Complaint Review: Ron's Tree Service - Rougemont North Carolina

I hired Ron Slaughter of "Ron's Tree Service" of Rougemont, NC, to remove about 35 trees on my property. I had used him before on a small job 3 years ago and was pleased with his expertise. I didn't question his bid and was promised that all debris would be either 1) chipped into mulch, 2)trucked to the lumber mill or, 3) taken to the local landfill. He assured me that he was better than "all the other guys" in the yellow pages and that there would be no illegal dumping around the neighborhood; he guaranteed 100% satisfaction on everything.

The crew of 3 to 4 men started the work the week before Christmas. I became concerned on the first day when it appeared that Ron was rushing the guys and they started running over cultivated plants with their machinery. I spoke with the crew boss and ended up flagging the good plants with white towels. When it came time to remove the pet fence, I told Ron that I would prefer to take it down myself so as to insure it would go back together the same way, but he insisted they would take care of it. And take care of it they did! It was quickly cut apart and thrown into a mixed-up pile, never to be reassembled. Since they were in a big rush I told myself that I'd overlook these small things as long as the house wasn't damaged and the trees were removed safely.

On the morning of their last day Ron informed me that he wanted full payment, even though they wouldn't be able to remove the debris until after Jan.1st because the mill was closed for the holidays. Against my own better judgment I paid him in full, figuring that there was no way I could get ripped off since he was leaving his machinery on the street.

After New Year's his crew showed up as promised and loaded up the log carriers; I thought the job was complete until I walked out to the street and saw 3 large piles of stumps and broken logs piled on our neighbor's lot! So much for no illegal dumping. After getting a complaint from our neighbor - who is preparing to build this spring - I left a message for Ron to call immediately. He didn't respond, so I called again 2 days later, this time asking that he simply call with a time commitment for removal of the trash.

The phone call I finally received left me stunned. Ron refused to address the issue directly and said I had "hurt his feelings" and "wouldn't tolerate having his work criticized." (Excuse me? This is a business transaction and I am far from 100% satisfied with his prima donna performance.) He was sarcastic and abusive; instead of simply giving a commitment to fix the problem he tried everything to divert attention from the real issue, including accusing me of having "trust issues" with contractors. (I wonder why!) He even tried to convince me that they hadn't put that freshly-cut wood on the street and insinuated that I shouldn't complain since his price was so good. He actually hung up on me in mid-sentence. This was totally bizarre as, back in December, I had offered to help promote Ron's business by giving him constant referrals! Go Figure!

I originally thought I would pay someone to clear the lot and send Ron the bill but decided I'd get better results by calling the local "illegal dumping" hotline. The city will demand he comply within 24 hours or they'll press charges and/or impose a fine. At least that's some satisfaction!