Major Tree Issue & What to look for in a Pro?

[ddhlakebound]

I think the arborist does sound shady.

I've never heard of signing a quote sheet as proof of receiving a quote. Signing has always been for bid acceptance.

My advice would be to never sign any quote sheet unless a person is accepting the quote and plans to have the work done.

Any arborist who tries to enforce a contract that the client wants to back out of is on shaky ground in my opinion. I can't imagine working on someones trees in their yard with them not wanting me there!

Yeah, you're exactly right, but if it doesn't plainly say it, throw the BS right back at him.

I can't imagine generating that type of bad rep....and for $100? And working for an employer who I just made hostile?......Maybe his last job was debt collection....

 

[WA_Homeowner]

Thanks for the replies and support, guys.

I found the estimate, and there's NOTHING on there about any kind of fee should the customer back out of the contract, so he was just trying to intimidate me into giving him the job. I did sign saying I agreed to have them do the work, but there were extenuating circumstances and he acknowledged I was not hiring ANYONE until I'd gotten several more bids.

So, I guess he could sue me for $1700-3400, but I can't imagine he'd win because we won't allow him on our property to do the work. I don't think one can win a contract case when they haven't done any work and there's no clause in the contract awarding them damages should the other party default on the contract. That's why I have my own clients sign a contract that gives me recourse should they cancel their appointments or terminate my services without sufficient notice.

Anyway, I'm not even worried enough to talk to my lawyer friends at this point, but I suspect they'd tell me I'd likely win in court given the facts. I just never would have imagined I was signing a contract for him to do the job, but I'll certainly be extra careful about such things in the future. The guy we'll be using does have a separate box for the customer to sign in order to accept the bid, which I'll be happy to sign when he comes to do the work, but he didn't ask me to sign it when he gave me the estimate!

I don't have a problem with not getting a written bid, but I would want something in writing prior to them starting the work so there aren't misunderstandings about what should be done or how much it will cost.

I told him his best bet was to let this go, as I'd be less likely to share my thoughts about his business practices all over the Internet, but he said he didn't care if I did since he had plenty of customers already.

This guy's a liar and cheater all around.

 

[smokechase II]

judge

1) Size of their saw chips,
2) Suspenders,
3) Where they spit.

 

[rb_in_va]

You can pay him the hundred bucks and be done with him. (If I ended up having to pay him, I'd go buy 200 rolls of pennies, and tell him to come pick up his hundred bucks. Don't forget to break the rolls open into a bucket. )

Then when he reaches for the bucket say tell him he doesn't get to keep the bucket and dump it out at his feet. Tell him to have a nice day and slam the door.