Ummm NO THANKS! Pics of places/jobs you've TURNED DOWN

[Hedgemaster]

This may be a bad idea for a thread, but I thought it would be funny to share pics of potential client's properties that were just NOT worth taking on - for any price.

I've gone to look at several over the last few days and at a few, I never even got out of the truck - I just drove on.
I SHOULD have taken a pic because some are SO unbelievable that a pic is the only way to fully appreciate the magnitude of the MESS that some people expect you to work with.

Heck, even if you don't have a photo, feel free to describe some of your "Oh, HELL no" estimates that left you wondering just WHO would actually TAKE the job.



I'll be back later with pics. :)

[Sprinkler Buddy]

I actually like those now and then if they are willing to pay the price. They often aren't willing to pay. Lol

I like taking an overgrown dump and turning them back into a nice lawn again.

[SECTLANDSCAPING]

didnt take? How about took but charged 4xs as much?

This guy thought he was saving money by waiting till june for his first mowing.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/392566_10150944710524544_605874543_9780727_1260263 886_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/553496_10150944711799544_1503556273_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/533064_10150806717649544_1487455768_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/249787_10150201823204544_7406163_n.jpg
Look at the picnic table! 20 acres of 12" high grass.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/253666_10150201823654544_7437687_n.jpg

https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/228234_10150196476759544_2620398_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/248685_10150196476989544_4373978_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/254353_10150212807194544_5440257_n.jpg

[Hedgemaster]

I received a voicemail requesting a quote a few days ago.
"I live in Florida and I'm here visiting my mother - her grass hasn't been cut since I was here last - I need a quote to have it cut and I'm leaving on Thursday".

She did leave an address on the message and I looked it up online, but due to the trees, I couldn't get a good view of the property. I called and said I'd get over to take a look as soon as possible.
I ended up getting tied up and couldn't make it by Thursday, so I called to let her know. She said that it was OK - that she found someone who could do it the next day. She asked if I could still stop by for an estimate in case the other guy wasn't going to do it on a regular basis. "Sure, no problem", I said.
"Is that road a through way, or would I need to turn around?" I like to ask so I don't drive up a road with a trailer only to find no easy way out. She verified that it IS a dead end, AND noted that it was a dirt road. The other details she left out. I'll explain further later with video...

Keep in mind that I live in and service the suburbs of a CITY.
This is the entrance to her "street". (Yes, there's even a street sign)


http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o483/OakLeafLawnService/Estimates/Deliverance%20Estimate%20-%20Verona/20120601_164011.jpg


Also keep in mind that I had just put my chrome wheels back on and had washed my truck a few days ago. Against my better judgement, I decided to "Gopher it". ( :D )

Here's video of my journey IN to go do this estimate. I had a feeling that words would not adequately describe this, so I got out my phone and shot video...
(click image - you can then click in the bottom for full screen)

Video quality is degraded a bit by Photobucket, so it's not as clear as the original file.
Note that I did NOT upload the video of my trip OUT as a result of the excessive profanity. :o

http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o483/OakLeafLawnService/Estimates/Deliverance%20Estimate%20-%20Verona/th_20120601_164026.jpg (http://s1144.photobucket.com/albums/o483/OakLeafLawnService/Estimates/Deliverance%20Estimate%20-%20Verona/?action=view&current=20120601_164026.mp4)


NONE of these freaking properties had HOUSE NUMBERS. From what I could tell from her description and judging by the condition of the "lawn", I determined that this was the place...

http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o483/OakLeafLawnService/Estimates/Deliverance%20Estimate%20-%20Verona/20120601_164536.jpg

http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o483/OakLeafLawnService/Estimates/Deliverance%20Estimate%20-%20Verona/20120601_164431.jpg

http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o483/OakLeafLawnService/Estimates/Deliverance%20Estimate%20-%20Verona/20120601_164524.jpg

You know, even if this lawn had been cut last WEEK, I still wouldn't have come back down that road to cut this property. I have no idea how anyone could travel that crater-filled "road" on a daily basis. I had made up my mind about fifty feet into that jungle passage that I wasn't coming back.

Side note:
I'd like to build a time machine so I could go back and beat the snot out of whatever redneck it was who created the first "tractor-trailer tire planter". On what planet does that look like something OTHER than an old tire turned into a pot?

http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o483/OakLeafLawnService/Estimates/Deliverance%20Estimate%20-%20Verona/20120601_164457.jpg

GO BUT A POT!
(end rant)




OH! And I got another voicemail asking if I had been by to look. "The guy who was supposed to cut it didn't show up."

Cripes. I wonder why. :rolleyes:

[jrayb39667]

Haha, that looks like a yard in south MS, that people ask.... why are you going to charge me so much to cut it?

[SECTLANDSCAPING]

Wow I was thinking the chainsaw massacre was going to hop out of the woods.

thats bad! Thats a bit more then overgrown buddy. You need a bobcat with a brush cutter attachment, probably $450-500 a day. With that machine you would be out of there in 20 mins. I wouldve told them $1500 knowing they would never pay it.

[Sprinkler Buddy]

Love the video! Lol That's when you wish you hadn't had the trailer behind ya. I have been down that road a couple of times. Lol

[Hedgemaster]

Love the video! Lol That's when you wish you hadn't had the trailer behind ya. I have been down that road a couple of times. Lol


Glad you enjoyed the show. :D

Holy crap I'm glad I asked ahead of time about the road and went without my trailer.


The worst part was I just washed the truck. Sure, it rained that day, but I wasn't expecting to go mudding...

http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o483/OakLeafLawnService/Estimates/Deliverance%20Estimate%20-%20Verona/20120601_165249.jpg

http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o483/OakLeafLawnService/Estimates/Deliverance%20Estimate%20-%20Verona/20120601_165232.jpg



Look. A parasite!

http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o483/OakLeafLawnService/Estimates/Deliverance%20Estimate%20-%20Verona/20120601_165312.jpg


I'm washing the truck tomorrow and I'd better not find any scratches on the sides.

[Hedgemaster]

I was watching the local news this evening when they mentioned a house fire in the area. I recognized the name of the road, but couldn't place it - until they started talking about the difficulty getting fire trucks and water to the remote location. They showed the "road", and I knew...

It was the house in the above post. The one with the charcoal grill in the driveway.
The grill was still there on the news footage - house burned badly - 90 year old and pet made it out alive.

I just watched the video (posted above) again and I'm still pissed that I went on that estimate!

[SECTLANDSCAPING]

I was watching the local news this evening when they mentioned a house fire in the area. I recognized the name of the road, but couldn't place it - until they started talking about the difficulty getting fire trucks and water to the remote location. They showed the "road", and I knew...

It was the house in the above post. The one with the charcoal grill in the driveway.
The grill was still there on the news footage - house burned badly - 90 year old and pet made it out alive.

I just watched the video (posted above) again and I'm still pissed that I went on that estimate!
I cut a few of these yards and the reason was the FIRE MARSHALL! Its a safety issue but thats not why the homeowners paid it was because of the $500 fine.