So far we have given a 500 dollar deposit, but expect to be billed for the remainder of this just over 5000-dollar contract based on what we read on other websites - sadly, we did not read those before. <br /> Be up to date on your contract law before signing with Eastside TreeWorks! <br /> Here is a run-down of our experience so far: <br /> Between Christmas and New Years Eve, a representative of EastsideTreeWorks knocked on our door, despite the fact that we have a 'no soliciting' sign. My husband answered and accepted a pamphlet from EastsideTreeWorks, and made an appt with the 'arborist' to evaluate our trees. Our trees were overdue for pruning, plus we wanted to remove a border of overgrown Leland Cyprus. We had been talking about taking action, but I was not exactly happy that husband responded to a front door solicitation. <br /> My husband wanted to proceed. I shall 'kill' him later. <br /> The 'arborist,' Kristine, came on Monday, December 31, 2012 and my husband felt she was knowledgeable about trees as she gave her assessment, and he felt comfortable with her knowledge base. She told him she is an arborist and impressed upon him more than once that EastsideTreeWorks is a family-run business. Additionally, 'arborist' it is not printed on her card. There is a legal reason for that. (They can say anything, but unless it is in writing, it is our word against theirs.) <br /> In hindsight, and we should have looked her up at the time. As of this writing, we find no verification for her certification as an arborist with PNWISA - PacificNorthwest Society of Arbiculture. <br /> Also, regarding this and quot;family ownedand quot; business - Mathew Rengo, who lives in Newcastle, WA, incorporated Eastside TreeWorks in the state of Washington in September of 2009. Two and a half years ago. <br /> Kristine called New Years Day and the job was set up for the following Monday, the 7th of January. The team arrived as I was leaving to drive somebody somewhere - about 8:30 a.m. When I got back about 9:15, they were milling about, claiming they could not start work until we got permission from our back-fence neighbor, who was not home at the time. No work had been started in the time I was gone. There were many other areas of the yard and many other trees they could have started on that did not involve that neighbor. I suggested they start on the Leland Cyprus trees in a different area of the yard, and they did start, sometime after 10:00. Kristine told me that it was her job to get that neighbor's permission, yet she had waited until that very morning to pursue that. (What if they had been out of town?) My phone records indicate I reached the back-fence neighbor at 10:35 and we got verbal permission. <br /> The tree cutters started to cut down the row of Leland Cypress and haul out front to be taken away. I checked progress now and then. Toward the end of that row, at one point, I went out to check progress and saw one of the Leland Cypress had been felled right on our 25+ year rhododendron (over 12 feet tall) just off the deck that was habitat for hummingbirds we had been fostering for many years. Hummingbirds stay through the winter here and it is currently hummingbird mating season. After the tree fell on it, they cut away over half the rhododendron, exposing its core, (see photos) without consulting me. I walked out and in my shocked realization, the foreman told me: and quot;That's nature.and quot; I could not speak and went into the house, extremely upset. We had told Kristine at the time of the estimate that we did not want those rhododendrons to be touched. If the Leland Cypress had been taken out piecemeal instead of fallen, this would not have happened. I called Kristine, who came to the site, and just as she arrived, one of their men fell out of a tree. I had gone back in the house, and did not know until the EMTs arrived with sirens and lights that a tree cutter had fallen out of a tree. He seemed okay, but was eventually taken to Harborview, and I hear from them that he has cracked ribs and other injuries. We certainly hope he is okay. The Land I and police then showed up to take reports. The team left. It was pre - 4 o'clock-ish on Monday. They said they would call to schedule the rest of the job. Next day, about 2:15 (mid-afternoon) a team came to the door looking to see if they could do more work. I told them I would have appreciated a call before they just showed up, and told them I was just leaving for errands. They looked around, then decided it was not feasible to work on our yard that day. <br /> <br /> Friday, a young fellow came to pick up wood. He had left a message, but we thought he must be mistaken because the job was so far from being finished. We never answered the message, but he just showed up the next day to pick up wood. Very young fellow, didn't know anything about the job not being done. Then Saturday, another older fellow came to get more wood. No phone call to let us know to expect him, just showed up at the door Saturday morning. And then he showed up again later that day, apparently not having gotten all the wood the first trip. So Eastside sells this wood to people who come pick it up, but don't let you know who is coming or when. We have two daughters living here and do not want men we do not know showing up at the door when we are not here, or any other time, for that matter. But EastsideTree Works freely gave out our address and let them come here unexpected by us. We know nothing about these men. Not making accusations, but this is not good form in this day and age. Is it too much to expect a phone call to let us know they are coming? We live on the eastside, at least one came from Seattle. Would he have just turned around and gone without that wood if we had not answered the door or let himself in to our fenced back yard? We will never know. We have previously had trees fallen and always get a courtesy call to make arrangements to come into our private back yard that are suitable for both parties. <br /> And this is THE LAST WE HEARD FROM Eastside Tree Works. We have had no phone calls, no emails, no nothing. Not one word and it has been over three weeks! And we are not going to chase them down to fulfill their contract with us. <br /> We just decided to go public. Next stop: Get Jesse! (I bet we get a phone call after Matt reads this - he does seem to monitor his reputation.) They did write into the contract that we need flexibility in scheduling, but this is ridiculous! <br /> We will post more information as it becomes available. OH! Wait. Just in the time it took me to write this, we received an invoice for the full amount - over five thousand dollars. <br /> <br /> Update: We never did hear back from Eastside Tree Works for any reason other than to bill us for the full amount. On Jan 8, the day after they were in our yard, we sent this email: <br /> <br /> and quot;Curtis, <br /> We wanted to inquire about the well-being of the young man who fell yesterday while cutting our trees and hope you are able to provide an update. He seemed fine afterwards and was walking about, but you never know about internal injuries. We understand they took him to Harborview. Thanks in advance for your response. <br /> Kind Regards, and quot; <br /> <br /> ( We did not hear back from them. ) <br /> <br /> Then on Jan 25, husband fired off this email: <br /> <br /> Hey Kris, <br /> Can you explain to me why K and I have heard NOTHING from you and NOTHING from Eastside TreeWorks about when our job will be completed? It's been nearly THREE WEEKS since your crew was last here. Really?... THIS is the and quot;family-owned businessand quot; way of doing business that you're all so proud of? <br /> Let me ask you this - if YOU were the customer here, would YOU be satisfied with the service that Eastside has rendered? <br /> We'd like to know what you propose to do about this situation. We'd like to know if Eastside TreeWorks intends to complete this job, or not. A failure to respond will be