American Tree Masters

10-Jan-13
Jean C

My neighbor hired American Tree Masters, and the owner, Dan Riggs, to remove a 25-30’ tall saguaro cactus from his yard. My neighbor researched the company before hire, and saw his website showing he has insurance and an A rating with the Better Business Bureau, and used this information in his decision to hire American Tree Masters and Dan Riggs the owner of the company. The crew of American Tree Masters arrived without Dan Riggs to remove the cactus and hooked a crane strap to the top of the cactus and basically cut the cactus in half to remove it. Long story short, the whole top of the cactus (about 10-12ft) and the large arms on the cactus ended up in my back yard. It caused damage to my built in BBQ and tiled top, patio heaters, patio furniture, garden arch, several artificial plants, and stained my entire patio deck black from the juice of the cactus. I have literally thousands of dollars in damage to my patio space. He advertises on everything, including his contracts, he is fully insured. After I repeatedly called and finally got him on the phone the following day, he stated he has a $5000.00 deductible on his insurance, and offered to make small payments of “a couple of hundred dollars a month” to pay for the damages. I refused to accept that offer due to his demeanor, the amount of damage, and the lack of confidence I had in him to actually make these payments. I requested his insurance information so I could file a claim with them, and to date, he has refused to provide any insurance information to me, my neighbor or my neighbor’s home owners insurance company. His company is not licensed with the ROC, not bonded, did not acquire a permit to remove the cactus, which is required in AZ, and I suspect he may not be insured based on his failure to provide any information on his insurance. I would NOT recommend using this company.