Key Points:
* Poor communication and lack of transparency…read more * Work performed without notifying the homeowner
* Failure to follow agreed-upon instructions
* Left property damaged and cluttered
* Unclear and inconsistent payment practices
Need to be micromanaged
Review:
I had a very disappointing experience with Appalachian Tree Co. that I feel others should be aware of before hiring them.
I had a large tree on my property and that leaned over into my neighbors yard. My neighbor asked me if I would mind removing it and we agreed to split the cost of removal. We both gathered quotes from multiple companies, and all prices were comparable. Since my neighbor was paying half, I agreed to go with the company he suggested--Appalachian Tree Co.
I contacted Jessie, the owners son, to get a quote on a second tree entirely on my property. I signed documents for both trees, and Jessie said he would schedule the work and get back to me with a date. A week and a half passed with no update. When I mentioned this to my neighbor, he told me Jessie had already called him and scheduled the work for December 16th. That was a red flag, but I initially assumed it was just an oversight.
The morning of the job, the crew arrived early. I was never notified they had arrived even though the trees were in my yard. Instead, they contacted my neighbor by knocking on his door. My neighbor began texting me, suggesting I come outside to watch them to make sure they were doing what I wanted. I was working from home and in meetings, which made that difficult. He stood out back while they worked.
Part of our agreement was that I wanted smaller wood left for firewood and the wood chips spread neatly in a flower bed, with the yard cleaned up of wood chips and saw dust. During a short break, I spoke with Jessie, who showed me a small pile of wood set aside. I asked for more and agreed to pay him extra cash on the side to cut some of the larger pieces down to usable sizes. We agreed on an amount and I gave clear instructions on where to place the wood.
About 40 minutes later, Jessie called and asked me to come outside. I stepped out of my meeting just as the last truck was pulling away. My yard was a mess, divots in the lawn, debris everywhere and my driveway was blocked by massive, uncut tree trunks. This was not what we agreed to. When I pointed this out, Jessie said his crew had already left and there was nothing he could do.
I asked him to take the wood with him since it was blocking my driveway and I had no way to move or use it. He refused, again saying his crew had left. I even asked how much it would cost to remove it, and suddenly they could be removed for $200 extra. I asked if he expected that price plus the cost to cut the trees into usable pieces as we agreed and he said yes. My wife and I agreed we weren't going to pay extra just to fix a problem they created. I attempted to pay for the agreed-upon tree removal and would give him $150 to take the big tree stumps but Jessie told me to call the office for payment and also they wouldn't take the tree stumps or help me move them out of my driveway. He became visibly upset, got in his car, and left.
I was left apologizing to my neighbors for the damage and mess in my yard, something no homeowner should have to deal with after paying for a professional service.
To make matters worse, when I called to pay, I was told there would be a 3% fee for paying by credit card, something that was never disclosed in writing. That fee would have been nearly $100. I asked about Zelle and debit card payments; same 3% fee. I then offered to pay by check and was told I'd need to personally meet the owner to hand it to him. After pushing back, they finally agreed to waive the 3% fee for a debit card.
Even then, my bank called me because Appalachian Tree Co. attempted to charge my card multiple times, triggering fraud alerts. I had to confirm one charge was legitimate and block the others.
Overall, this experience showed a serious lack of communication, professionalism, and accountability. I cannot recommend Appalachian Tree Co. based on how this job was handled from start to finish.
Attached are pictures of my back yard after the tree was cut down. My neighbor stood guard and made sure they did that job correctly vs my front yard.
Update. After this review Jessie texted me December 18th and agreed to come make things right by fixing the divots in my yard and removing the mounds of sawdust. Unfortunately as of today he never followed through and I ended up fixing my yard myself
