What do ya'll think of this?? merged twice

[Timberhauler]

There is another guy down the road from me that has been doing a little tree work on the side.He used to work for me,but I fired him last summer.He shows up at my house a few weeks back and asks me if I would be interested in going in with him on a job.I only did this to help him out a little,he's a real nice guy and a hard worker.He told me that he had already bid this job,and the next morning he went and showed it to me...First off,he had seriously overpriced it...Well,he asked me to call this guy and confirm a date as to when we could start,so I called him,and boy did I get an ear full....He told me that Bryden,the guy mentioned here had given him a price,they agreed on it,but he wanted to see his proof of insurance..He said that Bryden never produced it,but assured him he was insured.He also said that Bryden showed up one afternoon while he was at work to start on the job without his approval,and that he had just happened to come home early to find them starting this job....He told me that he then told Bryden to give him the name and phone# of his insurance company and that he gave him the name and number of an insurance company,but this company didn't even know who Bryden was..So needless to say he made him leave his yard....So Bryden had drug me into this knowing I had insurance and think he was still on good terms with the guy,even after he lied to him,and to me as well...Bryden also told me that there was no danger in this job,and the trees weren't a threat to anything.Well,two were over a house and another was over a three phase power line.No removals,just limb trimming,but big limbs,and the one over the power line was going to be an extremely difficult climb..The guy told me he didn't want Bryden back on his property,but asked me if I would give him a price on the job.I hate to feel like I'm steeling work from someone.So what would some of you guys do?I was glad that he didn't hold anything against me.I gave him a price,but feel kinda bad about taking someone's work.

 

[nytreeman]

I wouldnt feel bad under the circumstances,he lied to the homeowner and to you. Pretending to have insurance and not is fraud isnt it? Im have to go to my agent pay my liability renewal today.Sucks to spend a fortune on insurance but in this business its a foolish move not to have it and many wont even let you on the job without a certificate.If he had been upfront with you about why he wanted your help that would be different but to BS you into helping so your insurance would cover it?take the job

 

[clearance]

The guy lied, its over right there. Anyways, are you allowed to work around high voltage? I mean big limbs over a three phase and all...?

 

[OTG BOSTON]

hey TH

You are being way too nice.

I've got a business got a business proposition if you're interested:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Timberhauler]

The guy lied, its over right there. Anyways, are you allowed to work around high voltage? I mean big limbs over a three phase and all...?

Eventually the power company would have probably sent a crew through to clear those lines,but down here,they flat butcher trees and climb everything with spikes when there is no bucket access like there was here...He want's it done before they do it....So if the homeowner is paying,yeah I can work around them..

You are being way too nice.

I've got a business got a business proposition if you're interested:hmm3grin2orange:

OK sure...But it's gonna cost ya'......

 

[clearance]

Eventually the power company would have probably sent a crew through to clear those lines,but down here,they flat butcher trees and climb everything with spikes when there is no bucket access like there was here...He want's it done before they do it....So if the homeowner is paying,yeah I can work around them..

Are you qualified to work aroung power, and if so, what sort of training do you have? I climb everything with spurs, thing is here, only guys who are trained and have the certificate can work around power, if you are not trained, you can only watch, or drag brush. Three phase is usually up around 25kv, no second chance.

 

[Timberhauler]

One of my guys is an ISA certified arborist and utility specialist..We only use spikes on trees that we are removing...But we all work all around powerlines all the time.I'm not sure there is a requirement of being certified,but there are big consequences if you screw up

 

[clearance]

One of my guys is an ISA certified arborist and utility specialist..We only use spikes on trees that we are removing...But we all work all around powerlines all the time.I'm not sure there is a requirement of being certified,but there are big consequences if you screw up

In other words, no. ISA utility specialist, what a joke, better than nothing I guess. I wear spurs because it is safer, when I am personally 4ft. from a 25kv line I want to stay planted to the tree while I do my work. Here utility work is very regulated, what you describe sounds bad, would never fly here.

 

[ddhlakebound]

In other words, no. ISA utility specialist, what a joke, better than nothing I guess. I wear spurs because it is safer, when I am personally 4ft. from a 25kv line I want to stay planted to the tree while I do my work. Here utility work is very regulated, what you describe sounds bad, would never fly here.

Clearance, from what I've heard from you, your'e absolutley right. There are lots of VERY questionable practices going on (around here anyway). No training is required, a fellow just has to be able to BS his way into a job, then do the job. (Not do the job well, just do the job.) Lots of new people may work a month or two before they ever hear not to be near or touching the bucket truck with the boom in the air. Pretty much it all depends on the foreman and GF the new guys get sent out with. Some are good, qualified through experience, and safe. Some are downright dangerous, and if a new guy can't recognize that danger on his own, its multiplied through his ignorance.

I know you dislike the ISA, but the most qualified foremen I worked with were ISA CUA's. I'm not claiming that means anything, just that they were the most safe/capable I worked with.

Becoming a line clearance trimmer here (not including transmission lines) is easy. All you have to do is convince someone to hire you, and in a few weeks you'll be 5' from a 7kv line, trimming away. BC's system sounds much safer and more thorough.

 

[ddhlakebound]

Sorry for the derail.....

TH, I'd do the job too, but I'd tell the guy the homeowner asked you to do it, and maybe kick him a finders fee. Maybe, depending on his attitude. He's the one who screwed himself in the first place, It's not your fault the owner won't allow him back.

I hope you priced it a little higher than before, even if you felt it was overbid. The guy knows now he's getting a legitemately insured guy, who the original guy wanted to bring in to help. He probably expected your bid to be higher. And you've had the hassle of being the middleman in their screwed up deal.

 

[Timberhauler]

These particular limbs would were not so close that I would have been that close to the lines...Probably about 10 feet away...But earlier this week I pruned a tree that had a service line going directly through the canopy of the tree..I actually had to step over it several times...I guess I'd rather not wear spikes when working near powerlines.

 

[clearance]

Well,two were over a house and another was over a three phase power line.No removals,just limb trimming,but big limbs,and the one over the power line was going to be an extremely difficult climb.

So, now you say the branches are 10 feet away, why did you say it is "an extemely difficult climb" in your first post? Big difference between service lines to a house and high voltage distribution lines. DDHLake-here CUA means certified utility arborist, it is a recognized trade (like carpenter, or mechanic), it is pretty hard to get. It takes a couple of years of actually working close to the power, and testing by the province and the utility. From what I understand the ISA utility specialist thing is no big deal at all to get, rather innapropriate for the dangers the job entails. It carries no wieght here at all.

 

[Timberhauler]

The distance the limbs are away from the wires doesn't make a difference as to how difficult the climb is.The limbs are still close enough to hit the wires if not cut and roped properly..I said that I recently pruned a tree with a service line running through it....This job mentioned in the first post with the three phase line is an altogether different one.

 

[jmack]

tell your buddy straight out and kick him down some change after the job, set a price and give it to him for the next one, oh and i aint touching the power line issue

 

[adam]

F**k him, lying sack of sh*t. Do the job..... It's uninsured pricks like him that give the rest of us a bad name.

end of story.

 

[Timberhauler]

I wonder about this guy

This is the same guy I talked about a week or so ago in the thread I wrote titled "What do ya'll think of this"...My neighbor had a huge white oak tree that was dying,and he wanted it down.The tree 52 inches at the stump where I made the falling cut,but it wasn't difficult to get down.I've cut nearly 20 trees down for him,and I always just do the job for whatever expense I have involved.He called me a month ago wanting me to do this,and I was backed up,and still am.So he calls two weeks ago,I was still backed up.

 

[Timberhauler]

I wonder about this guy

This is the same guy I talked about a week or so ago in the thread I wrote titled "What do ya'll think of this"...My neighbor had a huge white oak tree that was dying,and he wanted it down.The tree 52 inches at the stump where I made the falling cut,but it wasn't difficult to get down.I've cut nearly 20 trees down for him,and I always just do the job for whatever expense I have involved.He called me a month ago wanting me to do this,and I was backed up,and still am.So he calls two weeks ago,I was still backed up.This weekend,I brought my Cat skid steer home,so I called him and asked if he wanted me to go ahead and knock it out.I told him I would do it Monday morning,and he was telling me that he had had several other quotes,and he mentioned Bryden's name.He never gave any of them the go ahead to do it,he only called them in case I couldn't get there within another month or so...Well,Doug(one of my employee's) and I drove over there on the loader Monday morning to do it,and there sits Bryden.He told me that Ken,my neighbor,had told him to cut this tree down whenever he wanted and that they had agreed on a price...Well,Ken comes out and says he never gave him the go ahead,he only told him he would call him if he needed him.This makes the third time that I have seen that Bryden shows up to do a job without the customers approval.

 

[Timberhauler]

To mention,Bryden's price was 1,000 bucks to take out the tree and the trunk....I quoted Ken 500 bucks to do the same thing long before he called anyone else.He was just price shopping in case I wasn't able to get it done.I wouldn't have done the job this cheap for just anyone,but he and I do alot of trading here and there...He's in the car detailing and painting business,and every other week,he used to detail my wife's patrol car,plus he's painted countless things for me,and once a month,he details my wife's Chevy Trail Blazer..I hated I could not get right on this tree,but he understood...As I said,this is the third time I've seen Bryden try and show up and do a job without the customer's approval..He swore Ken told him to go ahead with the job,but Ken says different,and Ken's never gave me a reason not to believe him.Even though I only quoted the tree at 500 bucks,the log fetched 500,so I came out OK.It took us four hours to get it done.We left the brush.

 

[ropensaddle]

Happened to me twice but did not know the service
that did it. As customer said they forgot their name I
was left wondering if customer told truth or actually
happened. I told customer that I would not pay if no
permission was granted and left. These guys need to
spanked and sent packing without pay.

 

[B-Edwards]

From the outside looking in it sounds like Bryden is trouble and a liar, I'd have to tell or show him to stay away from me and I think the sooner the better for you.
Good luck ,it looks like your trying to be a nice guy but if hes lieing all the time,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,