POS Outfit In My Area

B

BoulderHill1177

Location
Bergen County, NJ
So were on a job today, removing downed trees from Sandy, and 1 dead Maple that was still standing, but in the later stages of decay. This town requires a tree removal permit. I had left the job to dump the chip truck, and I get a call from my climber telling me that the police were there wanting to see a tree removal permit for the job. I had the permit on me. I got back to the job 35 min later, and I find out the officer had told my crew to stop all work, and all cleanup. That was almost 40min of lost work time! I got back to the job, showed the officer the permit, and walked him around the job to show him what we were doing. He told me that another treee service in the area had called the town on us. After speaking with the homeowner, it turns out it was the company that had lost the job to us. Now, this is my second season running my own company. The outfit that lost the job to me has been around for over 20 years. I know who they are, and I know what type of A Hole the owner is. It just blows my mind that a company that is around a heck of a lot longer than me, needs to resort to this kind of stuff. Just thought I would see if anyone else has run into a similar situation, and if you did anything about it.
 
I've never run into this with tree work (since I'm only exploring the industry at the moment), but I've had someone call the state licensing board on me while I was doing electrical work at a particular location. The state sent out one of their inspectors to attempt to bust me working without a license and permit (I had both.) I suspect it was the same kind of situation - someone had "sour grapes" about not getting the job I was doing and called the licensing board.
 
I had another local company (the only game in town for 30 years whose prices have had to go down by a factor of 4 since competition has sprung up i.e. they were bidding a removal that should be around $1000 for $4000) tell a prospective client that I wasn't licensed, insured or a certified arborist. When I came out to do the bid she told me she had already "made a decision on the tree" and didn't need my bid. I politely asked why and she informed me of what the other company had told her about me. Thankfully, I carry my insurance and licensing information with me and she changed her mind.
 
Boulderhill,
Not sure of other cities but most here require the permit to be displayed in a window or onsite somewhere. I understand that may not have been easy in your storm-ridden area, to find a good location to display it that is. And I'm not here to say nanny nanny boo boo. But it may have saved you a little headache had it been posted. The A-Hole who did that to you was jealous and was looking for any reason to make you sorry. It sounds like he can't beat you solely on quality and affordability so he has to resort this. I hope you take every job you compete with him on.

Surprised the cops were called...never seen that. Was that because it was a storm-damaged area?
 
Agreed. I should have posted it on the jobsite. But I had alot going on and when I went to dump I realized it was in my pocket. My fault entirely. This town requires a tree removal permit for any tree that is standing or leaning. We had removed 2 uprooted trees that morning that were on the ground and were about to take down the one dead Maple that was still standing when this happened. The previous weekend, a golfer was killed at this towns country club when he wandered into someones backyard to retrieve his golfball. There was a crew doing tree work there on a Sunday, with no permit and no license. A limb was being cut and the golfer walked right underneath it. He was killed. I am sure the cop being sent had alot to do with that.
 
Wow, that's too bad about the golfer. It's amazing how heightened our senses become doing this work. I hear the slightest cracking of a branch and I'm running and ducking for cover. And a lot faster when i hear a chainsaw aloft. Most gofers are trying to be covert while retrieving their "out of bounds" ball from someone's yard because they're trespassing. That probably played a part with the crew not seeing him and with him not paying proper attention...
 
It's funny how hard we fight each other to bust our backs and make a meager living. You'd think we hit the mother load.

I got a campus that turned into a good client my first year. Another service had bid a 20 tree removal job the previous year. The client never called them back. The day before I began they showed up and had taken down half the trees on my order.

The next morning I show up and the staff are all wide eyed and asking what the other guys are doing. They would of been run off for tresspassing but they weren't sure if these guys weren't subbing for me or something. I go to work and the poachers show up again and we're both working away til they get shut down. On their way driving out under my tree I should of rained them with branches but I just yelled "your cuttin' my grass" and have found them comical ever since. The saga continues.
 
So they are POS because YOU got your permit checked ?
After that happened the week before, a guy got killed ? And your surprised the cops showed up to check the permit... sounds like this was squarley on you, and your just pissed.

If it was me, in the same situation, I was the other copmpany, and you were the unknown, 2 seasons,sorry thats still pretty unknown, I would have had your permit checked as well, and thought nothing of it.
If you dont got the goods you dont deserve to do the work, you cant get pissed about having to show a permit, not when you should have had is displayed.
Take resposibility for your own mistake and actions, and dont try to blame it on others.
The other guys did NOTHING wrong, you did.
 
You sound like another winner. I admitted not having the permit displayed on the window was my fault because I had it on me when I left the job. I had no problem having the cop check my permit because I had one for the job. My issue is with the other outfit calling the police because they lost the job and can't face the fact that there number was too high. The homeowner told me that the other company had called him the day before we started the job to lower their price. He told them that he had already signed a contract with another company (me), and that they were starting the next day. One of their guys was working up the block from us, saw who we were and called the cops. That is a bull sh--move. It was only done do aggrevate us and slow the job down. I do not go around calling the police on every job that I loose to another tree service to have their permit checked. A majority of the other well respected tree companies in my area do not either. I have done many jobs in this town since I started my company. I do everything by the book, and admit when I make a mistake. The officer was so aggrivated at the fact that the other outfit had called and (tattled on us) as he put it.. He told me me he was going to make it a very bad day for them.
 
Sounds like the start of a beautiful relationship.
love.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Agreed. I should have posted it on the jobsite. But I had alot going on and when I went to dump I realized it was in my pocket. My fault entirely. This town requires a tree removal permit for any tree that is standing or leaning. We had removed 2 uprooted trees that morning that were on the ground and were about to take down the one dead Maple that was still standing when this happened. The previous weekend, a golfer was killed at this towns country club when he wandered into someones backyard to retrieve his golfball. There was a crew doing tree work there on a Sunday, with no permit and no license. A limb was being cut and the golfer walked right underneath it. He was killed. I am sure the cop being sent had alot to do with that.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yo Grais,
Did you just skip reading this so you could rant on him?
The "my fault entirely" kinda sorta sounds like he's admitting something.
Do ya think?
 
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