Scam Tree Service

Closed Thread
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 03-18-2019, 11:02 AM
Ottop Ottop is offline
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 4
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Angry Scam Tree Service

My mother was approached by a man that said her palm tree had termites and she allowed him to take it down. He was to come back and take out the stump, replace with a new tree and also agreed to spray her home of mold. She paid him by check (actually made payable to Stephanie Reed), gave her a handwritten invoice with no name, phone number, nothing. This was back in January. He said he would be back in March and, of course, no sign of him. I am trying to find out if anyone else remembers someone coming around to prey on the elderly in The Villages. Unfortunately this will be a lesson learned for my mother who is 89 and lives by herself. With The Villages being a gated community, it would seem that there would be some protection for the residence. We will be moving her out soon.

Last edited by Ottop; 03-18-2019 at 11:07 AM.
  #2  
Old 03-18-2019, 11:13 AM
retiredguy123 retiredguy123 is offline
Sage
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 13,953
Thanks: 2,275
Thanked 13,419 Times in 5,109 Posts
Default

The guy named Reed has been doing that for a while. He has charged some people as much as $1200 to remove a small palm tree. I really don't think it should cost anywhere near that much, and I don't think termites in a palm tree pose much danger to the house.
  #3  
Old 03-18-2019, 01:10 PM
BoatRatKat BoatRatKat is offline
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 260
Thanks: 16
Thanked 196 Times in 70 Posts
Default

Sadly, it does happen around here. The gates offer no protection from these scammers that prey on the elderly as we're not a truly "gated" community. I'm sorry your mom and you had to go through that.
  #4  
Old 03-18-2019, 02:21 PM
villagerjack villagerjack is offline
Gold member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,360
Thanks: 115
Thanked 133 Times in 62 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ottop View Post
My mother was approached by a man that said her palm tree had termites and she allowed him to take it down. He was to come back and take out the stump, replace with a new tree and also agreed to spray her home of mold. She paid him by check (actually made payable to Stephanie Reed), gave her a handwritten invoice with no name, phone number, nothing. This was back in January. He said he would be back in March and, of course, no sign of him. I am trying to find out if anyone else remembers someone coming around to prey on the elderly in The Villages. Unfortunately this will be a lesson learned for my mother who is 89 and lives by herself. With The Villages being a gated community, it would seem that there would be some protection for the residence. We will be moving her out soon.

It is easy to place the blame somewhere else if it makes one feel better but at 89 perhaps she should have been watched more closely by family members. Shame we have dishonest contractors but they are everywhere.
  #5  
Old 03-18-2019, 03:44 PM
Ottop Ottop is offline
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 4
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

Thank you for letting me know that this guy has been around. Would like to find him if anyone knows of his whereabouts.
  #6  
Old 03-18-2019, 03:49 PM
villagetinker's Avatar
villagetinker villagetinker is online now
Sage
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Village of Pinellas
Posts: 9,587
Thanks: 2
Thanked 5,996 Times in 2,197 Posts
Default

OP, this is NOT a gated community, it is a community with gates. ALL of the roads (except for villa areas) are COUNTY roads, and anyone can come in, just use the RED botton. The gates are traffic control devices NOT villages access control devices.
__________________
Pennsylvania, for 60+ years, most recently, Allentown, now TV.
  #7  
Old 03-18-2019, 03:49 PM
Ottop Ottop is offline
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 4
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

I don’t feel better about this at all. I want to find this guy and we are in the process of moving her home to be able to watch out for her closely.
  #8  
Old 03-18-2019, 03:55 PM
retiredguy123 retiredguy123 is offline
Sage
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 13,953
Thanks: 2,275
Thanked 13,419 Times in 5,109 Posts
Default

I know that the guy has worked in the area near the Silver Lake rec center and on Richard Drive. I think he drives a red or black pickup truck. Not sure. Good luck.
  #9  
Old 03-19-2019, 07:23 AM
Ottop Ottop is offline
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 4
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

Thank you.
  #10  
Old 03-19-2019, 07:33 AM
photo1902 photo1902 is offline
Sage
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 3,223
Thanks: 1,607
Thanked 1,742 Times in 703 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ottop View Post
I don’t feel better about this at all. I want to find this guy and we are in the process of moving her home to be able to watch out for her closely.
Google the female's name. Not sure if its the same person, but there is an address here in The Villages.
  #11  
Old 03-19-2019, 07:48 AM
ColdNoMore ColdNoMore is offline
Sage
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Between 466 & 466A
Posts: 10,509
Thanks: 82
Thanked 1,507 Times in 677 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by villagetinker View Post
OP, this is NOT a gated community, it is a community with gates. ALL of the roads (except for villa areas) are COUNTY roads, and anyone can come in, just use the RED botton. The gates are traffic control devices NOT villages access control devices.
Yep.

Anyone who believes that our "gates" provides some type of enhanced security...is woefully misinformed.
  #12  
Old 03-19-2019, 10:46 AM
Topspinmo's Avatar
Topspinmo Topspinmo is offline
Sage
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow
Posts: 12,166
Thanks: 6,271
Thanked 4,845 Times in 2,404 Posts
Default

I used wise tree service out of wildwood coupe years ago. they charged me $275 and was large Queen palm. They done the work, cleaned up, and was going in about hour. Very satisfied. I never hire people to come to my door, until I have reviewed who they are. If I can’t find nothing I do call them back. IMO they can’t get palm root bulb out with digging 10 foot hole 10 foot wide and crane, it’s too big, they cut if off below ground level.
Closed Thread

Tags
back, tree, villages, mother, prey
Thread Tools

You are viewing a new design of the TOTV site. Click here to revert to the old version.

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:48 PM.