Ok...can we talk about property damage on jobs?
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KenJax Tree
Terraphobic
We were removing some trees for the city along the side streets and the city was marking them with pink spray paint dots, well apparently some punky kids decided it would be funny to mark every tree on one street with pink dots so guess what....
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PassionForTrees
ArboristSite Operative
oh crap is all I can say, the work ethic today sucks and just finding someone who can show up is one thing with out having to pay someone $20. an hour for knowing nothing and cant drive cause of 8 dui's. uhgg. I guess that is why I dont manage a crew. I am the crew and then I get someone to help. I have had three guys work with me for over 2 years in field and now work for themselves... go figure. As for the accidents of course you will have them, but you shouldnt keep having them, you have different one's. And hopefully they are small like sprinkler heads, little crack from weight of the trucks, I use Alturnamats and they have helped ALOT! You have to have the right training continuing all the time it becomes a way of thinking and re checking and anticipating what can happen so make sure it doesnt. To teach that mentality to others seems to go in one ear and out the other. People ask me why I dont hire a crew and just manage them I would make Sooo much more money! Huhhh?? I guess I dont get it? giving someone my whole lives investment and say here ya go be safe and remember it's not mowing lawns we are talking about. Many experienced guys dont know how to properly put down the outriggers on the bucket truck and check for anyone under them while cutting, I would have a fatality in 1 day and a flipped over rig. It would be something EVERYDAY and I would then HATE my job. So I just keep doing it myself and keep searching for the right team player.
VA-Sawyer
Addicted to ArboristSite
Dang, you sound just like me!
sgreanbeans
Treeaculterologist
Chingow (that's Spanish for holy ****)
climbhightree
ArboristSite Operative
Here is the property damage that happen to me, and really ticked me off.
We were doing a 100' pine removal in a really tight area...front of the houses only separated by maybe 15'. No truck on crane access, not even close. Everything was being lowered and brought down safely...but there comes a point where you cant really lower a log anymore. I had about a 4' flower bed area that I could drop chunks into...and we saved other wood to make a wall to keep the pieces in. But one piece hit a root, and proceeded to take a bad bounce right over the wall. It hit the neighbors screened in porch, right on the support (across the path from where we were working).
Though the wood did do some damage, I was relieved it wasn't worse. I figured a couple screws and glue, it would be as good as it was...and you wouldn't even be able to tell. This neighbor wasn't home, and I planned on contacting her and talking her about it. But the neighbor beside where we working came out, and started freaking out about it (I had even done work for the side neighbor). Before talking to me, she ended up calling the home owner and making it sound like the piece of wood went completely in her porch. To make matters worse, the homeowner's mother just recently died (and this was her house)...so she was a wreck. After thing were completely blown out of portion, I got to talk to her on the phone. I offered, and told her I easily could, to fix it myself...or she could get someone to fix it and Ill pay or it.
A little while later, I saw a contractor there "fixing it" and I about freaked out. Please note on above pictures that the screens are old, trim is old, and there isn't any holes in the screen. The guy was replacing all the screens on the WHOLE porch...and since they "couldn't get the trim off without breaking it" all new trim and fresh paint on the trim. Once he was done, I went back to get pictures again, and to look it over.
The bill was for $1600...and he didn't even fix what we broke (other than knocking it back in place) no screws or anything. I sent the bill to my insurance...with the before and after pictures and told them I would prefer if they fight it. But they chose to just pay the bill. GRR!
We were doing a 100' pine removal in a really tight area...front of the houses only separated by maybe 15'. No truck on crane access, not even close. Everything was being lowered and brought down safely...but there comes a point where you cant really lower a log anymore. I had about a 4' flower bed area that I could drop chunks into...and we saved other wood to make a wall to keep the pieces in. But one piece hit a root, and proceeded to take a bad bounce right over the wall. It hit the neighbors screened in porch, right on the support (across the path from where we were working).
Though the wood did do some damage, I was relieved it wasn't worse. I figured a couple screws and glue, it would be as good as it was...and you wouldn't even be able to tell. This neighbor wasn't home, and I planned on contacting her and talking her about it. But the neighbor beside where we working came out, and started freaking out about it (I had even done work for the side neighbor). Before talking to me, she ended up calling the home owner and making it sound like the piece of wood went completely in her porch. To make matters worse, the homeowner's mother just recently died (and this was her house)...so she was a wreck. After thing were completely blown out of portion, I got to talk to her on the phone. I offered, and told her I easily could, to fix it myself...or she could get someone to fix it and Ill pay or it.
A little while later, I saw a contractor there "fixing it" and I about freaked out. Please note on above pictures that the screens are old, trim is old, and there isn't any holes in the screen. The guy was replacing all the screens on the WHOLE porch...and since they "couldn't get the trim off without breaking it" all new trim and fresh paint on the trim. Once he was done, I went back to get pictures again, and to look it over.
The bill was for $1600...and he didn't even fix what we broke (other than knocking it back in place) no screws or anything. I sent the bill to my insurance...with the before and after pictures and told them I would prefer if they fight it. But they chose to just pay the bill. GRR!
68 Buick
ArboristSite Operative
I've been doing trees since 1981 and have done very well so far, having very little damage ( knock on wood LOL ). Hit the corner of a house once many years ago, being in a hurry trying to make up for a very bad bid ( really p_ _ _ me off ). That was the only time hitting anything, I believe it was between $200. and $300. out of pocket. Can't say that I've been as fortunate with personal body damage. I do remember one time cleaning off a roof, from saw dust and debris and going through the roof. Good thing I was tied in and only went through to the knee. Ended up that the plywood was rotted and I was not responsible for any of the damage. If you count having bad days of landing logs poorly and damaging the ground, now I've had my share of those. Many times in doing yard repair at no cost but time.
gorman
Addicted to ArboristSite
When u do a little bit of damage the homeowner will see it as an opportunity to make a little $$$ on some pos fence, bench, or trim. I busted a rotten section of $50 fence last year and the woman got some contracted sign off that it would cost $968 to replace one section.
Insurance paid out without question and one year later it still is the way I left it.
Insurance paid out without question and one year later it still is the way I left it.
Sunrise Guy
Addicted to ArboristSite
I've dented my share of gutters, broken a few flower pots, cracked a flagstone, ripped a screen, broken a few fence slats, knocked a railing off its support, broke a slat on a patio chair, dented a metal roof on a storage shed, dinged the hood of a car, over twenty-seven years. All of the preceding I could blame on lazy crew members who weren't paying attention to what they were doing, but I was in charge so I take the blame. Each and every time, though, except for the $700 car hood repair, I went back and did the repairs, myself, so no insurance claims ever filed. Thing is, I got tired of crew members and their low-life attitudes, so I go solo on most gigs, these days. My "crew members" are now Paulie Port-a-wrap and Gary GRCS. Yeah, I have to climb down to lower bigger wood, and that gets old, after awhile, but I don't have to listen to guys tell me, "Man, I didn't know you were going to do that cut that would release the wood right then!" On smaller stuff, I carry a port-a-wrap aloft, to save a step, but I still have to go down and untie each piece, on the ground. Aloft, since nobody can let a piece run, I have to plan my cuts differently, but I'm used to it now. Basically, when I do a cut, the piece has to stay right where it was before separation. Then, I go down and lead it with a tag line to where I want it to land as I let out the winch and/or portie. Maybe all of this extra stuff is why my MD tells me I've got the physical stats of someone one-third my age. Some mornings, it sure as hell doesn't feel like it-----
Sunrise Guy
Addicted to ArboristSite
The thing to remember, in every case of property damage: The law gives you the absolute right to make what you damaged whole, again. That is, if you can do the repair, and show that your repair restored the piece back to its former shape, you are in the clear. If you busted out a rotten section of fence, your first move should have been to take detailed pics of the same. Then, you tell the HO, and let her know that you'll be back to repair it so it's back to the shape it was in before the damage. If you're in a bigger metro area, you can usually find salvage yards with old fencing that you can buy for a reasonable price, avoiding yuppie "aged fence slat" places that actually charge you more for old, garbage slats.
gorman
Addicted to ArboristSite
Oh. We did that. No avail.
imagineero
Addicted to ArboristSite
That sounds dangerous as all hell. Might be time to go in for a mental health checkup also now that you've assigned human names to your lowering devices and consider them as groundies. Just sayin'
Sunrise Guy
Addicted to ArboristSite
LOL! I only go solo on mostly routine pruning jobs. As far as safety, I trust my rigging gear more than my former groundies, any day. On larger take-downs, I still have my reserve crew. No argument, here, that solo work has its dangers.
Sunrise Guy
Addicted to ArboristSite
Damaging an HO's property should never be an opportunity for the HO to turn the screws to your insurance company. If you told the HO that you could repair the fence, then she needed to let you do so. I guess the laws differ from state to state. I've never had any trouble doing repair work to my HO's satisfaction.
stltreedr
ArboristSite Operative
I've had my share of minor mishaps- the most expensive was a wrought Iron fence section that I crushed taking the very last limb out of a large oak removal. The limb was on the opposite side of the fence, as I had rigged out the other side of the tree. Tried to snap cut the last piece, it hit brush first and catapaulted back onto the fence.
The most frustrating was another oak removal, as I dropped the spar onto the ground the butt end severed an underground cable tv line that was less than an inch deep. Customer came out and asked what we did to his tv. Luckily the cable co didn't charge us to repair it.
I think the biggest thing is, when something happens, no matter how minor, immediately notify and apologize to the homeowner. Let them know you will do whatever it takes to make it right again.
Never, ever, ever, try to cover something up as if it didn't happen or you didn't do it.
The most frustrating was another oak removal, as I dropped the spar onto the ground the butt end severed an underground cable tv line that was less than an inch deep. Customer came out and asked what we did to his tv. Luckily the cable co didn't charge us to repair it.
I think the biggest thing is, when something happens, no matter how minor, immediately notify and apologize to the homeowner. Let them know you will do whatever it takes to make it right again.
Never, ever, ever, try to cover something up as if it didn't happen or you didn't do it.
One of my guys caught a chainlink fence with a rayco super jr. Pulled tbe wire downward and stalled the machine. I had a buddy of mine help fix that section and told the neighbor,who's fence it was that it was all fixed. She came out and started pointing out all kinds of areas where the fence was all messed up, but these areas were clearly bent upward from kids or dogs or whatever. The lady thought she was gonna get a whole new fence! Sorry lady! She was very rude and threatened legal action and all that hoopla. I told her my address and to have her imaginary lawyer contact me! That was years ago and haven't heard anything yet. As a matter of fact she called me for an estimate on some work! Needless to say I kept right on driving by. Thank God my guy wasn't running the 1102! I probably would have to replace the whole fence!
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Toddppm
Addicted to ArboristSite
Been there done that! Same machine! We were able to fix it too luckily, had to buy about a 20 ft. section though.
ozzy42
Addicted to ArboristSite
Yep,me too. That's when I learned you could splice chain link. Just unscrew the wire of the bad section and screw in a new length as needed.
treeclimber101
UNCLE BUCK
That's camden NJ one of the most ****ed up ghettos in this country ! And it's a war zone . I however do a lot of work there on rentals for slum lords ... Well some of them aren't complete JO's but most wait til the city is fining them before they call us .
Knobby57
Peeing outdoors
I used to work with a friend that has his own co. In south pa. This guy is fussy and anal to say the least. Very OCD , best record keeper you ever met, he would take notes on everything and went through one of those high school notebooks a week. He would write down the number that called names and so forth along with the time and duration of the call . He has contracts that he writes everything down and he keeps a hard coppy ,customer gets a coppy,and also scans it to his laptop and added notes as needed to the folder . I don't think this guy sleeps . He bid a job and gave the HO a coppy along with his insurance info and his website so the customer could check up on him, they called him back and said they wanted the work done. He Scedualed the job and when he showed up the customer said they where going with another company. Miffed he went on with his day. A few weeks he gets a call from his insurance company about damage to a house roof. Turns out the HO had someone of Craig's list do the job and the tree set back onto the house. ( they tried to drop the tree between a garage another house)total fail. The guys trying to take down the tree had no insurance , they where doing if for free to get firewood . The shady HO called my buddies insurance and said that he did it and they had the contract . Mu buddy lost his mind.. He ran over to the HO s house and sure enough the tree was laying up against the HO house( this is probably a 750k house ) and to boot he said they where lucky or they would have crushed the garage or neighbors house. The homeowner told my buddy to get off his yard and said they would call the cops if he didn't leave . He went and talked to the neighbors and found out what happened and explained what was going on. The neighbors house that could have gotten hit said the HO was shifty and currently had several law suits against people including him , my buddies insurance was just going to pay the claim because it's cheaper . My buddy lost it, he said your telling me I have to pay my deductible for damage on a job I didn't even do. He spent days on the phone and had to get a lawyer . The day he was said to do this he did 2 other jobs over an hour away. He had receipts where and when he stopped for fuel and had his notes of where he was. He had to threaten to sue his insurance befor they looked into the clame . He won after spending money on a lawyer and blowing up phones for weeks . The real kicker is the HO called him back and said he wanted the tree removed at the first bid price . Some people are just scum
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