Dave Butler

unknown

unknown

Dave promised to save Mulberry trees for the shade they would preserve.  He also seemed respectful and agreed to try to avoid damaging Japanese maples and other plants in a large garden.  I dug up everything within 30 feet of the trees to give them working room.  He said they would lower limbs by crane to avoid damaging what was beyond.  
I came out after they had started, just as they happened to fell a large limb directly onto a Japanese maple tree.  I reminded him that he had promised to lower them by crane to avoid damaging things.  He responded by telling his workers in a loud insincere stage voice that they were supposed to keep from damaging things.  I ended up having to sit and watch the entire job to minimize damage to my property.  They did lower some limbs by crane after that, but continued to cut and topple most of the limbs.  This included toppling one of the large limbs into a neighbor's yard after I had promised them that the limbs would be lowered by crane so as to protect their property.  
His workers are generally polite, although they clearly are caught between a boss on the one hand, who pays them to work as fast and dirty as possible, and customers on the other hand, who have been told that they will work with care.  Dave bills himself as a preacher at a local church, and uses this image of a good guy with authority to put people on the defensive when he takes advantage of them.  His prices are low, but if you use him keep an eye on the work as it goes along and take photos before and after as well as while the work is being done.  And make sure you don't pay him anything until everything is settled in the end.  I would not consider using him again. It is cheaper to pay more and lose less.

I originally spoke with Dave Butler over the phone for an estimate, because I was out of town when the work needed to be done. I don't believe that he ever even oversaw the job and it's clear that the crew he hired was incompetent. They ended up butchering the trees that they didn't cut down and now limbs are falling all over the place. It is very dangerous. I found out that they went to the other side if my fence into my neighbors' yard and dragged a huge tree limb there which harmed part of their yard.  Mr. Butler denied this at first since I was still out of town but I learned that the neighbor's had been trying to contact them about the situation without much luck.  This caused a huge disturbance in my relationship with my neighbors but I've since paid to have the yard resown and our relationship has been repaired.  I paid Dave immediately after returning from out of town, but now I have to pay to have another company fix the mistakes.

When I called back about cleaning up the debris, Dave was very rude to me. I told him that I was dissapointed in the experience and he had the nerve to call me back and tell me about how inappropriate my tone was.  I felt like he was bullying me, he was very demeaning. I was very shaken up about it. He promised to come and remove the debris for me in February but it was never done.  He then said it would be March or April.  He really went back on his word because at first he made it seem like it wouldn't be a problem.  They are clearly not tree people. I don't want any further dealings with him and do not want to be contacted with them.

RESPONSE:

I would've contacted him directly instead of writing a complaint if he wasn't so rude to me the last time i talked with him. He talked down to me and it made me uncomfortable. This was because of his promise about clean-up for the leftover from grinding the stump that he never fulfilled; he promised he would be back in the first part of February to do this. I called around 15th of February because he still didn't show up and he proceeded to tell me that they were off til around April. He had the nerve to call me back and tell me he didn't like my tone (I was very calm when I spoke with him; I was more surprised), but he will come out anyway to fix it. 

Regarding the neighbor to the north of me that Butler claims damage wasn't merited, and it is. I know this because the same damage was done my yard because they dragged a tree limb through the yard it left a split/indentation in the yard.   They weren't authorized and there was no reason because I have 1/2 acre to go into my neighbor's yard in the first place. I have plenty of room.  If he was there over seeing things then he should have witnessed them in my neighbors yard. My bug guy came out on one of the same days, and saw them all in my neighbor's yard.  He was shocked they were even cutting down trees in that state of weather.  I didn't even ask for the money I had to pay out extra to fix the holes in the yard from my lawn care person.  I trusted the professional to know the right time to come out because I wasn't here.  It took me til about August for the work to become dangerous to say something about it.

Regarding the maple, this is what became dangerous.  This is the maple tree that prompted me to make the phone call for the review. After professional opinion and one of those opinions came from an arbor specialist of the city, and the other came from one of Angie's List top 3 tree specialist, the tree is not a damaged tree.  I never had any huge tree limbs falling pryer to his company coming out and trimming the trees.  I was advised that these limbs that were falling should have never been left untrimmed. Whatever trimming was done to that tree per professional opinion they should've been aware of these limbs because they were not new growth. Essentially, they shouldn't have left what they left, and I am not quite sure what they did, however they left 2 hug dangerous limbs that could've killed somebody, and most probably my dog would've been then the one hit.

I am very disheartened by your response.  Regarding my neighbor, who I have lived next to now for 3 years, and he knows me pretty well; if he were aware of what has really happened he would not recommend your company, and as far as i know he didn't have any trees cut down by Butler, but just did trimming. This is why I made this complaint because it became dangerous around the tree and I want to warn others less is not always best. I got a good deal, but I had to pay to fix everything and he created havoc in my life.  You mentioned motives and understandings are not clear; my motives are clear and pure and are under one person.  They are justified and the understanding should be very clear about what happened here with what I have stated. If my motives weren't pure I would've been asking for a full refund and more for all the damages caused.

We called Dave Butler Tree Service on Friday, 2/17/2012 in the morning.  His secretary said he would be at our house within 48 hours.  Around two hours later, Dave Bulter showed up and gave us two estimates.  One estimate was for trimming a 40-foot maple tree in our yard and the other was an estimate on cutting down and removing the whole tree.  A few days later, on the 22nd of February, his crew showed up at 8:30 a.m.  They got started immediately upon arrival and never stopped until the tree was cut down and hauled away.  This was all accomplished with (4) four men.  After the tree was down, they all went to work cleaning up all the debris including sawdust from the tree.  The yard was raked and what the rake couldn't get, a leaf blower was used for the final touch up.  All of our sidewalks and the driveway were swept and blown clean with a leaf blower.

These men did a professional job and were very courteous to us and our neighbors and we would highly reccommended the services of Dave Bulter Tree Service and his employees.

After we called Dave Butler on it and told him he was not permitted on our property, he sent his crew to trespass again to clean things up and then they proceeded to cut the wood and steal it.  Four came; two became combative and verbally abusive, calling my husband a MF after my husband told them to leave.  When my husband tried to tell Dave Butler of his crews’ offensive behavior, he abruptly hung up the phone after telling my husband that he did not want to hear it.  We are seeking reasonable damages; rather than working with us to achieve resolution, Dave Butler responded that he is broke and abruptly hung up the phone.  He is putting the blame on the neighbor for commissioning him to cut down our tree and also for instructing him to return to our property to clean up and remove the remains.  It would be my recommendation that you check out the Cuyahoga County civil court docket on Dave Butler of Fowles Road or Old Oak Boulevard before you hire him.

The price was reasonable. The only problem we had was that the guys had left some stuff. He didn't know that the workers had left some mess, but he learned of it nearly a year later and sent those workers back to take care of it free of charge.

doesn't apply I was referred to him: I just found the work done, he came to collect the money personally

The work on my property was very satisfactory, however, Dave's employes tore up my neighbor's lawn and yard with their equipment. Dave had a landscaping company deliver 2 truckloads of topsoil and level and reseed the neighbor's yard. It is unfortunate this happened and the neighbor is extremely unhappy and cannot be satisfied. It is important in the future that Dave have his workers supervised and not trespass on adjoining properties. I felt bad for both my neighbor because they were damaged and for Dave who attempted to satisfy them but to no avail. I paid Dave and extra $200 to cover part of the cost to satisfy my neighbor since I have to live with them and wanted them taken care of.

Pastor Dave owns and runs the company. He is a pastor in his church and runs the tree service business. He is licensed and insured to do tree removal. He came out right when he told me he would. He made sure to clean up after himself and was able to get me other people that I needed. He did the job well and used all of the right equipment. Pastor Dave was the overseer and he watched his employees closely which I liked. I think that his price is good and he offers a senior discount which is nice.

Punctual/Professional in giving estimate. Took a while to come back and finish grinding stump, his machine broke down in the middle the first time, then he was injured, but they made good and had another company come out and finish the grinding. In the end I was satisfied.

Started in mid morning and completed by mid afternoon. Work seemed satisfactory. Their price was 30% less than other contractors who were also on Angies's list.

They were about an hour late but called to advise me they would be. All the workers were polite and well versed in their respective jobs. Cost was about 20% less than other providers that quoted the job. Should I ever have the need, I will use them again.