Business ProfileforMountain Tree Service, Inc.

This is the second time hiring Mountain Tree Service as I was very happy with the work they did with the first job. The guys work hard and their pricing is reasonable. However, with regards to the owner, I find him to be a bit incompetent, unreliable and a liar.**** came over to give me an estimate. I showed him the most important tree that had to go as I told him if that tree falls, I was worried about either my neighbors kids being killed and it taking out my neighbors trees. He gave me a quote of $1000 for just the one dead tree, which seemed reasonable to me as it was a giant oak and would take some time to bring it down. I had some other smaller work that needed to eventually be done but wasn't a priority. So I asked him for another estimate to include a smaller tree, the top of another big tree and to trim some branches on another. For everything it was $1900. I decided to get it all done at once. The deal was also to leave the trees on the ground (my neighbor made another deal with him to move the cut trees to his property but that was his deal not mine). **** said he would call the following week to schedule me for the week after that. Instead, **** called two weeks later and left me a message saying they would be over in the morning, leaving me with little advanced notice.I'm supervising in the morning and everything is going smooth. I buy the guys lunch and drinks to show my appreciation. I'm sitting in my office when I heard them cutting in the back after their lunch break. I turn to look and the head guy is starting to cut my $1000 tree from the bottom instead of taking it down from the top. I run outside but by the time I get outside the tree comes down and destroys several of my neighbors trees. Clearly upset, I asked the guy why he did this. He said the tree was rotten and it was unsafe for him to climb it. He showed me how he could tell by banging a brick on it and it sounding hollow. I said ok that's fine, your safety comes first, but why didn't you come talk to me? The only person who can make the decision to just drop a tree and destroy other trees in the process is the homeowner. He said he tried to call **** but he didn't answer. Then he proceeded to tell me some of the damaged trees were junk trees anyways. I called my neighbor (who could *** me if he wanted to), told him what had happened, apologized and asked them to clean up the mess. They cleaned up most of it but left some of the trunks of the trees they destroyed.I later called **** and complained. I said first off, I paid you $1000 for your guys to cut that tree from the top down. You didn't charge me $1000 for a 2 minute cut that I could have easily done myself for the same end results. Secondly, you knew I hired your company to prevent that dead tree from destroying my neighbors trees. I clearly stated that to you. He said his worker called and said I gave them permission. I don't even know what that means but I never gave ANYONE permission to drop that tree and destroy other trees around it. The head guy who cut the tree told me they couldn't even get IN CONTACT with ****. Clearly, **** was lying and trying to cover his ****. That was lie #1. **** also denied he even gave me the $1000 estimate for the one tree and said he gave me only the $1900 estimate for the whole job - insinuating that they had planned for that tree to be a one cut job? Lie #2. Besides the fact he knew not to destroy the other trees, to back this up even further, **** did more work for my neighbor for $1000 than he did for my other trees for $900. If you are going to lie, at least make it somewhat believable.**** took no responsibility. I told him I wasn't angry. I just wanted him to make it right for me and my neighbor. **** did offer to pay me back the money I spent for the food and drink for his hard working guys. I was taken aback to even hear him suggest that. I said absolutely not. They worked hard and they earned that. This ultimately was your failure for not being available to your team and for not supervising the job. I haven't heard from him since.I also found out that another neighbor, who also got an estimate from **** but decided to go with another company, received a phone call from **** saying they were coming over in the morning. He confused my property with their property. And when I had called **** to complain, giving him my name, he was confused who I was and what property I was at. It's possible that **** is not lying but instead has a severe case of dementia. I'm not sure which one it is but either way it's bad news for whoever chooses this company.If you hire this company, make sure you get EVERYTHING IN WRITING, STEP BY STEP, DEMAND THAT **** BE THERE TO SUPERVISE, MAKE SURE YOU ARE THERE TO SUPERVISE AND CROSS YOUR FINGERS THINGS GO RIGHT. If you can't do that, go with another company. If mistakes are made, it's clear **** doesn't care.