My mother hired a man to clean up her yard. He was referred by a co-worker. It was done all "under the table." But he and his crew did a terrible job. What can we do to resolve the problem? We're afraid that if we complain, he will come back and cause trouble. We don't know where they live or the name of their business. What alternatives do I have? Check out the yard crew
before doing businessUnfortunately, not many. "The bottom line is to check them out before you do business," said Jo Ann Uchida, executive director of the state Office of Consumer Protection.
She encourages people to check her office's prior complaints line - 586-2630 - to find out if other consumers have had problems with a business. After the fact, call 587-3222 to register complaints.
Since you don't even have a name, however, there's probably no recourse. "You take your chances any time you get involved in a situation like this," Uchida said.
"The majority of people have positive experiences (with yardmen), but there's the occasional one that gives you trouble." If there is a problem, file a complaint anyway to warn the next person.
If you were dealing with a landscape architect - someone who does replanting, or plants grass or runs sprinkler lines, for example - then that person or company would be regulated by the state, said Sharon Leng, complaints and enforcement officer with the Regulated Industries Complaints Office.
But they're considered yardmen if only routine maintenance is involved - mowing the lawn, raking leaves, trimming bushes, etc., and not regulated by the Regulated Industries Complaints Office.
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