So you want to be a tree trimmer?

[Gary_C]

Last week I was watching the 10:00 news on one of the Twin City TV stations. They had an investigative report about a metro area tree trimmer that "ripped off" a homeowner. They showed TV camers footage of a lady standing in the back corner of her tiny back yard with a 6 ft high privacy fence (in perfect condition) behind her. She explained that she had hired a tree service to remove an enormous silver maple that was too big and she was afraid it was going to fall on her house. The yard looked in excellent shape, no limbs, branches, nor damage anywhere. The only thing that remained were the very large chunks from the main trunk and they were cut up into firewood lengths. She was outraged and claimed that she had been ripped off because he was not licensed and they had left these huge pieces behind.

The TV station checked and found that he had not paid his license fee this year. They contacted the tree service owner and he readily agreed to come and get those large pieces, and he also agreed to refund some of her $2700.

I can't say as how I blame him for trying to get by without paying the city their fees and he may have thought and routinely left the big pieces behind for firewood for homeowners.

But he sure did get some free advertising.  :