09/27/2024
PSA: I had a tree company call me while they were at one of my listings today. They said the owner had ordered a tree removed. I responded within minutes, because that's what I do with my listings, I'm there in minutes. I contacted the owner, as well as neighbors, and no such order was put in. It wasn't by fault of the tree company, but there's some sort of scam going on.
The company showed me a text they received from a number that didn't accept calls nor texts, wanting a tree removed, pretending to be the owner.
The company showed up expecting to perform, but no one had ordered the tree removed. Not even SCE, which I made a call to to verify. The company graciously backed off..
But it still stands, that it's a strange scam. It could be that the tree company works off of a referral system that they've paid into, similar to Realtors. They pay a certain amount into a system, for referrals.
Keep an eye out for this type of activity. Keep an eye on your neighbor's properties as well, especially ones that are part-time.