re right, but it’s at the camp where you park your vehicle, unload your ATV, and go hunt.
Maybe I’m just being difficult. Two long time members left this year. They took a lot of stuff that was at camp that they personally provided. I have no issue with that.
What’s left is what I have provided on my own for everyone, the A frame cleaning rack with two boat winches and cables, or the big item we split 10 years ago, canopy.
My stubborn side wants to not let anyone use anything they didn’t provide or put money towards. I feel that is a camp convenience just like available power.

[Greenheadless]

Implement a yearly ‘camp’ fee. Explain it will be used to pay electricity, camp improvements, etc.

Or implement the ‘camp’ fee as a one time fee to new memberships and split out the yearly electrical charge separate.

You can get usage history on your meter if looking for estimating costs.

[Avid Hunter]

The key is to remove the "pettiness" from it all, even if that means replacing members. Big boy rules are everyone pays upfront because it's available and not fair for certain individuals to get stuck with the bills. If they don't like it tell em to kick rocks and find better members

[MtnMike]

Originally Posted by Grndchecker

The excuses over the years have been ridiculous. “I only hunted in November so here’s $10.”
“I didn’t get to hunt”
“I don’t have a camper”
What prompted this post was a new one. “Having electricity isn’t a requirement for being on the lease.”
You’re right, but it’s at the camp where you park your vehicle, unload your ATV, and go hunt.
Maybe I’m just being difficult. Two long time members left this year. They took a lot of stuff that was at camp that they personally provided. I have no issue with that.
What’s left is what I have provided on my own for everyone, the A frame cleaning rack with two boat winches and cables, or the big item we split 10 years ago, canopy.
My stubborn side wants to not let anyone use anything they didn’t provide or put money towards. I feel that is a camp convenience just like available power.

Sounds like you need some new members. We had to "Purge" a few members when they did not want help pay for extra expenses that everyone used. I am sure you would have no problem filling their spots.

[Grndchecker]

I have no say on members. I would love to be able to get rid of who I want. All the ones I’ve got on the lease over the years never had an issue. Lately it’s worse. I just got the bill back after a 5 year reprieve. I paid what I was told my share was. $200 a year for A/C, lights, and a shower is cheap.
My lease dues are much lower than average. And it’s 90 miles from home.

[MtnMike]

Originally Posted by Grndchecker

I have no say on members. I would love to be able to get rid of who I want. All the ones I’ve got on the lease over the years never had an issue. Lately it’s worse. I just got the bill back after a 5 year reprieve. I paid what I was told my share was. $200 a year for A/C, lights, and a shower is cheap.
My lease dues are much lower than average. And it’s 90 miles from home.

Well, I would just have to be an *****. No pay, no power!

[Artos]

Land owners pays the bills for the year...costs are split between everyone who has a trailer at time of yearly dues.

Easy peasy, no complaining.

[AntlerCollector]

I divide the yearly estimated costs equally. Been doing it that way for 30 years at my camp. It works for us. Everyone one pays for it in September.

[Grndchecker]

Originally Posted by MtnMike

Well, I would just have to be an *****. No pay, no power!

First thought was to lock breaker box and give keys to those who pay. Also take down cleaning rack when I am not here.
I can be a real jerk. Just ask my wife.

[TexasCanesFan]

Like many have said, build it into the payment and split it equally between all guns. No way I would deal with "I only hunted November so here is $10."

Just make sure there is enough money to cover it.

[TexasCanesFan]

Originally Posted by Grndchecker

First thought was to lock breaker box and give keys to those who pay. Also take down cleaning rack when I am not here.
I can be a real jerk. Just ask my wife.

No reason I would do all of that crap and create more work for myself, because grown men can't act grown.

[DedDuk]

I'd lease the whole thing and pick the other members myself. All problems solved. I assure you that you can fill the lease from this board alone with members that will pay.

[RWB]

I am lease manager. I pay bill all year long and then that cost gets split by number of members and is paid in next years dues. I am always a year behind in getting paid and I pay my equal part.

[Hammerdown]

Originally Posted by W E H

Estimate yearly electricity usage cost add to yearly lease fee. Everyone pays. Camper, camp house, no show. It doesn’t matter because it’s already allotted.

I do this. When I first brought electricity in I had a guy that claimed he would never use because he stayed at his place 30 miles down the road and he didnt want to pay. But I knew as soon as he cleaned a deer under the lights, ate a meal prepared in a camper, or used water the clean up all powered by electricity I would hear about it from other guys.

[Tyrex750]

We pay 300 a yr if u have a camper. I have no problem paying it to have power. I'm looking for a spot for next yr if yall have any openings.

[buckfan50]

We have an old camp house but a couple of guys do bring their campers. Manager of the lease lets us know at the end of the season what we owe (6 of us) and we split it equally. We all agreed it's ok to hunt each others stands so the feed bill is split equally also.

[Jon B]

Originally Posted by Tyrex750

We pay 300 a yr if u have a camper. I have no problem paying it to have power. I'm looking for a spot for next yr if yall have any openings.

Soundsikw the problem may fix itself

[bullets13]

Add it to the lease fee. Keep the nickel and diming out of it.

[Grndchecker]

Like I said, electricity is separate from lease dues. I pay electricity and lease manager collects and pays lease dues. This year it has blown up. Four got off which has never happened at one time. All four of those had campers. The coworker I got on has a camper, but takes it home every trip. My camper along with two small buildings are the only thing up here currently. I take mine home after season.
Economy is terrible. Gas and diesel is expensive. Groceries are high. I suffer right along with the others. They have a valid point that their basically paying for a few other people to use electricity when they aren’t. But I have always compared it to a buffet restaurant. You pay a fee for the whole thing. You don’t get to pay by item you select. It’s ALL there for everyone, not my fault if you don’t sample a little of everything.

[TexasBob]

Originally Posted by Grndchecker

Like I said, electricity is separate from lease dues. I pay electricity and lease manager collects and pays lease dues. This year it has blown up. Four got off which has never happened at one time. All four of those had campers. The coworker I got on has a camper, but takes it home every trip. My camper along with two small buildings are the only thing up here currently. I take mine home after season.
Economy is terrible. Gas and diesel is expensive. Groceries are high. I suffer right along with the others. They have a valid point that their basically paying for a few other people to use electricity when they aren’t. But I have always compared it to a buffet restaurant. You pay a fee for the whole thing. You don’t get to pay by item you select. It’s ALL there for everyone, not my fault if you don’t sample a little of everything.

My first and foremost a-hole comment to your lease mates is if $20/month is a problem you don't need to be on a lease. Second one would be if I have to argue with someone over $20, I'm not hunting with them. If someone on our lease buys corn, other supplies, or in this case paid a bill we get a group text with the zelle amount needed. Easy peasy. I don't have to deal with it personally, because I would cut you out friends or family, but man money (even small amounts) makes groups of grown men be ignorant.

[WilliamL]

Only 2 of us on the lease with 2 campers. We each pay $100 in September to cover the electrical expense for the year. The land owner uses the meter for a auto fill water trough for his cows, so we are not paying the bill directly. No complaints from us or the land owner.

[kyle1974]

I have 11 guys on my lease. We have some guys with normal sized campers, some guys that share a place, and some guys with larger trailers. we also have a large walk-in cooler, a big ice freezer, Electric winches and lights at the cleaning rack and a big lighted pavilion. I just split it up 11 ways.

everyone puts in money twice a year for all feed and expenses, and I pay the bills. I keep a balance spreadsheet with receipts for expenses, and when the money runs out, we have a cash call to put more in the bank. With the way feed and other costs are changing so fast, I'm not even going to try and estimate it.

everyone seems to like it that way rather than asking for money every single time a bill or expense is due.

our electric bill has gotten insane though. 3-4 years ago it was $200 a month, now it's about $500 a month. thanks Biden!

[Tmag]

Lock the breaker box. Pay to play or get a lantern.

[JMart76]

Like most have said split the bill regardless of who has a camper. They all benefit from the electricity using it for cleaning their game or enjoying a meal made in the campers. It’s a separate check to you, any surplus can be applied for following year or towards camp feed improvements etc.

I can’t imagine complaining over utilities bill because I know at some point, camper or not, I’m benefiting from the electricity every trip. Or they can chill in the dark cleaning deer or bring their own generator.

[Grndchecker]

When the guy offered me $10 I handed it back and said nobody had ever paid me for s e x and I wasn’t going to accept $10 to get screwed that bad.
The only shared bill is the electric. No feed bill. No improvement fee. We get to have our campers or whatever there for free. Year round access.
Minimum payment is $30. Confirmed this morning.
I also called the lease manager and told him about situation and that as in the past he didn’t need the drama of electricity and to have anyone that calls him to complain to contact me. Also verified that lease and camp rules were still the same as they had always been.
Basically still in the same situation, but at least the lease manager is aware. His parents have had this property leased over 45 years through different timber companies. Their son runs it now. He was 14 when I got on the lease. He used to skin, quarter, and ice down our deer for $20.

[Casey]

I pay it monthly then bill all members equally at the end of the lease term. I can't imagine trying to split it based on what each member "uses". Sounds like a nightmare.

[Bayouboy]

Pay or leave.

Four of us are tapped into another members Elec panel and split the bill evenly every month. He will text us the bill amount and we PayPal him the money.

[Grndchecker]

Originally Posted by Casey

I pay it monthly then bill all members equally at the end of the lease term. I can't imagine trying to split it based on what each member "uses". Sounds like a nightmare.

Absolutely. It’s impossible.

[jmac24]

We have an annual escrow amount that we all pay equally. It covers electricity, corn and anything else that a member purchases for the benefit of all. I will say that most of our group have been together over 25 years and all of us have been together at least 10yrs. Never had an issue at all, one person does all of the bookkeeping for us and sends out a complete accounting a couple of times per year.

[mikemorvan]

Originally Posted by TexasBob

My first and foremost a-hole comment to your lease mates is if $20/month is a problem you don't need to be on a lease. Second one would be if I have to argue with someone over $20, I'm not hunting with them. If someone on our lease buys corn, other supplies, or in this case paid a bill we get a group text with the zelle amount needed. Easy peasy. I don't have to deal with it personally, because I would cut you out friends or family, but man money (even small amounts) makes groups of grown men be ignorant.

Hammer connects squarely on head of nail.

[W E H]

you need to get the "lease manager" on board. you may have to suck it up this year. but next year he needs to add the utility expense into the total lease fee. if you are getting shorted this year, have him add extra to cover it.

way too much drama from the whiners.

sell a weekday day hunt out of one of the whiners stands to cover the extra expenses. tell lease boss it was said whiner that did it

[Hix]

I have 5 guys hunting on my place with me.
I added $100 to the dues to every one and I throw $100 in.

Plus I charge an additional $125 for 2 of them that have campers hooked up for 3 months. And another friend pays another $500 for his big camper he keeps hooked up year around.

So that’s $600, plus $250 plus $500= $1350

I put that in an account that it’s drafted from. It averages about $110 a month. We have three campers, small camp house, deep freeze, ice maker and skinning shed on it.

I have my own cabin and it’s on a separate account because I’m there all the time plus i wanted a full 200amp service when i built.

We also have a camp cash jar, throw in spare cash for propane, TP, paper towels etc. if some one goes to town for supplies they can use it. Whatever is left over at the end of the year goes in the camp bank account.

We’re all good friends family. If something needs paid for or fixed we get it done and every pitches in some way or another.

Ditch the petty members.


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[Throwin Darts]

Sounds like a bunch of women splitting the bill at dinner. But but but you had two drinks and I only had one. Waaaaaaaaa

[Cooper]

Up the lease fee and tell them electricity is free....lol.

[Dale Moser]

Originally Posted by RWB

I am lease manager. I pay bill all year long and then that cost gets split by number of members and is paid in next years dues. I am always a year behind in getting paid and I pay my equal part.

Same. If anyone doesn’t like it, they can drag up and hit the road.


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[SaltwaterSlick]

You have 3 choices the way I see it...
1. continue as you are and hope for the best...
2. get the lease manager onboard and increase the dues to cover electricity, or
3. go find somewhere else to hunt.


You have an unsolvable problem as long as your electricity is not officially included as part of the rights and benefits of the lease. You could lock the panel, take down the skinning pole, and other crap, but now you're destroying the reason you're there in the first place... Honestly, I'd begin the search for a lease that "fits" your own needs. Don't sound like it's worth all the hassle where you are right now.

[HOOKNBULLET2]

I pay the electric bill and reduce my lease cost by that amount annually.

[Montec man]

I pay the monthly fee and then charge everyone equally when the lease is due

[TKC]

Originally Posted by Grndchecker

Like I said, electricity is separate from lease dues. I pay electricity and lease manager collects and pays lease dues. This year it has blown up. Four got off which has never happened at one time. All four of those had campers. The coworker I got on has a camper, but takes it home every trip. My camper along with two small buildings are the only thing up here currently. I take mine home after season.
Economy is terrible. Gas and diesel is expensive. Groceries are high. I suffer right along with the others. They have a valid point that their basically paying for a few other people to use electricity when they aren’t. But I have always compared it to a buffet restaurant. You pay a fee for the whole thing. You don’t get to pay by item you select. It’s ALL there for everyone, not my fault if you don’t sample a little of everything.

Not much help but if you let me come hunt, I will cover the electric bill? Lol

[Grndchecker]

Originally Posted by W E H

you need to get the "lease manager" on board. you may have to suck it up this year. but next year he needs to add the utility expense into the total lease fee. if you are getting shorted this year, have him add extra to cover it.

way too much drama from the whiners.

sell a weekday day hunt out of one of the whiners stands to cover the extra expenses. tell lease boss it was said whiner that did it

My lease manager called me back a few hours after our conversation this morning. He wants to pay me for this year’s electric and then starting next season he will add to lease fee to cover.
I won’t be taking his money this year. It’s not up to him to cover our electricity out of his pocket. That’s on us.
I’ve been on there since 1995. Thought about looking for something else a few times, but I like the lease and have plenty of deer to shoot, even for a small east Texas place. Drama every few years from a few bad apples comes and goes.

[SaltwaterSlick]

Well sounds like you have a solution in hand! Good on you, and good on him too!! All good when it works out best for everyone! The whole thing is to reduce the drama and distractions that take away from the enjoyment of being there and it sounds like y'all have a good plan!
Good luck!

[Traildust]

It's split between all members. Regardless of use. No exceptions. No pay.

[Grndchecker]

Originally Posted by SaltwaterSlick

Well sounds like you have a solution in hand! Good on you, and good on him too!! All good when it works out best for everyone! The whole thing is to reduce the drama and distractions that take away from the enjoyment of being there and it sounds like y'all have a good plan!
Good luck!

Yessir. I was kind of shocked of his offer to do this. They’re good people, always have been.