Our neighbor was planning to have tree work done and gave us the name of the tree company he…read moreintended to hire, Mike Lyons Tree Service.
We contacted Mr. Lyons and arranged for him to inspect our property and provide an estimate for several tree-trimming projects. He came to our home, walked through the work we wanted completed, and quoted a day rate of $2,500. During that meeting, he explained that after his crew completed work at our neighbor's property, they could trim a few branches on trees near our house while they were already in the area and then return later to complete the remainder of the project. Based on our discussion, we left with the impression that everything was proceeding as planned.
We asked him to send us a written contract or proposal for the work. He agreed, but we never received one, nor did he contact us.
Later, our neighbor told us that Mr. Lyons would be working at his property on the following Tuesday. Since we still had not received the promised contract or heard from him, we called Mr. Lyons that morning to discuss the project. He said he was in the area and would stop by.
About an hour later, while his crew was working next door, Mr. Lyons knocked on our door and informed us that his crew was already trimming trees on our property. This came as a complete surprise because we had never authorized any work, signed a contract, or agreed on the scope or price for that portion of the job.
When I inspected the work with him, I found that approximately 10-15 small-to-medium branches, approximately 1/2-4 inches in diameter, had been removed from a single oak tree. In my opinion, the cuts were not made as cleanly as I expected, and because the bucket truck was already positioned immediately adjacent to our property while working next door, and did not need to be moved, the work appeared to require less than 30 minutes of labor, including hauling the branches to the chipper.
I asked what he intended to charge. He quoted $250 and said he expected payment that day. I asked whether that amount could instead be applied toward the larger project we had previously discussed, but he said it would not.
We then discussed the remaining work, scheduling, and the written contract we had originally requested. Mr. Lyons told us he finalized his schedule on Sundays and would contact us afterward with a contract. That was the last communication we received, and we've heard nothing more from Lyon's Tree Service.
Based on our experience, we were disappointed by several aspects of this transaction. Work began on our property before we had authorized it or signed a contract, the $250 charge for approximately 30 minutes of work seemed disproportionate, particularly since the crew and equipment were already on site working at our neighbor's property, and no additional travel or setup appeared to be required, and the promised follow-up regarding the remainder of the project never occurred. Had Mr. Lyons simply informed us that he was either unable or not inclined to take on the larger job, we would have appreciated the courtesy and honesty. A professional businessman would do this.
Professional communication and clear agreements are essential when hiring a contractor. Unfortunately, we did not experience either in this case, and for that reason we cannot recommend this company.
