$10,000 bill for tree removal

Elveisi Moli from All State Tree Loppers.

NAT BROMHEAD

CHARGING an elderly Maryborough woman $10,000 to trim and remove a number of trees from her property was fair pay for a fair day’s work, according to a Logan-based company that is sourcing jobs on the Fraser Coast.

All Queensland Tree Service manager Elveisi Moli said he had discussed the project with the woman at length before his gang of 10 men moved in to perform the work.

“It was up to her to say yes or no; she wasn’t pressured,” he said.

But Mr Moli did concede the woman’s daughter was not happy with the arrangement when she arrived later that day to sign the $10,000 cheque.

“She queried her mother on the amount, but her mother assured her that it was all OK,” he said.

The All Queensland Tree Service has its headquarters in Kingston and often goes on tour looking for work.

It has been in the local area now for some three months and Mr Moli said the business had completed around 50 projects.

He said his operation involved them driving around the local streets and looking at properties to see if they needed tree lopping or tree clearing work done.

“When we see a potential job we knock on the door and ask the owners if they’d like a quote and then we chat about a price,” he said.

“No one is forced and it’s always done politely,” he said.

Mr Moli was working in the Scarness area yesterday morning when we caught up with him.

Police had been chatting with him earlier that morning after they received a phone call from a Scarness resident, who was anxious about strange men being in the area.

Mr Moli said he could understand some residents getting a little concerned when they were approached out of the blue by a stranger but his company couldn’t afford just to sit around in Brisbane and wait for jobs to come in.

“We have to go out and actively seek work; I have 10 people I employ,” he said.

When questioned about the high quote on his recent Maryborough job he said it was the right rate because it involved 11 men working at the property and took seven hours to complete the work.

“There were some trees that were over 80 feet high and this is difficult, skilled work,” he said.

A Scarness resident who had recently employed Mr Moli and his men to remove three trees said she was a little intimidated when one of his workers knocked at her door and offered her a free quote to remove the trees.

The woman, who asked not to be identified, said they told her it would cost $500 but this was reduced to $350 after her husband negotiated a better price.

“What they did was fine and the work was completed in just 15 minutes,” she said.

“I must admit though, when a big gang of men walked on to the property laughing and carrying on I did become a little concerned for my safety.

“I was jumping at shadows but I was glad I had the carpet cleaner man at my house at the time.”