PROBLEM SOLVERS: AG’s office investigates Comstock Park tree removal company for ‘grossly excessive prices’

By Marisa Oberle

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    COMSTOCK PARK, Michigan (WXMI) — A tree removal company in Kent County faces allegations of unlawful business practices from the Michigan Attorney General’s Office.

According to a notice of intended action letter obtained by FOX 17, Dustin Meyers and his limited liability company, Servcore Group, are accused of violating the state’s Consumer Protection Act, including charging grossly excessive prices and misleading customers.

Servcore is based in Comstock Park.

An attorney for Meyers says the company follows all laws and regulations in completing its work.

“When I tell friends that I have a tree bill that was $2[5],000, their response is ‘Did they take down the forest?’” said Nancy Michaels, who lives in Grand Rapids.

Michaels hired Meyers last July after a tree fell on her house during a thunderstorm.

At the time, she says he assured her insurance company would cover the cost of the job.

Meyers charged $25,410 for the removal.

Michaels was shocked by the price as was her provider, State Farm.

“My [agent] got the invoice… and he said, I’ve never seen a tree bill that high,’” said Michaels.

State Farm paid out what they deemed as reasonable expenses occurred, approximately $6,659.

Over the following months though, Michaels says Meyers repeatedly asked her to pay the remaining amount, which she refused.

Then in February, Michaels got a demand for payment letter from a local law firm.

It threatened legal action if her debt was not paid within a week.

“I was scared,” said Michaels. “I’m 65 years old. I am a single mom with two college kids. I want to retire in a year and I’m trying right now to get everything paid so that I can have a great retirement.”

Michaels’ case is similar to the ones laid out by the attorney general’s office in its notice to Meyers.

“The consumers supplying us affidavits were all told their insurance would be billed, and they were not quoted prices for the tree removal services,” wrote the AG’s office. “Later, each learned that Servcore had submitted absurdly high invoices to their insurance companies.”

In one case, the department says a man was charged $20,400 for the removal of, “a single dangling limb that caused no meaningful damage.”

When he did not pay Meyers, a lien was placed on his home for the unpaid balance.

“We understand from responses to complaints that you have supplied to this Office through an attorney that you believe your contracts with these consumers allows you to transact business in this way,” added the AG’s Office in its notice. “You are wrong.”

The notice applies to Timber Ridge Tree Care, Maple Valley Tree Service and other aliases used by Servcore.

A records search revealed Meyers has opened up 36 businesses under Servcore since 2020. Many of them deal with tree removal and other landscaping services.

Michaels notes that when she first spoke to Meyers, she was under the impression that she was hiring Ada Tree Service.

The contract she signed was with Maple Valley Tree Service. The crew that came to her house had Timber Ridge Tree Care plastered on their trucks.

“I called Dustin and I said, ‘Dustin, I have a very uneasy feeling about this,’” said Michaels. “He said, ‘Well, if you send us away, it will be four hours, I’ll charge you for four hours.’ I said, ‘Ok, well I hope you’ll be fair.’”

She hopes everything goes away.

“I don’t need any money, I don’t want to pay him any money,” said Michaels. “I just want it to be settled.”

An attorney for Meyers declined to answer specific questions about the attorney general’s investigation or Michaels’ case due to the ongoing nature of the matter but provided the following statement:

“Servcore provided Ms. Michaels with prompt same-day service on a Sunday that was safe, professional, and effective in resolving her tree emergency. Servcore strives to provide the same professional service to all its customers. It is unfortunate that Ms. Michaels’ insurer is refusing to pay Servcore for the prompt, safe, and effective work that ultimately mitigated the insurers’ liability to Ms. Michaels. The carrier’s denial of payment, in this case, was improper and wrongful. Servcore is aware of the Michigan Office of the Attorney General’s inquiry and the apparent general investigation into the emergency tree removal industry. Servcore has followed all Local, State, and Federal laws and regulations in completing its emergency tree removal work, including adhering to the Michigan Consumer Protection Act. Servcore respects the attention the Office of the Attorney General is giving to the emergency tree service industry, and desires to be a partner in helping it understand the industry to reach common goals rather than becoming an opponent to already aligned positions.”

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