Ty’s Tree Service

UPDATE: In addition to the post below, I filed an online complaint with the Better Business Bureau about Ty’s Tree Service. It turns out the BBB can be pretty effective. They printed out my complaint and mailed it to the tree service. I then got a call from someone who said she handles Ty’s billing. She asked how much they owed. I told her $ 105 (too late for the compromise $ 50), and she said she’d pay. She sent me a money order for $ 105, which I have cashed. So case closed.
Beware the fine print of tree service contracts!
After removing a tree from our yard, Ty’s truck driver was about to drive over several of our sprinkler nozzles when our neighbor alerted him and he stopped. He then proceeded to go ahead and drive over them anyway, not only destroying nozzles but severing the PVC pipe underground.
Did I mention the deep ruts he left in the front yard?
Ty had assured us that he was insured, so we weren’t too worried. When I called him to see how he’d like to proceed, he suggested I get the repairs made and then let him know the amount so he could pay directly and avoid submitting a claim to his insurance.
I did that, letting him know that $ 105 of the $ 155 bill from the sprinkler repair guy was the result of damage he called. This time, though, he had a different story and said he would pay nothing. He asked if I had read the contract, which I hadn’t — he never provided one. He insisted he had, and claimed that the contract specifies that he’s not responsible for any damage to the yard in the course of removing any trees.
To make a long story short, he eventually agreed to reimburse me for half the amount — a bit less, actually, $ 50 — which I accepted in the interest of resolving things and moving on. Ty said he’d mail me the check that week but now, more than two weeks later, I’ve seen no check from Ty.
Should you decide to do business with Ty’s Tree Service, you might want to add the cost of repairs to whatever estimate he provides.