Heat Has Killed My lawn....continue to Pay Lawn Guy?

There is no way I would pay him and if he is mowing a dead lawn he is just milking you for money. We are having the same problem with the lawns here in Arkansas and I am sorry but I will not pay for services I don't need. If there are other things he could do that would be beneficial for the yard like trimming shrubs, bushes or weeding a flower bed or garden I would see if he would do that if he needs the money, but to mow my dead lawn no way.

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If this is an unusual year for you I think the question is how interested you are in keeping this guy for future years. Also, is watering an option? Can he help you with re-seeding instead?
If it is usual, the question is what other landscaping choices might you want to make?

You should call the lawn guy and tell him the lawn situation and that you won't bee needing him for the rest of the season this year. In summer ALWAYS water your lawn two times in the mornings and at the sunset (God! I love the smell when I water my lawn at sunset... it feels its breathing creates a kind of bond :))... anyways watering the lawn two times should be a sure thing for summers... So now that the lawn has died and "now" the season is IN I recommend that you aerate and overs seed your lawn asap! you can rent one of those aerators + over-seeder's available at Construction equipment rental companies http://www.compactpowercenter.com and use it to aerate + over seed your lawn... its prime time do do this...make sure you mow your lawn in 4-6week time.

"Thank you so much for your service but I currently no longer need them. Should this change in the future I'll be sure to give you a call. Thanks again!"

We hire our retired neighbor to mow our lawn (we're only one of his customers).
He mows when it needs it (based on how much it's grown) so it's not on any fixed schedule and he charges based on how much time it takes to mow and trim (3 acres = approx 4 hours give or take how thick the grass is).
If it hasn't grown (it's gone dormant due to drought/heat) he doesn't mow.
He's fantastic!
The yard looks great and he's the best price in town for the amount of lawn we have.
Is mowing lawns the only thing your lawn guy does for a living?
Would you want to use him again next year?
I'd talk to him about what to do.
He might agree there's no need for him right now, but it might also be worth paying him a small retainer (to keep you on his customer list) to keep him going so he'll still be in business next year when you need him.

our lawn guy would always check with us to see if we wanted it mowed before he did it, particularly if it was dry and hadn't grown much. You could always call him and tell him that it's not growing and to check with you before mowing again, or that you will call him when it needs mowing. That way he has the option of quitting for another customer, or staying on-call in case it really starts growing again. If you like his work, you might not want to call it quits so early in the summer!

Let him know you'll call him when the lawn needs work. There's no reason to pay him for work he's not doing. Next year, have a contract or something and change your wording so that he only comes to cut the lawn when you call. You're not obligated to have him come over just because he wants to get paid for a summer job... he should be coming only when there's a job to do and then get paid for doing it.

You will damage your lawn more if you cut it with low/no growth and the sun bearing down on it. Just let him know that his services aren't needed until further notice. If the rain comes and the grass grows healthy again, tell him that you'll immediatly call him to get on his schedule.

I would call him and say you want to cancel until the heat wave is over.

Why would you pay someone to not do anything?! To keep from hurting his feelings? Unless you signed a contract you don't have to pay him. Yes, you have a verbal agreement but it's not binding. Your verbal agreement was based on the belief that this year would be like others.

Talk with him in a kind and sympathetic way. He'll understand. If he doesn't you know you don't want him next year. I'm surprised he hasn't suggested cutting back on mowing. Amber C.'s suggestion of working out a compromise is good.

When I had someone mow my lawn for the summer, he told me he didn't need to mow it as often as we had first agreed. He was providing me a service and not vice versa. I suggest that verbal agreements are subject to change based on many factors.

Well I would not pay him. We are having the same problem. I have been watering my front lawn a bit. Also when it does grow I want to be longer instead of so short. Its crazy in my area everyone has their lawns buzz short and all the lawns all dried out from May until August. Year after year it always looks horrible. I decide to try this out.