Lease terms

[Lance]

Hey, Guys, I need your input.

I may have a chance to lease or rent a complete operation next season. Approx. 1,000 taps, over half of which are in good shape, the rest will need some maintenance, including possibly some new mainline and new laterals. 100 yr. old good-sized sugar house with electric, an oil-fired 40" x 12' raised flue Leader evaporator (approx. 4 yrs. old) with Revolution pans, steamaway, Wesfab filter press, Marcland auto drawoff, water-cooled liquid ring pump, decent releaser, a 1,000 gal. stainless tank from Leader, a 1,000 gal. fuel tank and some misc. smaller stainless tanks, plastic and galvanized tanks.

The guy that owns the woods lives prett' near 2 hrs away and was not able to be in the woods on a regular basis. The most he's ever made is 289 gal. but I think with a little more attention, that could be improved.

I don't have the vaguest idea what a fair deal would be to lease an operation like this. If you guys can help me figure out a reasonable price, I'd be grateful.

[Valley View Sugarhouse]

I have posted this same question before. The way I look at it is he has made the major investment here, and you are doing all the work. Is there a way you could buy out his equipment, pipe etc and then just lease the bush and sugerhouse? I would aproach that option, maybe come up with a number on the equip, paid to him in 1/2 or 3/4 of the sales a year. rent the bush and sugerhouse per tap say 40 cents a tap. This would eleviate the headaich of you using the equip, and burning one of his pans or smoking the vacuum pump, and what to replace it with etc.

just my 2 cents worth.

Andy

[maplecrest]

most set ups with tubing owned by the land owner is $1.00 per tap. then if he made 300 gallons at $4.00 a gallon in oil is $3600. then the electric cost is around 500 dollars. but that liquid ring could cost that much to run. then filter aid , syrup jugs. sap filters ect.gas to get there and back. you are going to have some major out of pocket expences to think about fixing the woods up.not to think about your time.what does the land owner want out of your work?1/2 the crop?