trees you wish you never got involved with

[treeman82]

In light of some of my more recent jobs, and some of the recent discussions, I figured that I would ask you all about trees that you wish you had never gone up in, or bid on, or what have you.

For myself, I have several in mind for myself. Let's hear some stories.

 

[Stumper]

There have been some for sure. I've tried to put them out of my mind.

 

[MasterBlaster]

For me, it ain't the tree so much. It's more like the jobs I wish I hadn't gotten involved with.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

I have a tree which I havent taken on that I know if I do I will regret it.
Firstly the lowest price yet has been $16,000 to remove
Montery pine, DBH of about 5 to 6 foot. The tree is huge. Its on a STEEP slope about 100foot above a house. The slope is pretty loose made up of a few mm's of topsoil and the rest is loose rock and crap dirt.
I dont know how the tree has done so well as very little else grow up there, no anchor points aside from the tree itself. If anything comes loose in the tree it will make speed down the hill and bust up the house. Slope is so steep you have to crawl up it and its loose.
The house itself has only a very narrow access with lots of corners. No parking infront of the house, no room for crane unless you close down the road, and its a waterfront property.
Helicopter is the only way but theres nowhere to set the stuff down.
Gets tempting when the work is low.....good winter project for the insane.
its waiting for any of you that want it, hope your insurance is good!

 

[Reed]

Timber, how much is the house worth?

I'll do it. Just 'upped' my insurance. I trust you to bid, I'll fly down and we'll bang her down.

 

[a_lopa]

post some pics timber $ like that ill make the trip got 20 mill insurance give you 10%show me the money

 

[Dadatwins]

Originally posted by MasterBlaster
For me, it ain't the tree so much. It's more like the jobs I wish I hadn't gotten involved with.

Same here, including some customers that almost got chipped with the brush.<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_9_134.gif' border=0></a>

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Ya ever offer one your belt to just run up thar one more time and take care of that 5th extra thang; that is so easy?

Generally changes the tone of conversation, as you laugh and shrug shoulders; allowing your prey their easy way out; to shrug it off too.

Especially after preaching that less is more as further pacification inlaid.

i've had jobs that i wish i didn't get involved with cuz of who i was working for/with tree company wise. And had harder time collecting from same, than homeowners etc.

The toughest of trees, i learned and exercised the most from.

The toughest of people (that i wasn't 'using' to push my skills further); have just ticked me off! Learned to try to site them out and leave or control earlier, and exercised my patience as pennance fer not sensing to leave'em alone in the first place! Earplugs serve health in many ways.


Orrrrrrr something like that,
:alien:

 

[NeTree]

I've had a couple I wish i hadn't bid on at all.

I've also had a couple I underbid- too busy checking out the Missus...
Sounds familiar, eh Tim K.?

 

[OutOnaLimb]

Last week I agreed to sub out a removal of a huge cottonwood that had 3 main leaders coming out at about BH. Every thing was over the house and the deck and the two smaller leaders were going out over the neighbors properties to the west and north. It would have taken me at least a week to climb but we had a Genie lift rented for some dead cotton woods in the same neighborhood so the contractor rented it for another two days and we used the lift. That was the biggest and most technical removal I have ever done and the total price for that job was $1,700. It was fun, to bad the knucklehead low balled the bid as usuall.

Kenn:Monkey:

 

[Dadatwins]

Had one customer hire me to trim a spruce in from of the house. Only about 40' tall. Explained the only thing I could do with was raise it up a little so it was not hitting the ground ,limbs were all the way down trunk. After I raised is up and loaded brush on dump truck she decided she wants top reduced so she can see out upstairs window. Pretty much wanted the tree cut in half. Told customer no can't do it. Lady says fine she is not paying me for work I had done and goes in the house and slams the door. Not being in the mood to argue with her and having only spent an hour there myself, I backed truck into driveway hit dump lever and drove away leaving pile of brush behind car in driveway. Never heard from them again. Thankfully. Brush was gone a few days later and tree was never touched again.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

i've done similar; i'd watch that dumping after loading; could be a hangnail there that could hurt.

One guy tried to pay me almost a year after screaming and thowing a fit in this neighbor hood he had just moved into that i had done the house next to his property in all 8 positions of the star, 2 of which were owned by the association president that i got tons of werk from.

i really din't want his freaking money, told him to go please; he started screaming that he was a heart patient, causing a ruckus again as i was working another property. Cussing me. He was going to throw money in the truck, i was an sob etc. i teld him when they came i'd say that i thought he was trying to steal the truck. Sunk in within about 3 steps; he had always told me how bad he was, how he took care of stuff, wars and bars. The thick bulldawg with the huge horseshoe crease in his forehead above screaming face veered towards the house on a slow, quiet arc.

Peace was had once more. By then, folx around already knew about him, wasn't as awkward as when he first went off.

 

[rborist1]

:Eye: