Private membership to pool

[bownut]

A friend of mine came swimming on Saturday and asked if instead of her paying a yearly membership at a local country club for only three months of swimming at their pool if she could instead pay me for a summer pass to our pool. Thoughts of liability, lifeguards and bather load entered my head. Has anyone done this with success or is it just an accident waiting to happen?

 

[cowboycasey]

Maybe not pay to "use" the pool but help offset the price of chlorine, or test kit supplies... you do not have a public pool so I would not try to charge as one

 

[duraleigh]

Be cautious. With payment comes certain expectations you may or not want to meet.

 

[JVTrain]

I'd go with having them pick up some supplies for the pool, such as liquid chlorine (until you get your SWG installed) or having them bring over your favorite beverage of choice in your desired quantity. I wouldn't go with the straight monetary route, something more like bartering for something else you need. That keeps things on the friendly level rather than a business relationship, implying a commercial pool, implying any liability or responsibility.

 

[Rossterman]

id steer clear of any monetary arrangement. As suggested above, certain expectations can arise when someone believes they have a right to use do to payment. Imagine a knock on the door unannounced and they show up with suits on saying " we are coming to swim" rather than calling and asking if they can come over?

would you give up your right to privacy for a few hundred a month???

 

[tim5055]

Yup, with payment comes expectations and even additional legal liability.

As an example, to operate a boat for hire you need a Coast Guard Captains License. It has come down to the point after accidents and lawsuits that the courts have ruled that even if friends bring food/beer on a recreational boat trip the owner/operator of the boat is required to have a CG License due to the "barter" payments involved. It's not a big leap to say that if she is supplying the chlorine and other chemicals in a barter arrangement then you have a commercial pool.

Now, if she gets "rights" to your pool is she going to invite other friends over to "her" pool?

Other implications may be income taxes, local laws regarding "commercial" operations and homeowners insurance.

There is just too much downside to arrangements like this.

 

[flyweed]

agree'd with ALL comments here so far. Don't take a payment....just say they can use the pool, at their own risk, but you request them to supply "X" amount of chlorine for the season and "X" amount of replacement testing supplies.

 

[kimkats]

Nope! Just nope! "We will call you when we are having a pool party"..........all of the above can and will happen. It is a good way to ruin a friendship and way of life. NOT worth it.

Kim:cat:

 

[Zappafan]

Kimkats is right. With pools you have to know when to say "Yes" and politely "No".

 

[twinkiesmommy2009]

I would just tell them to call you when they want to swim and if you aren't doing anything then they're welcome to come over. Maybe even have a liability waiver everyone signs. Definitely too much risk for any formal arrangement or expectations.


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[bownut]

Thanks for all of the responses. Kimkat, I love your response, "We'll call you when we're having a pool party..." At first I thought it might be a good idea, but for all the reasons y'all have pointed out, it is definitely not a great idea. Thank you, y'all are really awesome.