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A curious case of a house and a stolen tree from Reddit

Posted on 10/2/26 at 6:21 pm
Posted by LegendInMyMind
Member since Apr 2019
76870 posts
Posted on 10/2/26 at 6:21 pm
I saw this and it kind of pissed me off even though I don't have a dog (or tree) in the fight.

I mean, that tree could have been a problem for those folks in the future, and taking it down probably saved them a ton of money in the long run, but it is their damn tree......they should be the ones to make that call. Just an odd story all around.





quote:

I need some serious help and opinions

My wife and I recently purchased a home in Nampa Idaho. We haven't moved in vet but are slowly getting there, making stops at the house throughout the week.

I just got into town after being gone for THREE DAYS and thought i'd drop off my new lawn mower and found that our Giant, beautiful, healthy, old tree was cut down.

After making a million phone calls to the city, police department (city said to file a report) power company, realtor, previous owners, etc, We have now learned that a large and reputable tree service company in the area received an online service request to have this tree removed from MY PROPERTY. We found out which company, they admitted to it, and said that somebody (Not us authorized them to come onto MY property anc remove this big arse tree from the middle of my vard.... VIA EMAIL. AND... THEY REFUSED TO DISCLOSE WITH MY WIFE THE CONTACT INFORMATION OF THIS PERSON

All I really have to say is what...the...frick...

In what world does a contractor come to your house and provide a service (an expensive service i'd image due to them bring a fricking crane and closing down the road for a few hours) without even speaking to a human or actually meeting the owners of the house in person??

I can't even order fricking door dash without showing them my god damn passport but these guys can come remove a tree because somebody emailed them asking them too:

Previous owner mentioned his tree quy said it was a new type of scam. Police thought that was an absurd claim, but they now believe this to be more likely after they spoke with the tree service company themselves. The phone number for the guy who requested these services wasn't even fricking real
I am absolutely heart broken and feel so violated.

That tree was the only thing giving the house any character or charm and now it's qone because a contractor did not do their due diligence.

Do I have a case here? What do I do? File a claim with their insurance or do I lawyer up??


Reddit r/tree
Posted by RohanGonzales
Pronoun: Whatever
Member since Apr 2024
13382 posts
Posted on 10/2/26 at 6:24 pm to
informative for people who may someday be in the same situation

not sure how you could anticipate it though?

Maybe tie a chain around it with a call before cutting placard attached.
Posted by facher08
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2011
6391 posts
Posted on 10/2/26 at 6:25 pm to
quote:

Previous owner mentioned his tree quy said it was a new type of scam. Police thought that was an absurd claim, but they now believe this to be more likely after they spoke with the tree service company themselves.


If it was a scam, how are the scammers paid? How was the tree service supposed to collect payment?
Posted by putt23
Pingree Grove, IL
Member since Oct 2010
5521 posts
Posted on 10/2/26 at 6:25 pm to
I gotta think they could sue the tree removal company easily, right?
Posted by LegendInMyMind
Member since Apr 2019
76870 posts
Posted on 10/2/26 at 6:28 pm to
quote:

I gotta think they could sue the tree removal company easily, right?

You'd think, but I don't know. There is a whole sub on Reddit call r/treelaw just for legal tree questions.
Posted by OldHickory
New Orleans
Member since Apr 2012
10915 posts
Posted on 10/2/26 at 6:28 pm to
Joke is on him. Wife had it cut down while he was gone. Traded sex for it.
Posted by Finnish
Member since Nov 2021
907 posts
Posted on 10/2/26 at 6:29 pm to
Beautiful tree and probably worth more than the house. That sucks.
Posted by forkedintheroad
Member since Feb 2025
2955 posts
Posted on 10/2/26 at 6:30 pm to
Simple answer here: sue them and they will learn to vet their jobs.

Imagine if instead of a reputable tree company it was just some joe blow with a chainsaw. Yeah, there's no legal protections here.
Posted by idlewatcher
Planet Arium
Member since Jan 2012
99779 posts
Posted on 10/2/26 at 6:30 pm to
quote:

Traded sex for it.


This is the correct answer
Posted by jorconalx
alexandria
Member since Aug 2011
11426 posts
Posted on 10/2/26 at 6:33 pm to
quote:

I mean, that tree could have been a problem for those folks in the future, and taking it down probably saved them a ton of money in the long run


It was closer to the house than I would have liked had it been my home, but it would not have caused any issues unless it died. I hope they find out who did it
Posted by Finnish
Member since Nov 2021
907 posts
Posted on 10/2/26 at 6:34 pm to
The Overpayment Contractor Scam
This targets tree removal businesses and results in random homeowners' trees being mistakenly cut down.
• The Setup: A scammer finds a home for sale on Zillow and pretends to be the new out-of-town buyer. They text a real tree service to cut down a major tree on the property immediately.
• The Trap: They send a fake or stolen check for more than the job's price, asking the tree company to wire the "accidental overpayment" back to them.
• The Damage: The tree company cuts down an innocent person's century-old tree before realizing the check bounced and the "owner" was a fraudster.
Posted by The Boat
Member since Oct 2008
178832 posts
Posted on 10/2/26 at 6:38 pm to
Man, that shoe box house sucks arse now
Posted by putt23
Pingree Grove, IL
Member since Oct 2010
5521 posts
Posted on 10/2/26 at 6:38 pm to
quote:

You'd think, but I don't know. There is a whole sub on Reddit call r/treelaw just for legal tree questions.


treelaw, wow.

I'd have to think a service doing something like that would vet customers with more than just a text.

What a crazy scam.
Posted by Hickok
Htown
Member since Jan 2013
3030 posts
Posted on 10/2/26 at 6:40 pm to
quote:

It was closer to the house than I would have liked had it been my home, but it would not have caused any issues unless it died. I hope they find out who did it

Assuming the sewer flowed to the street and the house has a foundation, that tree was going to be an issue… that said, his house, his call on cutting it down. Tree service will probably have to move a mature tree back there, or cut a check for frickery.
Posted by LegendInMyMind
Member since Apr 2019
76870 posts
Posted on 10/2/26 at 7:06 pm to
quote:

treelaw, wow.

Man, you wouldn't believe. There's no shortage of tree molestation and people pissed about it.
Posted by BobABooey
Parts Unknown
Member since Oct 2004
16269 posts
Posted on 10/2/26 at 8:25 pm to
Sue the tree service for not grinding the stump.

And demand the free firewood they are probably selling at the local farmer’s market.
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