Splitting the cons

[WildWill]

I have a small dilemma, I go out with my buddy on occasion, im friends with he and his family. He has diabetes and can't move around well. So im usually classifying and digging. And he's running my sluices. Saturday as we got back from panning. We had to split cons, I asked to get my half, and he looked at me like I was crazy, which through me off, and got me a tad angry. So I hurried and took about a quarter of my cons. I frankly just wanted to leave. Were gunna be going out again, but I don't think much more after that, I hate sounding like im greedy, but I am doing 100% running the sluice would normally be when I took a break. How do I avoid further gold situations?

 

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[bevo]

go alone. gold and treasure make people get all twisted in the head.

 

[Fullpan]

Unfortunately your situation comes up quite often. If you sat down and talked, what do you think his justification would be? Does he think its HIS location?
does he need the money more than you? did he misunderstand a comment made beforehand? Splitting the cons - did you already split the separated gold?
Maybe he wanted to run the cons and then do the split, and you didn't get that. Whatever, if he has "changed", you have to take the high road and slowly
back out of the partnership.

 

[Jeff95531]

I told my bro in law we would split up the gold AFTER start up costs have been satisfied. If verbal doesn't work, get it in writing.

 

[sidvail]

I've wondered about this also. I take a friend along when I go out for extended stays (backpacking). He has no idea how to pan or prospect. So I would definitely not split 50/50 with him. But just for being along, I give him a little. He's the kind of guy that will spend 15 minutes poking his finger through a half loaded pan then throw the whole bunch in the water. He's more along for the company than the help. But if we take a sluice with us, he has no problem doing some serious digging. At that point I think he deserves at least half.

 

[wingmaster]

I'm going with a friend to his mom and dad's property to prospect, I have the sluice but he will be digging just as much as I do so we will split 50/50. I figure I'll pick a spot to dig and run 5 buckets then do a clean out and this will be mine, then if he wants to pick a different location and dig and run 5 buckets then that will be his, or we'll just work together and split the gold 50/50 once its all panned out.

 

[WildWill]

We've never really had to discuss it, we've been out about a dozen times, every time he was cool until about three trips ago, he agreed to pan the cons in his free time as he is disabled, and has nothing but free time, he pans it out and just tells me it was good, no pictures, not offering my share. Ok whatever, just a little gold. the trip before last, he's napping at the sluices, and im taking my time breaking clay, he mocks me, once again whatever. Then as im doing final cleanup and he says "is my ounce in there?" And it blew me back, not a "you think WE got in an ounce in there?" Ugh sorry for venting, I love the work, digging, classifying, nature, and of course the gold, it's so fun! why is it so hard to find a hard working partner who actually has fun working?

 

[sidvail]

They may be few and far between, but they're out there. Most have already found their own hard working partners and keep em

I'm lucky I've got the youngster that follows me all over the mountains. He may not be a great panner, but he'll dig all day long and smile while he's doing it.

Here's to good working partnerships.

 

[kazcoro]

Time to move on.

 

[Fullpan]

Definitely agree with kazcoro - you will end up being the bad guy, he'll get the sympathy vote. But you are out there to work hard and enjoy yourself, not
having hassles. Over time, you may be able to smooth things over by dropping off the occasional cons container for him to work and keep.

P.S. - I'm disabled too and would pay to play next to a sluice!

 

[wingmaster]

Yep would have to agree, he would be on his own as I really wouldn't feel sorry for him acting like that. Think he could find someone else to do all the work for nothing, I highly doubt it. Even if someone said they just wanted to learn how to do it and didn't want a split if they do just as much work then I would feel bad that they didn't take their share as you can't find any gold without some work and you would be doing twice as much with two people, which would mean twice as much gold so they should get an equal share, that's how I look at it anyway and really don't see how anyone could see it any other way.

 

[Hoser John]

Gold fever and greed raises it's ugly head once again. If your equipment on public lands=equipment gets a 1/3 ,even amount of labor of folks =50/50 split of 2/3. Your claim and your equipment=1/3 to claim,1/3 to equipment and split remaining 1/3 if labor is equal. Going to your relatives property means you MUST kick in at least 10-15% to them as you think your buddy got all wierd ya ain't seen squat as when ya walk off with gold from someones private property and they don't get nuttn'. With a GOOD dredger spending equal time underwater on my dredge ops,cleaning up etc I go as high as a 1/3 cut with rotating days of the BIGGEST nugget of the day going to that mans day. I much prefer to mine alone,dangerous yes,but much more profitable and no booze,cigarettes,drugs or bs to put up with. John PS and the gold is mine allllllllllllllllllllllllllll mine

 

[Jason in Enid]

Sounds like it's time to find a new partner, or go it alone.

 

[Doitlaynstyle]

Wow. I would be done with the situation. Next time he asks if you are going out, you just lay it out straight for him. Say it, you are going it alone because you can run the sluices just fine and keep the gold. If he wants to make a deal then you lay out the split with him and only the equipment owner processes the material or you do it together. I built all of my equipment and my bro in law works it with me and I still split fifty fifty. That's my choice cuz he busts his ass. He also thinks we are going to get rich lol.

 

[mercury1]

We've never really had to discuss it, we've been out about a dozen times, every time he was cool until about three trips ago, he agreed to pan the cons in his free time as he is disabled, and has nothing but free time, he pans it out and just tells me it was good, no pictures, not offering my share. Ok whatever, just a little gold. the trip before last, he's napping at the sluices, and im taking my time breaking clay, he mocks me, once again whatever. Then as im doing final cleanup and he says "is my ounce in there?" And it blew me back, not a "you think WE got in an ounce in there?" Ugh sorry for venting, I love the work, digging, classifying, nature, and of course the gold, it's so fun! why is it so hard to find a hard working partner who actually has fun working?

Sounds like a crappy partnership you have there. This guy sounds like he has the entitlement mentality that is so common these days. You are better off going it alone I think and if you find a new partner candidate perhaps you should start by describing the problems you have with this partnership. Good luck.

 

[WildWill]

I appreciate the advice folks, im probably just gunna act like I don't go as often. thank you for the percentage amount, my gear, public lands, and 90% as I still had to empty the sluices and check on them. Seriously I thought I was being a greedy ******* and hesitated on posting this, glad to see im not alone here. I don't mind going alone, and typically prefer it as I can work from sunrise to sunset, and not have to cut it short.

 

[Fullpan]

Just a final thought - I had 7 partners over ten years when I was active. Most were good as gold. The last partner was always day-dreaming, but the worst
part was he constantly chose to eat dinner cold! Chili, out of the can cold, tamales, corn beef hash, - it was like stratching on a blackboard to me. I just ran
him off!!

 

[Hoser John]

I've only had 2 fulltime partners in almost 25 years as booze/drug free leaves the mind much clearer to work out in the boonies and HARD as nails to find. My last partner just got released from the hospital yesterday---minus his leg so lookn' again for a sober honest hardworking person yet again as I'll mine till I die mining, soooo cool a way to go,boots on and a poke fulla gold-John

 

[WildWill]

I know what you mean there, tried going with a drunk didn't work well, I've met a ton of stoner miners, myself one of them, and the title of lazy stoner just doesn't fit out there

 

[spillercanyon]

The way I've been going out with other people is we both bring our own equipment and dig our own holes. We're out together for both company and protection. We show each other what we found so we can both read the river better but we each keep what we each find. Try this with your partner, he will soon realize why you want at least 50%. On larger projects, take note of what Hoser has to say.