Life in the Village - 99 - Buying Land
We’re looking to buy some land, whether rice, jungle or residential, as long as it’s within the village. The farang promo is not an issue, within reason, because it’s spare dosh and as far as I’m concerned dead money for me anyway, but a bit more security for Kim’s future over the long haul, so the extra 50k or 100k is not an issue.
The land we bought earlier in the year was a one off, someone needed cash real quick, it was ATMed within the hour and the papers signed the same evening, so everything fell neatly into place, but as I said that was a one off, and the owners of several parcels of vacant to partly used land in and around the village do not want to sell at any price, because their land is for their kids.
Insight: It’s a big thing out here for parents to struggle as they do, and deprive themselves if need be, so they can pass their land on to the next generation. That’s how the land came to them, and they feel it is their duty to follow the tradition. A commendable belief, though it doesn’t address the reality of an ever growing local population.
Most families have more than one child, and each of them is likely to produce more than one other, so within a single lifetime a large spread must end up as many smaller plots. It is happening right now, and the village is teeming with kids, though I wouldn’t bet that anyone has noticed.
In one case I know of, an enormous spread passed along by some great grandfather has been whittled down to dozens of unremarkable plots owned by dozens of his children to great grandchildren. Some of the plot owners may be wondering how they’re going to pass on enough land to meet the needs of their own children, though I doubt any are open to how their grandchildren are going to fare under the same regime.
Anyway, next door to ma’s place is an elderly couple, too old to care for their property which is dilapidated, overgrown and going to pot. They’re scratching their way through their final years, with 3 adult kids and several grandkids that have left the village and return for little more than an occasional visit.
Naturally I cannot approach the ageing ones, and so put it to ma, through Kim, that she have a chat. Conversation went something like this, me in the hammock, ma chopping away at some chicken, and Kim in the middle relaying both ways.
No, they don’t want to sell.
But we bought land a few months ago.
That was different, they wanted to sell.
<sigh> Can you ask her anyway?
No, she won’t sell...yak yak...turns out neighbour told her about 4 years ago she was thinking to sell and move in with one of her city kids. Seems he was doing well at the time, but had since closed shop and gone skint.
Now she doesn’t want to sell.
No, she doesn’t talk to me. She doesn’t talk to anyone.
Ok, let’s try this, you ask her, and IF she says no then ok, end of story, and no harm done...I figured could be one of their kids may decide to return at some time in the future, or maybe they just want to keep that option open. Fair enough. Fair also if they want to pass the property down to their kids, letting them decide what to do with it. Any other reason for them not wanting to sell is also good enough, but I figured one obvious reservation would be that if they did sell they’d have nowhere to stay. I was prepared for this, with a cunning plan.
<yak yak> Kim tells me ma doesn’t know how to go about it. To me, this implied she would if she knew how to, so that was a good start in the right direction. I suggested she go over on some pretext, bring up the subject of her kids, then the property, and take it from there.
<chuckle> Anyway, Where will they go?
Ok, this is our offer...Kim will buy the land from them with cash up front, and they can stay there for the rest of their lives, free, and without any interference, as though it is still their land.
Ma looked across at me from her food prep, then at Kim as though asking what are you doing with this guy, said something and shook her head with a hearty laugh. Kim shrugged a glum ‘no way’.
I explained that I’m thinking long term with no immediate need for the land or the odd bunch of bananas that comes off it, and even if I’m not around then, whether it’s ten or bless the codgers 20 years before the land reverts to Kim, the offer neatly overcomes resistance based on the need for a place to stay. I didn’t feel the need to mention that our offer is a paper thing, giving them ready cash to enjoy their final years or to give to their kids, in return for their land when they’re finished with it, and without disrupting their lives.
<pause, yak yak> You can’t do that. It’s not done that way.
Can’t be...can’t let them live there if we buy it, and not free.
If we buy it it’s ours, so this means we can do anything we want with it, yes?
Ok, so we want to let them stay there free, for the rest of their lives.
<headshake> Not possible.
<frustration brewing> But otherwise they can’t sell even if they want to, because then they’ll have nowhere to live.
<pause> Ok...tell her you want to buy, with the same offer, and if she says no then at least she has it in her head that you want to buy, and MAYBE one day IF she thinks about selling, she will know you are interested and come to you first. Important thing is to put it into her head – even if you know she will say no.
Why let her know we want to buy if she doesn’t want to sell?
Isn’t that how we ended up with the other land, because you spread the word that we are looking to buy?
Ok, will you at least talk with her?
Couple of days later, ma tells Kim she had talked with the neighbour.
She doesn’t want to sell, see, I told you!
Did you tell her about our offer that they can stay there free and for life?