ANGRY Neighbor claims, “Your crew damaged my car!”

One of our core values at Hamms Arborcare and the Game Of Trees is extreme ownership, after the book by the same title by Jaco Willink and Leif Babin. So when a client or a neighbor claims we did damage, I always pay a visit to investigate and see what we can do to mitigate the situation. My policy, in situations where we made a mistake or had an incident, is to make the client happy that we made that mistake. Ordinarily, that means going above and beyond a reasonable effort to correct the situation at hand. But what about a situation where it is quite unlikely that we were involved. Today’s video is just such a situation. You be the judge and jury in the comments and give suggestions as to what my actions should be. Please like and subscribe. Don’t forget to visit www.gameoftree... where all of your purchases help support our Guatemala project teaching biologist how to access the rainforest canopy . hammsarborcare... 

[@MarkStuve]

I can almost guarantee that that car wasn't there when we did the job! Whole crew was there, no one saw it...

[@GameofTrees]

Thanks Mark

[@GameofTrees]

Eye witness account 😃

[@fullhousebuckin]

This is why i ALWAYS take pictures and videos of the job and surrounding area BEFORE and AFTER. ppl always want something for free

[@DeanKullhem]

You have great restraint from telling this guy to go pound sand

[@GameofTrees]

👍🏻

[@alotl1kevegas860]

Mechanic here. Those marks above the door are 100% from someone trying to break into the car. Those are pry marks. Someone tried prying open the door to open it with a coat hanger. I would fight this tooth and nail. Guy probably locked his keys in his car a while back and did it himself. Then probably seen you guys there, and decided to blame you for their fuck up.

[@GameofTrees]

Good forensic 👍🏻

[@alotl1kevegas860]

@@GameofTrees I have a tendency to notice the small details everyone else misses. My ocd is off the charts lol. I hope this helps Kevin. I would point that out to the customer. Do any of the neighbors have cameras?

[@mikeb1276]

Mechanic here too and I agree. It's a little hard to tell in video, but it looks like someone trying to break in with a coat hanger.

[@mysticmom616]

Anyone who watches your videos knows toy would absolutely claim responsibility if there any chance you were responsible. You’re a stand up guy. Definitely stand your ground on this! Not your fault!!❤️

[@GameofTrees]

👍🏻 thanks

[@debbiebertram]

I’m glad you stood up for your guys. You have trained them well and THEY are always proud of the work they do. Maybe this guy was wanting the money and then he can spend it the way he wants.

[@GameofTrees]

I trust my guys implicitly

[@h.i.m.dishonmaurice2599]

He is a pest. Absolutely no proper basis for a claim. "Please relocate from our space; you are contaminating it. Thank you."

[@raymondjagneaux2430]

Looks like tool marks from someone trying to Jimmy a door.

[@joncozzi1701]

So the body shop guy has seen lots of cars that have had tree branches dragged over them? I think not! Further more did he say they had done the work to remove the scratches? If so where are the photos? The little specks we saw were 100% not caused by tree branches! You are a cool headed fella, much respect.

[@WildHeightsTreeService]

I don’t know a single tree crew that would EVER. DO. THAT.. and I’ve seen some janky crews😂, but to accuse somebody as reputable as you is like dropping an ice cream cone then expecting them to replace it for you, love your work Kevin, hope to get to meet you at an event some day!

[@GameofTrees]

👍🏻

[@mikelritchjr5911]

It looks like to me someone locked the keys in the car & used the ol metal coat hanger trick & that chipped the paint on his piller post

[@GameofTrees]

Exactly

[@fullhousebuckin]

I wish i would have known about you when i lived at home still. It would have been an honor to work with you and for you Kevin.

[@GameofTrees]

👍🏻

[@br-dj2ti]

There's no way tree branches put big Nicks into the side of the door like that up top there's no way possible

[@GameofTrees]

👍🏻

[@Haskintreecare]

I am a small tree company starting up thank you so much for all the knowledge you put on your videos it really helps from the way you carry yourself

[@GameofTrees]

Best of luck!

[@JLMTreeService]

@ 6:00 You can clearly tell the marks on the driver door are from a screwdriver or something trying to Jimmy the door open cuz he locked his keys in the car... Trying to get something for nothing!!!

[@brady1098]

"WELL if your not going to pay my body shop bill could you atleast get these branches out of my yard ?" "There's no shot those branches are from us" "It's my only shot" 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Guy probably scratched his car himself using a snow shovel to clean his car ! I did it to my first car at 16 scratches look identical

[@GameofTrees]

👍🏻

[@jeffharvey6768]

Kevin.... you did a great job in talking to that guy.... unfortunately..... this world has a lot of people looking to blame others for anything bad that happens to them. When I have new customers I always take before and after pictures for the customer and a video that they don't see because I have had similar situations and there's nothing like a video to back up the truth. You made perfect sense in explaining to him how you would have done the job. The time lapse from when he got a hold of you is what would keep me from getting on board with his point of view. You were very professional which in this situation would be very difficult for myself.

[@GameofTrees]

Thanks Jeff

[@kennethreich2943]

Those nicks by the door, with the car that close to the road, I’d say gravel in snow!!! And I can’t see how branches can even do that sort of paint damage even if someone tried

[@GameofTrees]

👍🏻

[@kennethreich2943]

Also…your approach certainly seems to fulfil in my opinion 1 Timothy 3:7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside… Respectable!

[@jamesmorrison1884]

That's ridiculous No way branches did anything to that car. Have a great day.

[@GameofTrees]

👍🏻

[@kathrynbraun2073]

Make sure you have good relationship with your neighbor so that they notify you when scheduling a tree cutting, so you can move/remove your vehicles; because “every” tree cutting service is going to do due diligence to mitigate damages to surrounding property

[@tcirregninwehc3689]

This was the most frustrating video to watch. No reputable worker would do such a thing. Hypothetically, even if someone did, that car would have been covered and essentially protected by snow/pack. Side note, not the first person I’ve seen to not comprehend how sticks fall naturally or with a weather event and unseen in snow. Wowzers!

[@GameofTrees]

Now imagine being there and interacting and having to think of civil things to say 😃

[@br-dj2ti]

Also if there was 12 inches of snow what in his car have been covered with snow or did he clean it off before he left to take his truck you know what I mean does that make sense

[@GameofTrees]

Exactly 😃

[@jamiechandler5218]

Been in the business 30+ years, you could fall a tree on top of that car and it still wouldn’t make marks like that… You would need metal branches to cause marks like that ,we all know he’s trying it on . Well done on your restraint, I think I would’ve just walked away …..

[@GameofTrees]

👍🏻

[@AndrewAntonelli-dj4qt]

insperaton on how i should act in this situation. i like to think id be so understanding but in times i havnt. good video kevin,

[@Tantrum791]

What an awkward claim, this 100% seems like something I would have to deal with in some of the areas I do tree work. Hope all goes well and nothing happens to taint your company’s reputation.

[@joegrochowski669]

above the door it is ?? maybe a wedding ring contact as he gets in or out of car,, great job on getting thin by the way

[@GameofTrees]

👍🏻

[@br-dj2ti]

I'll tell you what Kevin I love how you handle people you're straightforward with it and you don't tolerate No bulshit I like that about you and that's how you should be and everybody should be you tell them how it is that's great God bless you Kevin

[@Flashblade]

Take photos of the general work site before and after for documentation purposes.

[@GameofTrees]

They could actually be added to the notes in any work order. That’s a good idea

[@55VickyV]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@L3Dhelpguide]

No way a branch chips out that edge like that

[@carsonstead6126]

Looks like someone wearing a ring or rings on fingers using that area of car to get in or out of seat.

[@GameofTrees]

Nice forensic 👍🏻

[@perrytoften6975]

Those are definite ring chips. Tree branches don't chip paint they scratch the paints

[@terryfuller8724]

The gravel in front of the yard serviced aligned with a plow and gravel.

[@daveloderhose874]

I like the gravel from snowplow theory.

[@GameofTrees]

👍🏻

[@z4u68]

The scratches on the door.... On the beam above the door the door had to be open for the damage only to go to that corner or edge rather. No way that's going to sbratch with the door closed.

[@GameofTrees]

Nice point 👍🏻

[@motleyassortment5512]

Next time ,take a 360 video tape or picture of what is near your work area that way on the day you work. Include your work area. You can review if the car was there or not. If car weren't there ( in video) on day you started work until you finished job than the branch could have fallen of tree by itself or got blown on car by the wind.

[@z4u68]

I've seen a post... Somebody used to code hanger.... That's exactly what the guy said and that's right.... Look. Directly down from those Chips... I bet you will see the door handle or the door lock button

[@GameofTrees]

👍🏻

[@Schlapahoe]

Ice scraper.

[@GameofTrees]

👍🏻👍🏻

[@ClimberinChrist]

You represent Christ well. The flesh definitely would want to handle that differently. God bless. It does look like impact from gravel from a plow truck. Crazy how little critical thinking and observation skills he has. It’s clear those marks are not from brush dragging across.

[@GameofTrees]

By grace

[@Bixby-and-Buckshot]

Hey I’m pretty sure your crew also scratched my pickup truck sitting in my garage in Minnesota. I’ll take my payment in Husqvarna chainsaws. It looks like about a 562 mk 2 amount of damage. 🙂

[@GameofTrees]

😂

[@rmsbrooks1]

this dude's try....lol..FAIL!

[@adrianm8852]

You should have one of your crew always wear a body cam. Footage the car wasn't there = definitely no claim.

[@GameofTrees]

👍🏻

[@havespurswillclimb]

Definitely does not look like branch damage. NO WAY! Those nicks on the roof edge are not conducive to branch dragging and the wood would have to be substantial to chip the paint. The door scratches look just like paw drag marks. I know dogs. Damage discovered more than a month after your job?? Car was driven, moved around....who knows what happened. Dragging a branch or two over the car would not chip the roof edge like that. Ask who has driven the auto between time of your job and discovery of damage.

[@GameofTrees]

All valid points

[@br-dj2ti]

That does not look like brain scratches at all to me neither especially over the corner there it would not even happen like that

[@Christo-Cola]

All used cars get scratches and dings. Buy the guy a vial of $20 touch up paint. There is no body work to be done here. Bro is paying 100x more in depreciation on that car than the paint he is concerned about.

[@GameofTrees]

👍🏻

[@waltjames9988]

That damage looks like someone tried to break into the car, why would you take your car to the a body shop to get an oil change? His story is inconsistent

[@hankjordan2602]

Looks like video the area before and after.

[@johndunbar2393]

If they dragged something from the yard, across the car, it would be the passenger side that took the brunt of it. As the branch came off the retaining wall, the weight of it would put put the force of it onto the corner of the passenger side, not the driver side. Not to mention, to chip it down to primer, or bare metal? Another note, when he says "I don't have dogs", I've never seen a place, even with dog ordinances, that doesn't have a stray dog every now and again. Whether he has a dog or not, is completely irrelevant. I agree with someone else in the comments. It looks like someone tried to jimmy the door open, to break into it. If it was a snow plow throwing gravel, it would've been down the whole side of the car. If he's afraid to turn it into his insurance (he likely has full coverage, I'd think), it really could've been his own doing, locking the keys in the car. Something is fishy here.

[@GameofTrees]

Thanks for the detailed response 👍🏻

[@joncozzi1701]

Just watched this again. At 14:10 the neighbor says “ I’m not lying to you about that” something in his tone makes me feel he made much of the story up, Mmmm

[@GameofTrees]

Yeah, that was a funny statement

[@artillerest43rdva7]

blame you so it is not out of his pocket. anyone that parks on the road will get damage from stones, mud and anything else a semi can throw at it. branches would leave abrasion over regular chips and odd rub marks. everyone wants a “free lunch”.

[@4.0gpa44]

That damage is so small he might just try to pocket the $1,000 and not get it fixed. One possibility is he used a ice scraper and damaged it himself, but didn't initially notice it, and then thought it was you guys. That's about the most charitable interpretation I can think of. It's fairly likely that he was just greedy for money and knowingly decided to falsely occuse you.

[@GameofTrees]

👍🏻

[@NickTaylor-lm1lv]

To me it looks like someone tried to break in with a Jimmie stick or he locked the keys in the car and tried to pop the lock with a coat hanger that is not tree damage.

[@GameofTrees]

Yup

[@NickTaylor-lm1lv]

@@GameofTrees I did repossessions for a few years and know what a door jam looks like if not careful on popping a lock. And that looks like someone was careless or in a hurry or a little bit buzzed up

[@pwaterdu]

There is no "case" here. Peoples accusations run as wild as they're imaginatiins at times. Snowplows push brush as easily as snow and often throw gravel at fairly high speed. Also what if his wife or such drove the car elsewhere, it got scratched, she didnt notice but he did later? etc etc

[@BroJerHWG]

No video.... no eyewitness... no crew statements... 😂😂😂these claims are bogus and the neighbor is looking for $$$ hes not entitled to... imho... 😂😂😂

[@uppergorple]

Nah.

[@PlayinDead]

Technically, you really don't know what the body shop said. Only his word for it. 🤷‍♀

[@GameofTrees]

True😃

[@homeguardster]

its a pos hyundai.... why is this even a convo.

[@GameofTrees]

😃

[@troyerthedestroyer]

Lol, I don't own a dog.

[@GameofTrees]

People walk there dogs right past his car😃

[@troyerthedestroyer]

@@GameofTrees Love the way you handled this bro!