In the aftermath of Wednesday’s storms, the city of Evansville says beware of unlicensed tree companies and potential insurance fraud. WNIN’s John Gibson has more:
Evansville City Arborist Shawn Dickerson says more than 35 tree service contractors licensed by the city can be found at the Department of Urban Forestry web site.
Dickerson says in the past, deceptive out-of-town contractors offering tree services have been known to price gouge, commit insurance fraud, and take money from their customers before any work is done.
He says beware of deals that sound “too good to be true” and don’t assume that licensed local tree services are too busy to help.
Dickerson points to cases where contractors have customers sign an estimate form with a blank amount and tell the customer ‘not to worry, because they would bill their insurance company for the full amount’.
Then, the contractor bills the insurance company for much more than the work was worth and the claim is denied.
If you suspect a contractor is not licensed by the city, you’re urged to call the Department of Urban Forestry at 812-436-5752.