Using son of neighbor for lawn care?? (insurance, house)

[loves2read]

OK--still trying to find someone to do lawn care/flower beds for us...posted query on neighborhood bulletin board and got couple of names...today my next door neighbor called and asked if we would consider using her son...he is in jr high...nice boy from what we have seen...she wants him to "do something" like get a job this summer so he won't just be watching tv or in the pool I am sure but he can't drive himself yet...

I told his mom I had considered asking him but I didn't want it to be a problem between them -- I know his mother would rag him if she thought he needed to cut or weed of if she thought he didn't do a good job.
I didn't want to cause friction between them...which I don't...we aren't that close but if we hire him and he doesn't work out then that might leave a bad taste...
we are going to be out of town over most of summer--just want someone dependable...
takes about 60-90 min to cut/edge--have good size back yard, small front but edging...
once beds are cleaned, that would just take 15-20 min a time--
so maybe 2 hrs a week...
and we like our grass trimmed higher than some during the summer--so it doesn't need to be cut every 5 days and look too high between weekly cuttings...

got quote from one service that mow/edge would be 35 a week--
so I would be willing to offer him 45 to do yard and beds...

worth the risk?
sound fair?

Also worried a little about liability if he is hurt doing this--
if we use a service, they have coverage under normal circumstances...
if boy is careless and gets hurt, or even if he isn't careless but gets hurt anyway--
we wouldn't necessarily be here to see/know---
anyone think that makes me paranoid?

[4Movingeast]

Does he cut their grass? How does it look? Has his dad or someone worked with him and taught him the right way to finish off the edging and clean up? Our neighbors growing up had a lawn mowing business- they were entrepreneurial and motivated and I always thought it was cool that they had their own business as teenagers. And they were busy! As a teenager that always had a job I would say give him a chance. I'm sure you've got a friend/other neighbor that can alert you if it looks like he's slacking.

[loves2read]

He can do that--have seen him with his dad but don't know that he does it all by himself...
and I told him mom I didn't want them to have to "help" him do the work...

frankly we have been gone to FL house during most of grass cutting season for past year or so--one reason why we need service vs doing it ourselves...

my husband just mentioned that he hasn't seen the boy cutting their grass very often--but I reminded him that we have been gone lot of the time...

something to ask I guess--
they have different type of grass--he would have to raise their mower deck to do our yard cause we want it taller...less cutting/less stress on grass in summer from what our fertilizer guys say...

[FW transplant]

I'd be leery of having a jr high school boy take care of my lawn, much less a neighbor's kid who didn't have the initiative to ask himself and who I couldn't supervise while there. Too much risk. Get a professional.

[CSD610]

Personally I would not hire a kid that young to take care of a lawn and flower beds if I was going to be gone all summer.
If I was going to be home to supervise that is a different story.

Besides, when you hire a professional service they are bonded and insured in my experience.
If there happens to be an accident with this child and you gone you and your insurance company
will be solely responsible for any treatment, short or long term he may need.