Pain neighbors

[sharkfin12us]

I have been in business since 2003 under my current name before that i was in computer field because i felt i wanted some thing more secure because of winter time not having work sparsely from november till march.I was in business before that from 1995 till 2000.I just want to share experience today i had.I contracted with customer to remove twin oak medium next to house.I accessed customers driveway with bucket truck and chipper.I started job 8:30am had lowered most of right side of the trees, this is a removal.Neighbor pulled in his car next to my bucket truck at around 10am ,the neighbor's driveway is to my left.We were just taking brush out where his driveway is just walking it out.When i saw him pull in i came down and nicely approached him and asked if he can park it out in road.He told me he can back it up 10 feet but did not want to leave it out front.I then asked since i can tell he was going to be unreasonable what day he would not be home so i can come back.He informed me he returns every day at 10am.The first time i asked him nicely if he can put his car out in street so i can finish job because i did not want any small twigs that might touch his car.After seeing he was not going to be reasonable i told my men to clean up were leaving.I saw there was message on my cell.It was neighbors wife saying she did not like how my crew which was me i was the person speaking with her husband.The message said she did not like how my crew told my husband if he did not move his car it would get dinged.I mmediately called her to say that is not what i said.I then told her i did not know if she has a problem with my customer but that i was not going to finish the job.She said ok.I then told customer i needed to be paid at least 150 for what i had done.He then went to neighbors house with his wife and baby in her arms.I was standing at the end of driveway.I can tell neighbor was trying to say to customer he can move his car back 10 feet.Customer said to him can you please just park it out in the road.Oh yeah the message neighbors wife left was if any damage to car or her property she was going to file claim,so you know when we hear that alarms go off.Customer is talking to neighbor and i can see he is saying some thing about me my attitude.Then i just said forget it im out of here i told him the neighbor i was nice i did not raise my voice i just asked if he can move his car and i told customer i dont need this aggrevation so im leaving.Just needed to vent.Customer still wanted me to do job i said no way im not dealing with this just pay me 75 dollars no one cares what we go through no one is reasonable i spent at least 2 and half hours there and reason i just said give me 75 was i felt that customer might give me hard time no way did i want to have walk on neighbors drive way because i think he is looking for something or i will get blamed for some thing.Most neighbors are nice coeoperative not this crazy pyscho especially when he acted like i was not nice i made sure i was very calm and polite.That job was 950 no tax was going good and i really need to make money not jobs are sparse want to hear other peoples stories..Better to take loss then deal with some crazy neighbor pyhscos

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

We were just taking brush out where his driveway is just walking it out.

When you bid these jobs in tight spots, make a habit of asking if you will be able to use the neighbor's property, and if they are hostile. Even then, talk to the neighbor in person before you start. Don't even think about crossing the property line without previous permission. Even a foot or two.

I'd be pissed too, if I came home to some guys dragging brush on my driveway, but if you asked first, I might come out and help drag.

 

[sharkfin12us]

kneejerk

When you bid these jobs in tight spots, make a habit of asking if you will be able to use the neighbor's property, and if they are hostile. Even then, talk to the neighbor in person before you start. Don't even think about crossing the property line without previous permission. Even a foot or two.

I'd be pissed too, if I came home to some guys dragging brush on my driveway, but if you asked first, I might come out and help drag.

Yes i remembered him mentioning to me that neighbor dont like noise.The branches were carried up in air and were small.I do excellent cleanup but every once in while you get some one that is very unreasonable.You are right i should have told customer to make sure i can walk on his drive way the drive ways are so close maybe 1 foot apart.They are the neighbors from hell i told the customer nothing personal i dont want to do the job because i was thinking i have to walk on this guys property just for the brush.Thanks for your response

 

[Dadatwins]

One of the most overlooked part of the estimate is describing to the potential client how the job will be done. If you need access to the neighbor property they need to be advised of that before the job starts. Advise them what equipment will be used and where it will be placed. You need to also tell the potentials what their responsibility will be, ie dog in house, cars moved, sprinkler turned off, BEFORE you bring any equipment to the job. To many folks get in trouble with a simple price and start date estimate. Neighbors can be a PIA but good communications skills are a part of the business. This should all be done at the time of the estimate, not when the equipment and help is on site. Take the lesson from this job and move on.

 

[Frank Boyer]

Make sure that the permission to use the neighbor's property is in writing. I did drilling/excavating for 20+ years and neighbors can be a problem. Using the neighbor's property without written permission can be an expensive problem.

 

[urbanlt]

I require the customer to sign a wavier at the bottom of my estimate stating that they will get all permits and third party permissions needed to do the job. They if there is a problem with a neighbor I just charge them for a entire job or the going hourly rate for the time that was wasted. I was recently sued for the first time over a neighbor issue although the thing isn't settled yet the waiver seems to be holding up fine. If I know their is a neihbor issue before I start a job I turn it down 100% of the time. No matter how good it pays you will loose money on these jobs.

 

[highasatree]

I had an issue with a neighbour and saw dust.. We where removing a 14" - 30 foot Birch tree inside the property line ,owner said neighbour has no problem going into his back yard if anything dropped on his side of the fence. I was very careful not to drop anything in his yard except for a hand full of saw dust in his pool that the skimmer took care of. He came home and started yelling about damage and calling his lawyer/brother-in-law. Trying to calm one of these guys down is impossible, so it turned into a yelling match. He finally left while yelling I'm going to call the cops. Sunday morning, 2 weeks later the cops show up at my door saying there just following up on the complaint. Needless to say the police took my store and said to me not to worry about it, it wasn't going any further then this. But a hand full of saw this. People should just chill a little...Eugene

 

[John464]

I leave it up to my customer to inform their neighbors. to inform them we may need to walk on this side of their property and will not damage anything but may need to stand at certain angles to pull ropes and lower limbs. I would never bomb anything on a neighbors property, but lowering pieces down nice and easy is harmless. I stress that we clean up and rake up 100%.
If it is in terms of bucket truck or spider lift setup I will then need to meet with the neighbor to OK prior to bringing the crew out.

I've had cops show up a few times, because the husband or wife forgot to tell the wife/neighbor. If I am in the tree I do not stop until the cops come. No screamin neighbor is louder than our saws. In our county we do municipal contracts(so we usually have a good bond) and when the cops show up they have the people who are giving me a hard time to stay in the house and let them do their job. The whiner neighbor fills out a report and it states if "XYZ Tree Service damages anything they will pay".

If things gets over the property line after an altercation I just say oops "it was dead only way it could go" Do you want us to go over the property line to clean it up or would you like use to leave it there? This is normally me being a prick right back. I would only be like this to someone I would never want to work for. Generally I can redirect just about anything to the customers property line with a speed lining technique or a winch.

I have yet to be shut down because of complaining neighbor, probably lost a few potential customers, but however the jobs got done for those days. Covered my expenses and made money. Only days I do not do this is because of an equipment break down.

 

[BC WetCoast]

My boss would have made us climb the tree to finish and drag staying on the customer's property.

 

[NORTREE]

If we have to go on a neighbors property I ask for a signed letter of permission from the neighbor for reasons exactly as you describe above.I have had people out and out lie to me that it's O.K. with the neighbor.I have also had a call where the potential customer flat out told me the neighbor was in the hospital on her death bed and he wanted me to cut trees on HER property before she died and someone else bought the place and and wouldn't let him do it,and his "regular" tree service couldn't get to it...

 

[Mitchell]

good stories

My best story... I had long time homeowners bordering a new three year old small subdivision call everyone they could think of. I could understand the consternation as I was removing a couple really old trees [maple and oak] over hanging their property that when gone significantly changed the culture of the neighbourhood.
After half an hour of work stoppage they finally, although still looking at me like the anti christ, believed the contractor had doomed them when they excavated roots and changed the grade three feet.

My last guest was the local paper for an interview...

I make sure to let the tree owner knows the neighbours need to be informed...

 

[LTREES]

NO DOUBT CHECK OUT THE PROPERTY LINES. I WAS TOUGHT NEVER WALK ON A NEIGHBORS PROPERTY WITH OUT PERMISSION. I HAVE ASKED MY GUYS TO NOT EVEN PUT THEIR WATER BOTTLES ON ANOTHER PROPERTY. BE ABSOLUTELY SURE WHO OWNS THE TREE OR WALK AWAY!! ALWAYS BID FOR THE LONGER BRUSH DRAG ANY WAY CAUSE IT COULD BITE YA IN A$$.

PS. IF I'M IN THE RIGHT, I CAN'T HEAR ANY B@#$%ING OVER THE SAW RUNNING.:greenchainsaw:

 

[COLD_IRON]

A camera will help too, incase you have to go to court - you have photographic proof - and take notes as well and log in times etc.

 

[Thillmaine]

Access

Written access agreement to ge ton neighbors property. We wont walk on anyone elses property without one. Even for a hanger in there tree or some small twigs. No sesnse even trying ot reason with people who wont sign one. THe days of figuring it wouldnt be an issue are over. In my hometown, in Maine mind you...I have never had a problem with anyone...If you need to walk across there lawn, offer them a small sdervidce for free. A limb over the house..a small shrub to prune, make them feel like they are getting something out of the deal..

 

[chucknduck]

Well, it sounds like you guys have to deal with some nasty neighbors! Here's a story. We pruned about 40 trees at our local golf course two months ago. While we were pruning, the golfers were instructed to not play at the hole where we were working. Some, would come talk to us, wanted our business cards, which was nice. But, they were not supposed to play golf by us. Anyway, we were pruning a tree that was off to the side of the fairway, and next to a lake. A group of golfers thought it would be funny to hit their balls at us and scream "4" at the top of their lungs, and just crack up laughing. Their balls didn't hit us but they all landed within feet of all the equipment. So, we didn't do anything, we stopped work so they could play their balls, uneventfull. Several days later the same group of golfers did the same thing, only this time they hit the bucket truck, and missed my head by about a foot(I did have a hard hat on but still...),which pissed me off. So, I gathered all their balls and ran them through the chipper, before they could make their way down to hit them again! So, they came over and tried to chew us out, and they said they would talk to the pro, and try to get someone else to trim the trees. But they didn't know that I was good friends with him! He thought it was real funny. So, anytime we would see them about to tee off while we were driving the truck around the course, we would wait until they were about to hit it , then we would honk the horn. The horn on our bucket truck is real quiet, almost like a small car's horn, so it wouldn't disturb anybody far away, but it was loud enough for them to hear it. We had some good laughs watching those guys messing up their shots. We were doing the work in december, and it was very cold, so there was usually only one or two groups of golfers on the course at a time. It wasn't like they were in a tournament or something, so they can't be that mad at us, if they thought it was funny to hit their balls at us, then why should they expect anything other than us honking our horn at them to get them back! they shouldn't have messed with the tree guys!