Here's an odd WWYD?

[Kitty 34]

Something to consider ... when I was a kid and we moved from one house to the next, we left behind the tree in the back yard that we'd planted when we moved in. Obviously, we couldn't take the tree with us, but we had all those photos of us with the tree, etc. ... just like you. So it was sad to leave that part behind.

We ended up going to our favorite local park and "adopting" a tree there. We took a photo of us kids holding a photo of our old tree (corny, I know ... it was the 70s ...) and made that the official old-tree-to-new-tree "transfer" photo. And then, every year, we took a photo of us all under our adopted tree. We haven't updated that photo in years, as none of us live near that park any more, but the park is still there, as is our adopted tree (we can even find it on GoogleEarth!).

What a neat story. Thank you for sharing it.

 

[scrapquitler]

Hi guys
Even tho I still miss my oak, I figured it just wasn't worth fighting this guy. He's not going to charge us for their service...good thing and we just called it even.

Please be sure to get this in writing with his signature on it. If you don't, he could send you to collections or put a lien on your property for nonpayment sometime in the future (not that I think he would, but if he is unscrupulous, you never know).

 

[FayeW]

But wasn't the only service he provided the removal of the ONE tree that you wanted to stay?? The one that you said "if you can't remove this dead tree without causing damage to this oak tree, then don't remove it all"?? The tree that will cost hundreds of dollars to replace???

Why are you letting him get away with causing hundreds of dollars of damage to your property and falling for his "but I won't charge you for it" line???

I don't get it. The guy trespassed on your property. He did not have either a contract or your permission. Why aren't you standing up for yourself?

 

[Lorelei Lee]

But wasn't the only service he provided the removal of the ONE tree that you wanted to stay?? The one that you said "if you can't remove this dead tree without causing damage to this oak tree, then don't remove it all"?? The tree that will cost hundreds of dollars to replace???

Why are you letting him get away with causing hundreds of dollars of damage to your property and falling for his "but I won't charge you for it" line???

I don't get it. The guy trespassed on your property. He did not have either a contract or your permission. Why aren't you standing up for yourself?

Because it's a legal gamble. It's a credibility issue. It comes down to "he said, she said." And while we all believe what the OP said, it's a pain in the neck to have to go to court and prove it. Not worth the time or money from the OP's perspective.

 

[timmac]

Because it's a legal gamble. It's a credibility issue. It comes down to "he said, she said." And while we all believe what the OP said, it's a pain in the neck to have to go to court and prove it. Not worth the time or money from the OP's perspective.

This.

If the value of the baby oak really was only on the order of about $300, that may not be that huge a sum of money (everyone's financial situation is different of course).

I get the notion that what happened was wrong, and though it may feel like they are "letting him get away with it", sometimes going through all the necessary channels and processes that would be required can be expensive and time consuming, not to mention there is no guarantee of success. Even a visit to small claims court would mean a day off work for one or both of them.. maybe a second day if a consultation with a lawyer was needed or if forms had to be submitted in person, or anything like that.

Consider the cost of missing a day of work (or two), or the equivalent value of one day vacation time. Now compare that to the approximate value of a settlement from all of this; to say nothing of time involved with being on the phone and trying to get things in order to actually pursue it. Much as I hate letting someone get away with something, it's stupid to cut off one's nose just to spite their face.

And even all of that doesn't take into account the emotional aspects and frustrations of dealing with the issue. Sounds like OP has decided it's just move on, nothing wrong with that.

 

[sbtrfly74]

The least that needs to be done if no other action is going to be taken is please post on review websites. You dont seem very familiar with them but take the time to write a few reviews or he will do this again to someone else that will fall for it.