argh!

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treeman82

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To start, I have my CT arborist license and also my ISA arborist license.

Since last summer I have been throwing all my lawn application and landscape work to a local company who keeps their stuff at the same yard I keep my stuff at. They've been throwing their tree work my way. I help them, and they helped me. If they sent me a bill for something, I'd bring them a check right away. If I did something for them, they would take a while to pay me. This past winter they started bringing some brush back to the yard. I'd chip it when I had a chance, never asked for anything. A few weeks ago they had a nasty pile of brush going, and I chipped it late one afternoon. Apparently while I was chipping the brush, they were nextdoor in the bar having drinks. To top it all off they told the landlord that the pile of brush was mine. To add to my anger with these guys, I gave them a job to do at one of my special clients... kill some weeds and regrade the lawn. Almost 6 weeks later the lawn is half brown and half green. The client is NOT happy. At this point in time I am giving serious thought to getting the turf application license for myself and doing the applications for turf and ornamentals on my own.

Now on the other end of things, I had been climbing for some guys for a while. Real scum / low lives. 2 partners, 1 of them is a pretty descent guy, family man, helped me a few times, no beef there. The other however is the super low life. Drunk, rips people off, terrible. In the end they paid me nill, put me in some positions I'd rather not be in, etc. Destroyed some equipment, and never replaced it, etc. So a few weeks ago I find out that they are stealing work from me. They stopped at one of MY jobs and wound up getting some pressure washing work from my client, not a big deal as far as I was concerned... I don't do pressure washing. However I find out later on that when they were bidding on the pressure washing, they also gave a price for some pruning.

For those who are in the know, in the state of Connecticut you must posess an arborist license to perform or solicit tree care services. If caught (turned in by somebody, or just luck of the draw caught) an unlicensed company can be fined up to $2,500 per day. So I am wondering if it would be wrong of me to go and turn these guys in.

Any thoughts on either situation?
 
first thing, I would not chip anthing for them again free... their brush --their problem...
as for the ones stealing work without a lic. bust them out....
they can get legal or find another line of work.....
 
Well I am a big believer in Karma so thats a tough one to answer. Which way will the karma pendulum swing if you turn them in. But with that said they are stabbing you in the back with what they are doing. To top it all off they are bidding pruning work from a licensed arborist in Ct. when your not licensed yourself is just a dumb move, so maybe they deserve what they get. You put a lot of time and effort in to getting that cert and deserve the benefits that go with it.
 
Well I am a big believer in Karma so thats a tough one to answer. Which way will the karma pendulum swing if you turn them in. But with that said they are stabbing you in the back with what they are doing. To top it all off they are bidding pruning work from a licensed arborist in Ct. when your not licensed yourself is just a dumb move, so maybe they deserve what they get. .

I'm uncertain if it's worse to punish the good guy, for the misdeeds of the bad guy, or to let the bad guy slide, because of the good deeds of the good guy. However, the good guy did allow for the misdeeds to occur.
 
Well I am a big believer in Karma so thats a tough one to answer. Which way will the karma pendulum swing if you turn them in. But with that said they are stabbing you in the back with what they are doing. To top it all off they are bidding pruning work from a licensed arborist in Ct. when your not licensed yourself is just a dumb move, so maybe they deserve what they get. You put a lot of time and effort in to getting that cert and deserve the benefits that go with it.

Think of it as their karma coming back to them. They put bad vibes out there, they'll get what THEY deserve. I think he would be restoring the balance.
If you are doing right and have a clean conscience, by enacting the LAW to correct bad behaviour, you are not sowing bad karma IMO!
 
It's a trade that requires special skills and knowledge, that is what the customer is paying for. If the customers know they are getting ripped the would pay would reflect it accordingly... Can't have everyone bastardizing everything to make a quick buck and to leave a customer fuming long after the payment was made.
 
Think of it as their karma coming back to them. They put bad vibes out there, they'll get what THEY deserve. I think he would be restoring the balance.
If you are doing right and have a clean conscience, by enacting the LAW to correct bad behaviour, you are not sowing bad karma IMO!

I dont disagree with you, I think my point was more on the lines of that there may be a better way of handling it initially then turning them in (even thought they deserve what they get). In turning them in all your going to do is great an enemy that is going to snap at the chance to get even. May be better off just confronting them, "hey I know what you have been doing behind my back" "stay away from me and my customers or I am going to make a complaint" go your separate ways.
 
In our Professional Foresters association (has the same weight as Professional Engineers, Accountants etc), you are obligated to report a breach of the Code of Ethics and if you don't you are guilty of a breach.

Not quite the same, but one of the roles of professional organizations is to discipline its members to protect the public. I see the same similarities here. Bust 'em.
 
I dont disagree with you, I think my point was more on the lines of that there may be a better way of handling it initially then turning them in (even thought they deserve what they get). In turning them in all your going to do is great an enemy that is going to snap at the chance to get even. May be better off just confronting them, "hey I know what you have been doing behind my back" "stay away from me and my customers or I am going to make a complaint" go your separate ways.

As a side note, the quote in your signature is by Jed Babbin. Sorry to share the bad news, you're misquoting someone who was misquoting someone
 

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