Unethical Business Practices; Rude and Unprofessional Business Owner We had an ash tree that hung over part of our house that was scheduled to be taken down on August 3, 2021. My husband noticed on July 16 that there was a limb that looked compromised and just to be safe (since we have a little one that plays in the backyard), we thought we should get somebody out to take it down sooner rather than waiting a few weeks for the tree to be taken down. My husband called Morton’s and luckily they said they were going to be in the area the next morning and could come by and take a look. My husband asked how much it would cost and was told that it’s $135/hour and it should take no more than an hour. Great! (Note: the only context we have is that taking down the entire tree is going to cost us ~$2,000.) Morton’s crew showed up the next morning. I was initially surprised that they would send out all of that equipment and 5 guys for just 1 limb (approximately 10-15 feet), but then my husband told me that they were just down the street taking down an entire tree. One of the guys came to the front door and my husband showed him the tree; he came back and said that he would recommend taking down the limb. My husband then confirmed once again that it would be $135/hr and the guy confirmed and said that he should be in and out in an hour. And that they were. They were courteous and efficient. So it was to my surprise when I was emailed a bill on July 20 for $675. I immediately sent it to my husband who was also shocked. I pointed out that the bill specifies that it’s $135/man hour and not $135/hour, so with 5 guys…that’s $675 for the hour. They sent out 5 guys to take down a tree down the street, but 5 guys did not work on taking down our 1 limb; surely, this HAD to be a mistake. I chalked it up to a clerical billing error. My husband called the next day and spoke to someone in the front office and left a message for Don. A week passed, he had not heard back, so he called again and once again, left a message for Don with someone in the front office. Again, no call back. What are we to do at this point? We were provided with a verbal estimate from two Morton employees that this service would cost $135/hour and that it would take no longer than an hour, so we expected to pay $135. Their invoice even states within the line item, “Please discuss with client how long you think the job will take and the overall health of the tree prior to beginning job”. We can’t get a hold of anyone and we’re not going to pay $675 for a service that we were quoted $135 for. So we wait… We receive a 2nd invoice in the mail on November 28, 2021. This time I called since my husband was not having any luck getting a hold of anyone. The person I spoke to said that the person in their billing department is out and would have to call me back. I received a call back the next day. I explained to the person the situation to which she responded $135/man hour is what they charge. I told her that was not specified to us and that we are not paying $675; she said that I would have to speak to Don. Don calls me that evening and this is how it starts… Me: Hi Don, thank you for returning my call. Don: Now, tell me why you are not paying me. Me: Don, it’s not that I am not paying you, I think there is a misunderstanding…(insert Don’s repeated interruptions, accusations and continued rant). He said things like… When I told him that we were planning to have the tree taken down as a part of the context of the situation, he rudely interrupted and asked why we didn’t use “the other company” to take down the limb (as if that has anything to do with the situation). “You really expect me to believe that you thought it would only cost $135/hour? Do you even know how much it cost to fix a car these days?” I told him that I am not in this industry and the only context I have is what his employees quoted us. He told me I heard them incorrectly. When I told him that I did not appreciate the tone that he’s taking, he said, “Do you hear me swearing at you? I’m not even swearing at you.” I wish I had recorded the conversation, but I was just so caught off guard with his accusatory attacks and overtly antagonistic and condescending language and tone, especially for a small business owner. It ended with him telling me he’s going to send me to collections and his famous last words, “ciao” and then click. I am not going to be bullied or threatened to pay for something that we didn’t agree to. That is just not right. It’s unethical. To recap: 1. The service was great. 2. We were quoted $135/hour. We expected to pay $135/hour. The fact that they were down the street doing a job that required 5 men, so all 5 men showed up to our house to take one limb down (even though only 2 worked on it) is neither here nor there, but a part of the context. Either way, even if 10 men showed up, we were still quoted $135/hour. 3. Don is a horrible, unethical, and rude human being. I ended up writing them a check for $135 in an attempt to “clear our debt”. It was mailed back to us saying that it had already been sent to collections. So now, we’re going to be hounded by collections for a debt that should have never been.
Description of Work: Limb removal
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
value
1.0
professionalism
1.0
responsiveness
1.0
Louis S.
10/2017
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
The crew was very professional and efficient and the Morton Tree office was very friendly to work with.
Description of Work: Morton Tree removed a large limb from an Blue Atlas tree that was damaged in the December 2016 ice storm.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$700
John C.
09/2017
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
It was a big job. It was several workers.
Description of Work: I had some trees cut down.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Susan C.
08/2017
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
Chose another bidder that was familiar with my trees. Would consider hiring Morton Tree and Landscape Maintenance in the future.
Description of Work: Fir and other tree trimming bid received.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
Yes, I recommend this pro
John C.
06/2017
3.0
tree service
+ -1 more
I have a 100 plus year old tulip tree that sends up sucker shoots annually and has become a monster with it's spreading branches. Morton's bid of $680 exceeded other bids, but because of their reputation, I thought they would do a better job. The first order of business was to notify PGE to cut the sucker shoots close to the high voltage wires above the tree. No company would touch this job without PGE doing its job firs. PGE did far more than they have done in the 40 years I have lived here, eliminating about 80% of the sucker shoots. I nearly canceled the Morton service but I wanted the large limbs cut back, which was never done. Morton crew spent some time looking for work to do, as there was very little. There were in and out in 90 minutes. At $453./hour, I wrote to Morton asking for a reduced bid as I think they had no idea of the extent to which PGE trimmed the tree. My letter was ignored and was sent another bill. I wish I had taken photos before and after PGE's work and again after Morton's work. This is a very professional business but I now regret choosing them as they ignored my letter and I paid far too much for the work that was done.
Description of Work: Considerable pruning of an old tulip tree
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
4.0
value
1.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
3.0
punctuality
5.0
$680
Dwight D.
03/2017
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
They did wonderful. I would absolutely use them again.
Description of Work: Tree services.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
Yes, I recommend this pro
Deborah E.
12/2016
5.0
landscaping
+ -1 more
You know, I don't have a lot to compare their price with, but you know, obviously we thought their quote was reasonable otherwise we wouldn't have contracted with them. Definitely an A for quality. The responsiveness is really good, about that, the owner of the company is really good. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone. They're coming back in January. They're our vendor of choice when it comes to tree works.
Description of Work: I live in an HOA so we have vendors of choice that we use here. Morton Tree And Landscape Maintenance Inc is our vendor of choice for all of our tree works here.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Mike K.
12/2016
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
The crew worked efficiently and effectively to trim several trees around my house. Great job.
Description of Work: Tree trimming
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Abby F.
07/2016
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
Perfect! His crew got the tree down in under an hour - and this was a pretty big tree. The crew followed proper safety precautions - the man in the tree wore a safety harness and was spotted and belayed by a man on the ground. They lowered the cut limbs carefully, They chipped and removed all the wood and left our property well cleaned. They were all polite and I appreciated their work. I'd definitely hire them again without going out to bid.
Description of Work: We had a large old Scotch Pine on a slope in our back yard that we wanted removed. After securing the permits from the City of West Linn, we contacted several services. Mr. Morton himself came to give us an estimate. His price was the least expensive, and we liked that he was local and would send a crew.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Brian F.
07/2016
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
I was extremely happy that we chose Morton to do the work. The bid amount was well under the others we received and the final bill (time & materials not to exceed bid) ended up being over 25% less than the bid. The work was completed and cleaned up as expected and they even ground an extra stump we wanted to have removed in the yard.
Description of Work: Removal of 2 hazard trees and grinding of stumps.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,500
Paula F.
06/2016
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
I was impressed by Don's professionalism when he visited me and wrote up an estimate. The service was performed within 2 weeks of that date. Communication with the company was very easy. Liz arrived on time and performed all services expertly. She left my property very clean afterwards. Overall I was very please with the estimate, work performed and professionalism of all employees, both onsite and at the office.
Description of Work: Liz removed 5 dead arborvitae, brought and planted one new one, and trimmed back a lilac tree.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$370
Jennifer Sergeant S.
01/2016
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
The crew was professional, focused, and respectful to other plants and items in garden. They cut the pieces smaller so they could get them down without harming our bamboo and decks. It was dangerous work but they were extremely careful and took time and patience to make certain nothing was damaged. The owner, Don Morton, is a warm, caring person who made us feel confident our home would be safe. Excellent work and price.
Description of Work: Two 150 ft cedar trees fell along side of our house, sweeping the siding, knocking down gutters and dish on roof, landing on natural gas generator, while precariously balanced in other trees, threatening our expensive deck and awning. It was a dangerous job, the first tree company would not attempt it, but Morton came out on a Saturday within a half hour to help us.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,000
Marsha W.
01/2016
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
During recent freezing weather we noticed that one of the large three trunks on our 100+ year-old black locust was threatening to split off from the base, potentially landing on a neighbor's house if it failed. Mr. Morton inspected the tree on the same day we placed the call (New Year's Day!) and had his crew there the next day to cable it and lighten (remove bulk from) the threatened trunk. The climber, Pikov, and the rest of the crew did a yeoman's work in subfreezing temperatures and high east winds. They chipped the wood and cleaned up the site upon completion. We will be happy to have this business return for eventual additional work on our trees.
Description of Work: Cabled enormous black locust tree, trimmed branches.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,900
Mike K.
11/2015
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
I called for an estimate to trim a couple of trees and several bushes. Don, the owner, came out and gave a great estimate and set realistic expectations. The crew came out a few days later and did a great job. I am very happy with the work and will use Morton's again.
Description of Work: Tree and bush trimming
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$590
JOAN F.
08/2015
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
My yard has many trees. For more than 10 years I have called Don Morton for my tree needs. Once his crew came in the ice and snow to remove a tree that had fallen into the street. His crew always does excellent work with large and small jobs. I have several neighbors who also use his services.
Description of Work: Trimmed, thinned 7 trees, large and small, processed limbs and brush and cleaned area.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,100
CINDY S.
07/2015
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
We've used Morton in the past and have been thoroughly happy each time. Everyone that you come into contact with provides excellent customer service. They have always been able to get us an appointment very quickly for Don to come out and access what we need and provide us with a proposal. The work is then done usually within a week. Two of our trees are fairly large and they always look fantastic afterwards. This time I had forgotten to ask them about removal of debris from a fallen tree ahead of time but they were able to add it in that day. I would highly recommend using this Company.
Description of Work: Pruned 4 trees and hauled away brush from a fallen tree.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$660
Sandra L.
04/2015
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
Morton is the best tree trimming company in the area, bar none; they are meticulous with everything that they do. You will pay for this, because Don Morton compensates his guys well. The crew arrived on time, talked with me about exactly what they were going to do so there would be no surprises, and then set up to trim an enormous maple that overhung the house and several other, smaller limbs and trees. They took tremendous care to avoid any danger to structures, and to preserve the health of the trees as they worked, explaining the steps as they worked. When they were finished trimming each tree, they cleaned up so that each site was far better than when they arrived, shredding all of the debris on site. If you are looking for rough 'hacking down' of limbs, this is not your provider, but if you want excellent work for the health of your trees, call Morton.
Description of Work: Trimming of multiple big trees in forested yard
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,000
susan M.
04/2015
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
They removed all leaves, branches, and cut down to the trunk as requested. Will definitely use them again in th future for bigger jobs. My neighbor across from me used them also to trim such very large branches, and were also very happy with their services.
Description of Work: they removed a giant fig tree
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$160
Paul S.
04/2015
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
Price better than other bids as was service. They were quick to move from bid to working and quick in getting the job done. I'd call them again in a heartbeat.
Description of Work: Cut down a very tall tree on our lot that was upright/leaning against another tree and threatening to fall on the street
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$750
Catherine J.
04/2015
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
Mr. Morton was very knowledgeable and professional. Price was very competitive and half of what another company wanted. It was a pretty straightforward job - taking down a couple trees in an accessible yard, one damaged by a storm and another leaning towards the house. The only reason they did not get a A's is that they did take out a critical branch of a fairly small plum tree. I should have trimmed the branches back to minimize the possible damage before they came. They really did no offer up much after they damaged it other than to trim back the branches. They were quick and finished the work on time.
Description of Work: Remove trees, chop into 16" sections and stack
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
4.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,000
BENDA W.
02/2015
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
Mr. Morton himself came out to provide the estimate, and it went really well. He did a thorough assessment of the situation, he followed up quickly with a detailed estimate, and his bid was the most competitive of the companies that we contacted.
Description of Work: They provided an estimate for cutting down some trees.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
J K.
06/2014
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
I had originally called Morton because we thought we had a bug problem in some pines -- holes everywhere. Don came out and told me the holes were actually from a woodpecker, not bugs, that the pines were fine, and that they didn't even need pruning that badly. As long as he was there, I showed him the pear and magnolia trees, which he agreed needed pruning. He gave me a bid and his team showed up and did a great job. Don sent three men, a lead trimmer who spoke English and is a skilled pruner, and two assistants who picked up debris and fed the chipper. I was very pleased with all of them; the trees look great and they cleaned up perfectly and were also careful not to damage any nearby plants. I'd use them again. I also appreciated Don's honesty about the pines.
Description of Work: Pruned and shaped two trees: a tall flowering pear and a mature magnolia tree. Neither had been pruned in many years and they were intertwined and not very attractive. The pruner was able to shape them so they look quite good.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$520
MARY ANN B.
04/2014
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
See above for my general comments. We've had pruning work done; as well as complete tree removal.
Description of Work: We have used Morton Tree Service for years--for emergencies (tree damage from a storm) and regular tree maintenance. They are very professional, show up on time and always do a beautiful job. Don Morton is extremely knowledgeable. We have him come once every year or 2 to look at all the trees in our yard and give an estimate for the pruning work that needs to be done. He is trustworthy--we always feel confident that he's giving an honest assessment-- and not out to make a fast buck. He's great about prioritizing the work--he'll tell you what can wait for a year or two and what needs to be done immediately, to avoid a possible catastrophe. (For example, one time he noticed a problem with a large, high limb and advised us to stay out of that part of the yard until they dealt with it. ) Thank you, Don; you run an excellent business with great employees and office staff. Wish all the providers we deal with were as capable and honest.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Ina C.
10/2013
5.0
tree service
+ -1 more
During a recent storm we woke up to a downed tree across our yard. This tree was not ours. It was on common homeowner association property, but the clean up was ours to deal with. Unfair I know, but here we were. We had a couple of bids to remove the tree. We chose Morton's because they were not only the most competitive bid, Don pointed out that the tree had broken off due to a rot pocket and that two other HOA trees were primed to wreak havoc for us as well. We contacted the homeowner association about those and they have taken care of one of them already! (Thanks Don) It was a tricky job, hoisting this tree up the embankment without further damaging our property. They did good work were prompt and cleaned up all leaves and debris. In addition to the great tree service work Mistie in the office is most helpful. All around a very good company!!
Description of Work: Emergency tree removal - 50ft downed maple
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,300
JILL P.
09/2013
4.0
tree service
+ -1 more
Had an appt for the tree to be cut down. I was 10min early... after waiting 20min past the time they were supposed to show up I called. Was told they had an emergency and would be out 'later that day.' I understand emergencies happen but there's no excuse for not calling. I wasted over an hour of my work day driving, waiting, etc. That said, I used them before for stump grinding and their price was cheaper than everyone else and they did a great job so I didn't cancel the appt. I did go back later and they cut the tree down and cleaned everything up, every last leaf. SO, they do a great job, but not calling knocked them down from straight As............
Description of Work: Cut down a tree that was damaged in a storm
All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our State Contractor License Requirements page.
*Contact business to see additional licenses.
Service Categories
Tree Service,
Landscaping
FAQ
Morton Tree And Landscape Maintenance Inc is currently rated 4.8 overall out of 5.
Sunday: Closed
Monday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Morton Tree And Landscape Maintenance Inc accepts the following forms of payment: American Express,Check,MasterCard,Visa
Yes, Morton Tree And Landscape Maintenance Inc offers free project estimates.
No, Morton Tree And Landscape Maintenance Inc does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Morton Tree And Landscape Maintenance Inc does not offer a senior discount.
Yes, Morton Tree And Landscape Maintenance Inc offers emergency services.
No, Morton Tree And Landscape Maintenance Inc does not offer warranties.
Morton Tree And Landscape Maintenance Inc offers the following services: Hedge & tree pruning, landscape maintenance, stump grinding, tree cabling, tree removal.