After tornadoes tore through CT this week, many people were calling tree removal services to help clean up fallen trees due to the storm – not due to tree excavators. Recently, a customer named Kimberly in Hamden had a neighbor who had a tree cutting service that went horribly wrong. The excavator that the neighbor thought had the safety and experience to handle the proper landing of one tree, accidentally had a bulldozer knock the tree into the Kimberly’s fence. To make things worse, the damage caused $7,000 of damage to Kimberly’s property – which the company refused to cover the costs.

The contractor was attempting to remove a tree from their neighbors lawn, when the huge tree came crashing down onto their fence. Back in May, Kimberly had damage to her Hamden property that tore down trees. But, that was due to mother nature and not a faulty contractor. The contractor from Branford made it seem like he wanted to fix the issue and would pay cash for damages, only to find out later on that Kimberly’s calls to the company were never returned. The contractor from Massey Bros. Excavating LLC, David Massey, assured Kimberly that the damages would be covered. David was not true to his word, and Consumer investigators knocked on his door – which he never answered. Kimberly then went through her insurance company and will get a check for $4,400 minus the 1,000 deductible. This is still not enough to cover the entire amount of property damage caused by the fallen tree.

How to Avoid Dealing With a Bad Contractor

First, when you are in need of tree service, you need to hire a qualified Hamden tree removal expert and not an excavator. Before hiring a tree contractor, there are certain signs that should tell you whether you are dealing with a reliable company or not. Consumer investigators are investigating this case, and trying to make customers aware of a bad contractor.

Here are Some Ways to Handle Dealing with a Contractor:

• You were asked to pay cash upfront
• There is no agreement in writing
• File a claim with contractor who caused damage

If the company asks for cash upfront, that is a sign that you may be encountering a scam. You should never give cash upfront; only when the job is completed to your satisfaction. You should also always have an agreement in writing to what will be done, the payment of the service and if it is covered by insurance. If there is damage, file a claim with the contractor.

To ensure that no one else goes through the same experience that this customer went through, research your contractors and make sure they are reliable and qualified to complete the job. Always make sure they have insurance that will cover any damage on the job. For a reliable tree removing company that is full licensed, insured and finish the job to our customer’s satisfaction – Leave tree removal to the specialists, contact Precision Cutting Services today!

View the video here from NBC news if you have not yet seen it!