One Lufkin woman is trying to warn others about a possible "tree-cutting scam" after she says her elderly father was taken advantage of by lawn-care workers.
Carol Beckham, of Lufkin, said her 87-year-old father was duped into paying for services that were never completed and the company won't return their calls.
Steven Alford/The Lufkin Daily News |
The children of an 87-year-old Lufkin man say he was duped into paying for lawn care services that were never provided. The man claims to have paid for tree cutting and removal, but the logs have been sitting in the yard of his Brookhollow home for two weeks.
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"My father is from a different era when people could trust each other and your word was your bond," she said. "Unfortunately these guys came over and gave him a sob story about how they needed the money up front and he went along with it."
Beckham said the lawn-care men cut the trees down as her father requested, but instead of hauling them off, as agreed, the limbs were left all over his yard. That was two weeks ago, she said.
"He paid them his money and they just took off with it," Beckham said.
Beckham said she has not been able to get in touch with the lawn care company that handled the job, which she said went by Southern Lawn and Tree Service.
"I started asking around about any problems with tree services in Brookhollow and their name kept coming up," she said.
A spokesman for a Southern Lawn and Tree Service, based out of Zavalla, called The Lufkin Daily News Tuesday saying another business has been operating under a similar name, Southern Tree and Lawn Service, and that his company has been having to clean up the messes they leave behind.
"I've had calls out to my attorney and my insurance to try and clean up the mess this other company is causing," said Dale Townsend, of Southern Lawn and Tree Service. "They are going around tarnishing my business's name, and we're a small company. I've got four kids to feed, and I don't know how much we can take."
Townsend said he had spoken with the Beckhams and plans to clean up their yard for free.
Lufkin Police Department spokesman Lt. David Young said the police department advises citizens to get agreements in writing and not pay all at once for services.
"Unfortunately, I haven't heard of this particular company or any tree-cutting scams," Young said. "Folks like these tend to pop up and go around trying to get jobs and then head out of town after a little while. We strongly encourage people not to pay until the job is done and to get any contract in writing."
Beckham said she will continue to pursue reimbursement for the unfinished work at her father's house if the matter is not handled properly.
The man's son, Blair Beckham, said people need to be aware that not all people claiming to offer services door-to-door are credible.
"When pine trees start getting red at the top you know they are dead up there, and people will start coming around offering to cut them down," he said.
"These guys talked to my dad when we weren't here and he was taken advantage of. I just want people to be aware that this happens and to not trust somebody just because they walk up to your door."
Any information about any possible scams can be directed to the Lufkin Police Department at 633-0356.
