Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/24/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Entered by BBB staff DC. Consumer stares in August 2022 , ******* came out from the business and said is would cost $2000 to remove branches from 9 trees. Did not hear back from ******* until October. Wanted lilac bushes trimmed down and would cost an additional $400 for both sides. Machine on the truck had a flat tire and husband got his compressor to fill the tire which took 2 hours. The following day, the chipper wasn't working properly. The third day, husband asked to take sucker branches of the back trees and would cost $200 per "three".  ******* came out and said owed $5000 and consumer gave cash for transaction. ******* was disrespectful to consumer. Consumer stated wanted $2000 back and ******* said would give $600. Check was sent to consumer for $600.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/25/2023

  I had the two contracts copied at our local library and have enclosed them here. Seven years ago, my husband had a brain hemorrhage and had to learn to walk and talk again.  A year ago, I had a stroke.  We are 75 and 76 now.  I was charged $2,000 the first day ******* arrived on September 6 for an estimate. $400 was added two months later on Nov. 8, 9 and 10th when they arrived to do the work as I had lilac bushes out front that I wanted to be cut back to a lower height.  There were no longer leaves on any of the trees and I was thrown off.  On the first day, when they took the skid-loader off their truck, it had a flat tire and took two hours to repair. My husband brought them an air compressor from our barn to help with it. The second day, their mulcher kept acting up and my husband brought files to help with it.  On the third day, my husband had me ask them if they could cut off the low sucker branches from the trees going out the back of the yard and they said I had to ask the boss.  I texted him with the request and he replied by text that he was charging $200 per three.  Below that he typed the word tree.  I went out and told them it would cost $200 to cut the low branches for each three trees.  They did so.  Some trees only needed one or two branches cut.  My husband had just been to the ER a few days before with hemorrhaging and was inside when the boss arrived.  He raised his voice and told me I owed him $5,000 and that he meant in his text $200 per tree to have the suckers taken off.  I showed him on my phone where he texted $200 per three.  He said he made a mistake and raised his voice again.  We had just sold a piece of equipment and I had $500 in cash in an envelope.  I didn't want my husband getting upset, but I should have just written a check for the $5,000 because I could have stopped payment on it.  When I called the boss a short while later and explained that he had made a mistake in his text and I should not be held accountable, and I told him about the problem with the flat tire and the mulcher acting up, he said in a loud voice that he would give me $600 back. He had intimidated me throughout and his men came and apologized for his behavior towards me.  He is a foreign man and 51 years old.  He is a business man and should make sure anything he texts is perfectly clear.  He wrote "22" as the number of trees on the back drive but there are only 14.  I was manipulated and made the mistake of opening my envelope and taking out the cash to pay him.  I hope this can be resolved. Thank you.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/22/2023

  The original scope of work was for the business to trim 9 trees and remove a tree.  The cost of the project was quoted at $2000.

  When the business arrived, the consumer added topping 10-12 large bushes and trimming 19 huge trees.  It took three days and the business even spread mulch for the consumer.  The consumer was charged an extra $2400 for the additional work.  She paid $5,000 and agreed the job was complete. 

  When the consumer initially complained to the business, the business refunded the consumer $600 as a goodwill gesture.  The consumer has continued to text and call the business owner non-stop, especially when he was overseas attending a funeral for a family member.  The business does not feel the consumer is due a refund at this time.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/22/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:
  When ******* originally came, he charged $2,000 for nine trees.  The day the men arrived, I added that they trim my lilac bushes out front and ******* added $400.  I then owed $2,400.  They had trouble with their equipment for two days.  On the third day, my husband said he would like the "sucker" branches from the bottom of the trees in our back driveway (the farm is a ten acre farm) going back to the street.  The worker said I needed to ask *******.  I texted him and he replied that he would charge "$200 at 3" The next text said "Tree" and followed by a third reply "$200".  I don't know how this relates to $200 per tree.  There are 14 trees down the back drive.  14 divided by 3 is roughly five.  That would be $1,000.  Instead, he charged me $2,600.  He returned $600 but still charged me $1,000 more than he should have.  He screamed at me in my yard and when I wrote to him that I was writing to the BBB he sent me an ugly long test, which I sent on to you a few days ago.  Please read it.  Thank you.
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/16/2022

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Date of Service: Multiple days starting February 28, 2022 Amount paid: $3100.00 cash Service at two addresses - **** ***** ***** * **** ***** ****** ********** **** ***** Written estimate received that included tree service and removal of brush along with clean up at both addresses above. **** ***** of Tree Works LLC arrived in person at my residence (**** ***** *****) to collect fee of $3100 stating work was complete. He was paid in full at that time. Upon further investigation at **** ***** ***** I found a pile of brush behind the shed and a tree lying in the middle of the grass cut into pieces. I called *** ***** and he advised that the chipper ran out of fuel and he could not get it restarted and would return to complete the job. I have made multiple attempts to reach Tree Works LLC and have received multiple promises to return to clean up and complete the job and excuses why he could not return. i.e. sick, out of town, death in the family, busy with work, etc. As of this filing there has been no return visit or resolution. I have resolved that Tree Works LLC has abandoned completion and their promise to return and have resolved the clean up myself by hiring my tenant at **** ***** ***** to do the necessary clean up and removal of brush. His fee was $300 to complete the work.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/13/2022

  [[BBB TRANSCRIPTION VIA VM FROM THE BUSINESS]]

  Business stated they completed the job. They were not contracted to stack the wood. The job was to leave the wood there. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/13/2022

   I am rejecting this response because: as the pictures are quite clear they left a tree spread out across the back lawn I know that they do not stack wood but he told me he would pile the wood near the stump of the tree as the pictures clearly show they did not do his chipper shredder stalled and would not restart said he would come back and Chip up tree limbs and never did promised me more than once that he would come and finish he never did very disappointed I had to hire somebody to clean up his mess I would not recommend him to anybody full of a lot of promises fast talk and salesman and his word is not true said he was sick was out of town for a funeral amongst other excuses but he has to today never showed up to finish just a lot of empty promises.
  
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/16/2022

  As the pictures clearly show that the logs were spread out over the yard that doesn't look like a complete job to me he stated that he would grind up the limbs behind The Barn at **** ***** ***** the limbs are still there months later I didn't think he would tell you the truth please give me a call Monday morning *** ******** thank you very much for your efforts

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/18/2022

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Mike ***** , tree works was paid to trim trees over my neighbors rentals and he decided to cut my trees down on my property without my permission or consent I asked them several times to stop and was told to **** off by his employeees I called mike and asked him to tell his guys to stop cutting trees on my property and he hung up on me The damage they caused is irreversible im asking for the value of the trees to be paid or for mile ***** tree works to install and plant new similar trees I will not stand by and let low grade companies come in and destroy someone’s property they have no business touching

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/19/2022

  [BBB Transcription via Phone]

  I need them to come clean up their mess today. There are sticks and logs still in the yard. I just want it to cleaned it up. They have until Monday to clean up the mess or I will be contacting the attorney. 

  Business Response

  Date: 06/08/2022

  [[BBB TRANSCRIPTION VIA TELEPHONE CALL W/THE BUSINESS OWNER 6/8/2022]]

  The business will not be supplying any compensation or trees to the neighbor. The business was contracted by the property managers to do the job and it was performed on their property. The business stated the owners have had issues with the neighbors in the past and warned them that the dead branches were smashing their tenant's cars. Neighbor wasn't keeping it up on his end and his company was hired to do the work. The neighbor called the police, whom informed him to stop harassing the business and to go back inside. The neighbor has left threatening messages to the business.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/12/2022

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Response statement confirms core issue of complaint by illustrating clearly that business owner does not understand or follow laws regarding property line with regard to trimming trees that are shared or are on neighboring property. Any branches that overhang to his customers adjoining property are their responsibility but may only be trimmed TO the property lin. This was made clear to his customer by the zoning department when this issue first arised in 2018 and we told business owner of this complaint the same at the time. His customer was also advised by City arborist 2 years ago that branches could only be trimmed to the property line and if they damaged oak trees by trimming then even to property line outside of November to April, they would be responsible for damage. Any tree company should understand basic things like property laws and what time of year certain tree species should or never should be trimmed. Every oak tree, whether on our property or his customers that was trimmed is open to oak wilt. Oak trees at the front of our driveway are more severely injured as bark was torn and rammed with equipment causing more unnecessary damage only created more risks for trees on both properties.
  Additionally, response does not cover or give any justification to why large limbs and trimmings were purposefully thrown all over our yard over the property line in to our yard. Response gives no justification about why, from first contact with his workers when we clearly explained they were well over property line. 
  Business owner was not present on site all day. Business owner also chose not to engage directly by phone or text that day when attempts were made. Property owners and not their manager is who hired him based on the presence and statements of owner and manager to police which we contacted ourselves twice that day to report his company trespassing. After homeowner threatened to direst your crew to take some of our trees completely down the first time. At the conclusion of the first police visit, your customer, their property manager and your crew were told by police they could not trespass or cross the property line and therefore could not take down full trees on our property as planned by your customers. At that time, crew had only trimmed trees at the back of our property. 
  When your crew moved to the oak trees along your customers driveway, some shared, some solely on our property, they once again began trimming past the property line as well as trimming off branches that ran parallel to the driveway and were fully on our side of the property, several of which were shade branches, worker who was up in the bucket using a chainsaw with no helmet or safety glasses was approached. That worker actually threatened me. Despite that issue, we closely observed and video documented the rest of the work and cleanup, including the workers throwing large limbs on to our property. As his crew was packing to leave, we began video documenting us picking up large branches and limbs and tossing them in to a pile on the driveway. During our video property manager threatened us which led to us calling police a second time. During that visit, owners returned and initially stated tree branches were falling on cars but later admitted to police they wanted to redo the driveway. They tried stating we threatened workers, however all workers stated there were only threats of legal action made which is clearly noted in the police report itself. However, we reported to police that a worker and the property manager did make physical threats. Both parties were told not to crossover in to the other’s property at that time because police were unsure as to exact property line when we were in the back corner. That corner, including a small portion of his customers’ driveway encroaches on our property but his customer denied that to police at the time. 
  Lastly, since date of incident our attorney has determined this company was noncompliant with Workers Compensation coverage as required on date of incident to present. Our attorney was also informed by **** Attorney General that no active policy for business insurance can be found for the past two years for this business so we have no ability to make any claim against business insurance for damages.