I'm gonna start a tree service. I get enough calls to stay busy.

[Daren]

I may look like a jerk here, but it won't be the first time  . Urban logging is cool, it has it's benefits...but some months it runs me ragged. The last month has been one of them. At least 20 calls for "free trees", just cut them down and clean up the mess  . When I first got into this sometimes I would go look at these trees before declining. After awhile I would just said flat "No" without looking, now I feel inclined to give an explanation of why I am not interested. Here is a copy/paste (I xxx out some phone numbers) from a letter that was forwarded to me and I replied to this morning. Am I being a jerk ? Was I too hard on the lady ?

I have a large black walnut tree that is close to my house and i would like to have it taken down, does your husband do that for the wood or does he know somebody who does? we can have romer's take it down but it will cost us a lot and i know the wood is worth a lot to the right person i just  don't know the right person. thanks brenda

My response:
Brenda
Thanks for the note, I am not picking on you here, I just want to give you an honest answer with a little explanation. A walnut tree can be worth a good deal after it goes through the many steps to make it into lumber. Felling the tree, sawmilling it, drying the lumber and then marketing it. Each of those steps takes expensive equipment and experience. Not ALL walnut trees even make good lumber, the stuff people see for sale for $$$ is a small percentage of the trees that did (and they usually grow in the woods, not in town). Through no fault of their own they just assume every walnut tree is worth a fortune because (usually some misguided person tells them they are) or they have seen what walnut lumber has sold for.
 
Romer wants a bunch of money to remove the tree "that is close to my house" for just that reason, the labor and liability that they have. I do not cut down trees, if I did I would still charge for the labor/liability not just for the wood. I can buy your log (the only good part of the tree, the trunk)  from Romer after they get it down for $100, I sure can't afford to do $1000 worth of tree service work to get the same log . I do thank you for thinking of me and am not trying to sound rude in my answer. I wish more people would consider trying to get the trees to someone who will put them to good use. But I am just a sawmill, not a tree service.
 
I personally do not know of anyone who would cut the tree for the wood, there may be someone out there who would ? Run an ad in the paper, I have seen them before, I can only assume they work. "Free walnut, you remove..." the ad may cost you $20 or whatever, but it is cheaper than Romer's bid I am sure. Just make sure whatever yahoo that shows up can cover any damage they do to your property in case of an accident (or worse yet, they fall out of your tree and sue you)
 
I can give you a couple more numbers to tree services for a quote of you would like. Mike Lofland XXX-XXXX, Calvin's tree service XXX-XXXX. I have personally used Lofland Tree Service on my own property and can vouch for his quality of work and good prices.
 
Daren Nelson


I said I could buy her log for $100 just for illustrative purposes. I do not work with the tree service she named (the guys I gave her numbers to will give/swap me the log) I have said before I don't even like to pay for them, the tree service she got a quote from may be in the log selling business I don't know?

I edited this to add this person is not a total stranger to me. I have done woodworking for her before and she works where my wife works.

[Mike_Barcaskey]

I'd say you were very nice, maybe too nice.
after many years of trying to "educate" the public, my pat answer to homeowners is

"You want me to buy your log? Well then I'm a logger. I'm going to flop that tree, cut out the log, drive through your yard with the loader, give you your money and leave."

"Oh you want me to clean up the mess and not damage anything? Well then I'm an arborist and here's my estimate of $1200"

more often than not, they have contacted other people or "did their homework" and are sure their 12" dogleg cherry trees are worth $

they sometimes go with the firewood or log guy for free and I get to charge big $ when I take the tree off the house or car

[johncinquo]

good laymens explanation. 

[Daren]

Here is her response note I just received  . I guess I got my point across...and maybe a free walnut log. I was in a bad mood when I made the first post, it improved. For a change someone gets it.

it does help and thank you for the explanation, i am much smarter than i was earlier. my dad had suggested we just have romer's knock it down and we would cut it up and dispose of it ourselves. I don't really know what to do with it now, but if we keep it and dispose of it ourselves i will certainly let you have what part you want if any. thanks again

[Mike_Barcaskey]

good job, folks like that make it worth the time and effort
some days it doesn't seem like there's enough of them

[DanG]

I think your original response to her was great.  If you were in a bad mood, you didn't let it show.  Your explanation was reasonable, polite and up-front.  What more could anyone ask?

If you end up getting that log for free, make sure she gets a nice bowl or something out of it.

[metalspinner]

You were very polite in your response.  I think when people do the research into the real expense of tree removal and/or urban log value they see the real benefit of somebody like you helping them out with cleanup.  Good luck.

[Tom]

Most people with a tree problem on their property, don't have a clue. She asked a legitimate question and got a legitimate answer.   Some folks don't accept that, she is one who did and it is mostly due to your taking the time to explain it.

Her inquiry denotes the state of mind of people who answer advertisements in the newspaper.  That is the main reason that I never advertised in the paper.  I ran into some of it when I put out fliers in saw shops, laundromats and other places of business. People generally think that, if you deal with tree in any form, you deal with trees in all forms.   It's not a malady that is imposed upon sawyers alone, loggers, Foresters and landscape people get the same inquiries.  I've been asked questions like "how many trees does it take to build a house?" and " how many 2x4's will it take to stud a medium sized house"?  I'm not a builder and I can't give a man a sawbill on that information alone.  I would have to research it the same as he.  Folks just don't know.

You handled the situation pretty good, I think.  You didn't embarrass her, nor did you act ungentlemanly.  That is probably why she remained friendly in her response.  A good job, I'd say.

[Dale Hatfield]

Hey Daren  That letter is great.
 I get about 3 calls like that a month. They want tree work for free for a high dollar log. right now I have a doctor that wants this type of work done. But he really has a few trees worth some money. Old woods new house. But he cant figger out why i cant do it for the wood. I asked him if he would remove my appendix for a display. He said no way to many costs and peole  to pay. I think we are now on the same page. But now the biggy is  getting him  to understand that Im going to  destroy the yard with a skid trail .
Daren I wouldnt without your permission. But ya need to make that form letter and sell it.
Dale

[Daren]

But ya need to make that form letter and sell it.

Help yourself, I wish everyone would give the same response, maybe we could get people (Joe and Sally Homeowner) on the same page  .

[Todd]

The local University extension office started letting people know that I was milling trees taken down due to Emerald Ash Borer...very nice of them.  Unfortunately, the woman on the phones was telling people that I would come take the tree down for them just to have the wood.  I've had to explain to too many people that unless the tree is in the middle of a 5 acre field, they don't want me anywhere near their trees.  (I frequently run out of chainsaws before the tree decides to come down )  Most people are very nice about it, but I've had a few get pretty upset that I wouldn't come out take care of it for them.  I started giving them the name of a tree service that has worked with me and thanked them for wanting to utilize their trees for a higher value than mulch or firewood, but I've yet to get any of those logs.  Oh well, at least they know about you then

[Striker]

Hey Dale, that doctor might not understand the need for a water bar through the begonias.

Jeff

[tree dude]

Hey dale, I own a tree service, we dont take them down for the wood either but you dont realize how many calls I get from peaple wanting to take down,clean up 10 to 15 trees & me pay them for the wood.It can get agrivating at times trying to make people understand, we are a tree SERVICE not a timber co.As far as your letter to the lady,VERY PROFESIONAL.My father always says kill them with kindness!!!

[Phorester]

Excellent response Daren.  I get several calls a summer from people wanting to know who will come and pay them the $1,000s they 'know" their tree next to the garage is worth.  Most end the phone call disgusted with me. 

Had one call from a fellow who said his black walnut was so big you couldn't touch your fingers together when you put your arms around it, "and I'm a big guy!".  My technician went out and looked at it, the guy meant when you put your hands around it.  It was about 4" diameter.     The Technician said he got two things right; it was a black walnut, and he was a big guy. Serious as he could be, he said based on what he paid for a new walnut table in his house, he thought he should get a few hundred dollars for it because the boards in his table were narrower than his tree. 

[urbanlumberinc]

Darren, great response.  I'm gonna copy that and paste it in as a reply whenever I get a similar inquiry

[Daren]

he got two things right; it was a black walnut, and he was a big guy.

2 out of 3  , I have had worse. Most don't get the species right. I don't know how many "Giant oak" calls turned out to be cottonwood  , guess they did not realize that fuzzy stuff that falls off the tree is not acorns  . "Nice big cedars" that where white pine, and not that nice or big. I had a guy drag a "Monster sycamore" 60 miles to me because I was needing some to 1/4 saw, 2 logs 40"+ x 20'...again cottonwood.

[Todd]

I don't seem to recall quarter-sawn cottonwood being that pretty

[Phorester]

DAREN, biggest problem with people calling about their tree problems is mis-ID'ing it.

I remember two in particular; one lady had a tree service tell her the elm next to her driveway was dying from dutch elm disease.  They could treat it, but it would be expensive and no guarentees.  Actually, that's right about dutch elm disease treatment. She wanted an objective opinion, so I went and looked.  It was a red maple. Half the root system had been removed when the driveway was built within a foot of the trunk and that's why it was dying. Nope, she didn't hire that company.

Another fellow was trying to describe his sick black walnut problem over the phone, what he was saying just wasn't adding up.  When I looked at it, it turned out to be a red maple too.  (Red maples are common in VA).

[Daren]

Final chapter:
I got another forwarded email from the same lady with the walnut saying Romer Tree Service had it on the ground . I have deleted that one and my response, so I am paraphrasing  "Did I want to buy it?" she asked. I replied (she lives 50 miles away...and I have been on this goose chase before) "If you could since it is down, measure how big it is across both the top and bottom end and give me an approx length. If it is large enough I would come and have a look at it. I am not really very interested in anything under about 16" across, I would however be interested in one closer to 24", if it was bigger than that obviously the bigger the more interested I would be and appreciate first shot at it."

She said she would measure it when she got home from work, she was not sure how big it was in diameter. This is her response from this morning.
"lisa, can you tell darren that the walnut tree had been cut into small pieces by my neighbor and dad when i got home last night (surprise for me) the biggest pieces where under 16" across and 2 feet long. so i know he is not interested in that so we will dispose of it. thanks"

 , What a waste of time again 6 emails, wanted me to come cut it down for free to save the tree service bill, then her Dad let the neighbor cut it up for firewood. Why didn't she ask the neighbor to cut it down ? I figured it was a scrawny dogleg hanging over the house from the get go, I looked at 100 of them before I just quit going out. The fact that a tree service (and this one is a big one, they have been around 40 years) was leaving the log lay kinda tipped me, if it was a big juicy one they would have been out of their with it to sell AND charged her handsomely to remove it.

Wonder how much the tree service got to cut it down? Like I said I outta start a tree service.

[Blue Sky]

I have been an arborist since 1976.  The freebee calls are just part of the 'service' I give to folks.  It is a bit annoying at times when 'Mr or Mrs. Smith' call with a request to come and buy 'our special tree'.  Granted, over the years, I have paid some $ to the owners for their tree.  Usually though, by the time I finish raking up the yard, the paltrey sum I give them in return is but a small fraction of what they have paid me for my services(It is the giving backto them that many times justifies what they knew about the value of that tree).  As was stated in another reply, most folks who go buy lumber at the store, look at the same species of tree growing in their yard and think, WOW, our tree must be worth a fortune, not realizing how many steps it takes for 'their'tree to be processed into KD lumber.  I believe that as an arborist, one of our tasks is to gently educate a public that, for me, seems to lack a 'common sense.'