THE LAWN STYLIST

"IN THE INITIAL MEETING WE AGREED ON A $12,000 LANDSCAPE PLAN, WHICH INVOLVED FIXING DRAINAGE ISSUES, SOFTENING THE SLOPE OF HER BACK YARD, PUTTING IN TWO RETAINING WALLS, ORNAMENTAL TREES, SHRUBS, PINE NEEDLE NATURAL AREAS, AND SOD THE BACK YARD. THERE WERE DELAYS IN THE WORK BECAUSE SHE WENT ON VACATION AND THEN HIRED A CARPENTER AND PAINTER TO DO EXTERIOR WORK. WE TOLD HER THAT WHILE WORKING WE WOULD CREATE A LOT OF DUST THAT COULD GET IN HER NEW PAINT. SHE UNDERSTOOD AND WAS APPRECIATIVE OF US TELLING HER THAT. WE HAD TO WAIT FOR THE PAINTER AND CARPENTER TO FINISH BEFORE WE COULD DO OUR WORK, WHICH TOOK LONGER THAN EXPECTED BECAUSE SHE KEPT MAKING CHANGES. SHE THEN INFORMED US SHE WANTED A SPRINKLER SYSTEM ADDED, SO I HAD AN IRRIGATION SPECIALIST COME OUT AND PREPARE AN ESTIMATE FOR HER. WE HAD THE CONTRACT PREPARED FOR HER LONG BEFORE THIS, SHE JUST KEPT MAKING CHANGES TO IT. WE HAD A HARD TIME GETTING A HOLD OF HER TO GO OVER THE PROPOSAL FOR THE SPRINKLER SYSTEM. I FINALLY GOT A HOLD OF HER AND WENT OUT THERE AND SHE WAS COMPLETELY AWARE OF THE ADDITIONAL COSTS TO THE CONTRACT. AT THIS TIME, THE PAINTER AND CARPENTER STILL WEREN'T DONE WITH THEIR JOBS, DELAYING MINE. SHE INFORMED ME AT THIS TIME THAT WE COULD GO AHEAD WITH THE WORK. WHEN I CAME OUT TO DO THE WORK, SHE HAD DECIDED AGAINST THE SPRINKLER SYSTEM AND OTHER LANDSCAPING JOBS. WE DID WHAT SHE WANTED AND SHE LOVED IT ALL. WE ARE VERY SHOCKED BY THIS REPORT BECAUSE WE LEFT ON FRIENDLY TERMS."

"FIRST, THE FINAL PRICE WAS NOT DOUBLE THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE, THERE WERE ADDITIONAL CHARGES INCURRED DUE TO ADDITIONAL WORK THAT HAD TO BE DONE. MY EMPLOYEES AND I HAND DUG A 100 FOOT LONG TRENCH ON SUNDAY DUE TO THE FACT THAT WHEN WE HAD UTILITIES LOCATED, THERE WE MARKINGS INDICATING POWER AND TELEPHONE LINES IN THE GENERAL VICINITY OF WHERE THE WORK WAS TAKING PLACE. WE LOCATED A 25,000-VOLT POWER LINE THAT WAS ONLY 8 INCHES IN THE GROUND RUNNING NEXT TO THE TRENCH WE DUG. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE POWER COMPANY. THEY CAME OUT AND SAID WE WOULD HAVE TO STOP WORK BECAUSE THEY NEEDED TO BURY IT TO THE PROPER DEPTH OF 3 FEET. I WAS NO LONGER INVOLVED IN THIS MATTER BECAUSE THE POWER COMPANY DEALS WITH THE HOMEOWNER. SINCE WE ALREADY HAD THE DIRT, GRAVEL, AND BLOCK AT HIS HOME, I ASKED IF WE NEEDED TO REMOVE IT AND HE SAID THAT WE COULD LEAVE IT. AFTER THE POWER COMPANY BURIED THE LINE WE CAME BACK TO FINISH. AT THIS TIME, WE HAD TO BRING IN MORE GRAVEL TO STABILIZE THE WALL BECAUSE THE POWER COMPANY BURIED THE TRENCH WE HAD DUG. HE ALSO DECIDED HE WANTED THE WALL HIGHER. I TOLD HIM WE WOULD NEED ADDITIONAL DIRT TO BACK FILL THE WALL DUE TO THE INCREASED HEIGHT. HE SAID WE COULD LEAVE ANY DIRT WE DIDN'T USE IN THE BACKYARD FOR HIS WIFE. I HAD OFFERED TO BURY THE 100' OF PIPE THAT WAS LEFT BEHIND BUT HE TOLD ME HE WAS GOING TO HAVE SOMEONE INSTALL A SPRINKLER SYSTEM AND HE WOULD JUST HAVE THEM BURY THE PIPE. I TRIED TO FOLLOW UP BUT HE WON'T RETURN MY CALLS."

"SHE CONTACTED US TO CUT HER GRASS ONE TIME. WHEN I ARRIVED, THE GRASS WAS 8 TO 9 INCHES TALL. I EXPLAINED I WOULD HAVE TO CUT THE GRASS HIGH BECAUSE IT WAS SO TALL. IF I DID NOT CUT THE GRASS TALL, IT WOULD LEAVE THATCH IN THE YARD. SHE SAID SHE UNDERSTOOD. IT TOOK 45 MINUTES TO CUT, EDGE, TRIM, AND BLOW OFF BREEZEWAYS. I TOLD HER SINCE THE GRASS WAS CUT TALL; I WOULD NEED TO CUT IT AGAIN IN A COUPLE OF DAYS TO TRY TO GET THE YARD UNDER CONTROL. SHE SAID SHE UNDERSTOOD. SHE THEN TOLD ME HER HUSBAND RECENTLY FERTILIZED THE YARD. I ASKED WHAT HE USED AND SHE SAID HE PUT A 50LB. BAG THAT COVERS 12,000 SQ. FT. ON A 3,500 SQ. FT. YARD. I TOLD HER THE FERTILIZER CONTAINED A HIGH RATIO OF NITROGEN, WHICH WAS NOT THE PROPER TYPE OF FERTILIZER FOR THEIR YARD. SHE SAID SHE WAS HAPPY WITH OUR WORK AND WOULD CALL US BACK IF HER HUSBAND COULD NOT CUT THE GRASS. SHE CALLED TWO WEEKS LATER TO COME BACK AND CUT THE GRASS. IT WAS BACK UP 8-9 INCHES HIGH, SO I HAD TO CUT TALL. SHE WASN'T HOME, SO I CALLED TO TELL HER THAT WE HAD TO CUT IT HIGH AGAIN BUT WOULD NEED TO COME BACK IN A COUPLE OF DAYS TO CUT AGAIN TO GET IT UNDER CONTROL WITHOUT DOING ANY DAMAGE. SHE SAID TO WAIT UNTIL THE FOLLOWING WEEK TO CUT AGAIN, SO WE CUT HER YARD TWO MORE TIMES. WHEN SHE ASKED ABOUT THE DRIVEWAY, I TOLD HER THAT IT WASN'T GRASS THAT WAS LEFT BUT THE CHLOROPHYLL FROM THE GRASS BEING OVER WATERED AND FERTILIZED. THE CHLOROPHYLL GOT ON MY MOWER TIRES, WHICH THEN GOT ON HER DRIVEWAY."