DENVER (KDVR) — Recent storms and spring weather have many homeowners hiring landscapers to remove dangerous trees and beautify lawns. Consumer protection experts tell the FOX31 Problem Solvers it’s important to choose a landscaping company wisely before signing a contract.
Dottie tells FOX31 she hired a landscaping contractor for tree removal, but after paying the total amount of approximately $6,000, she said the stumps remain on the property.
“He told me he would come back in the spring and finish the job,” she said.
Dottie showed FOX31 a contract saying the stumps were to be ground down six to 10 inches beneath the surface of the ground.
She is considering taking her case to small claims court, where the limit is $7,500.
The Problem Solvers asked attorney Bryan Kuhn about homeowners’ rights. He tells FOX31 Dottie “absolutely could sue for breach of contract.”
Kuhn explains that contracts are binding.
“There’s a misconception out in the general public that a contract has to be a sort of lengthy formal document. Nothing could be further from the truth….there are cases that have (involved) contracts on napkins,” he said.
Consumer protection experts tell FOX31 to avoid paying the entire cost upfront for any service, always check references and get a referral, and report complaints to the Better Business Bureau.
The Problem Solvers reached out to the landscaper several times, but we have not yet received a response.