Fowler Landscapes and Design

So far as I can tell, Tom Fowler or his business, Fowler Landscapes & Treework, is not a member of Angie's List. I am so sorry that I did not check Angie's List when he showed up at my door soliciting work. I learned a couple of weeks later that he had shown up at a neighbor's door, soliciting work. The neighbor, knowing that a tree had fallen in my neighbor's yard and landed partly in my yard, sent him to my house. Fowler indicated to me that the neighbor had "recommended" him and that he had previously done work for that neighbor. I learned later that this was untrue. He had just shown up at the neighbor's house. In addition to cleaning up the downed tree, we agreed that his "crew" wouid cut and remove several other trees near the house that could potentially fall within reach of the house. We agreed on a price of $1600. Two days later, he showed up with several buddies. He noted that they were his "buddies from the gym." Only one man had a chainsaw, and he seemed to be the only one who had experience at tree services. Tom himself did no work while at my house. He stood around, talked on his cell phone or sat in a truck. On the day he showed up with a "crew," Tom Fowler insisted that the original downed tree (the reason my neighbor sent him to my house in the first place) was not part of the agreed upon price, and it would cost an additional $150 to remove just the top part of the tree that was lying in my yard (the main trunk was lying in the yard next door). We had also agreed that all tree debris would be taken the far back of my property in a wooded area and taken far enough back so that the debris would not be visible from my back yard. The "fellows from the gym" might have been strong, but they were sloppy and had a "don't care" attitude. Tree debris was left strewn all over the place, clearly visible from my back yard. Many limbs were left where they fell, and some was dumped on both sides of the house. In their sloppy method of removing tree debris, they dragged branches through a flower bed and shrubs in the yard, uprooting, breaking and destroying a red barberry bush, a butterfly bush, overturning Earth Boxes and the trellises that went with them. Worse of all, they cut at ground level an ornamental tree that was about 6 feet tall. Because of the location and size of that tree, there was no way they could have mistaken it for a tree that was contracted to be removed. (The trees to be removed were in a wooded area at one side of the house; this ornamental tree was in the yard.) I suspect that they cut it to facilitate their dragging limbs to the back yard. It would cost approximately $300 to $400 to have that stump/roots removed and to replace that tree. About 4 p.m. Tom Fowler asked me to pay him so that he could go to the bank before it closed and cash the check to pay his "crew." Meanwhile, the crew would stay and finish the work, he said. That was the last I heard from him. The next thing I knew he and the crew were gone with much work remaining to be completed. I never got a chance to inspect the work. Only after they left did I discover the mess they made with the tree debris, the fact that one tree scheduled to be removed was still standing, that shrubs were damaged and that an ornamental tree was cut down. I called Tom Fowler and requested that they return and complete the job. He displayed a very unprofessional attitude, saying something to the effect that "your payment indicates satisfaction with the work." He then said he would "swing by and take a look." I never heard from him again and subsequent calls to his cell phone and messages left all went unanswered. By the way, I learned a couple of weeks later that he pulled a similar trick on the neighbor who sent Tom to see me. Only one tree and not as much money was involved, but it was a similar trick of requesting the money and then disappearing without completing the job. The neighbor had specifically told Fowler NOT to come on one particular day because the neighbor would be leaving the house at 9 a.m. and would be gone the rest of that day. Fowler showed up about 8:30 that day, cut the tree, asked for payment as my neighbor was leaving the house. Apparently, Fowler left immediately after receiving payment, leaving a mess for my neighbor to pay someone else to clean up. We all know not to pay someone (especially someone who is knocking on doors looking for work) until the job is completed, but Tom Fowler is a smooth talker and appeared to be trustworthy. While he was standing around while the others worked, he and I even talked about other lawn and patio projects that I might hire him to do. That definitely will NOT happen now that I know what kind of person he really is. This neighbor is heavily wooded with the potential for future work, but Fowler ruined his chances for recommendations here. My neighbor and I have alerted the Neighborhood Association members NOT to hire this guy.

I have several issues with the service they provided: They were not prepared with the equiptment that they needed for the job so the workers stopped several times to go and get different tools and equipment. Thomas came before the job was completed and asked for payment. He didn't provide me with an invoice or a business card, which I had asked for. It really bothered me that he asked for payment before the job was complete. He said he was in a bind, so I did it because I wanted to give a break to a small buisness man. I will never do this again. They didn't finish trimming the holly tree which they were supposed to do. I have called him several times and he has not returned my call or sent someone over to finish the job that they were paid to do.