Ken, the nice thing about this forum is you can disagree and still be friends! In the nicest possible way I disagree with Fox, I think you have been given excellent advice - leave them bee (yes I know - corny

).
If they have been there that long and the owner is happy then let them winter, get a bait hive or two out with her permission next spring; be on the alert for a potential swarm that needs collecting. If they need to be removed now is not the time anyway (if you want them to survive). Spend the winter reading up and asking clarifying questions on here. Mean while look out your local association, see if you can get assigned a mentor and look out for the Thornes sale (29-11-10). One more thing, have you identified a suitable apiary site? learning to keep, neighbours and bees can be a fraught combination best avoided!