# Guy caught plowing one of my lots....for free!



## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

A friend of mine was driving by one lot we do, its one of three local chain stores we do. He says "hey do you have anyone plowing xyz lot?" I said no, it didn't snow at all in the past couple days. Long story short there's some guy in there plowing. I called the store owner and he says "to be honest with you, there's been a couple guys who really want this account and he comes in here and plow's it when he thinks it needs it" WHAT!!! A) there's no snow on the lot, B) its our contract. The owner has no idea who it is (yeah right) but says well its good for both of us.......its good for you but how is it good for us? So I talk to the main owner and he says just get his license plate number bla, bla and acts like its no big deal. I said to him I cant even believe I'm having this coversation, what if he hits something or someone you are you guys going to blame.....ME! I also said not to mention just the fact these are our accounts. I have never heard of anything like this what an idiot! I could see if they were trying something they fixed but plowing someone elses lot )with zero snow on it) and for free. Nothing adds up. Follow up call tomorrow.


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## b&b landscapes (Nov 7, 2010)

Get the prop owner to agree that the gentleman in question is "trespessing" and then catch the guy there doing it again and call the cops and approach him. Tell him he is trespessing and the cops are on the way, express the owners wishes for the lot to be plowed ONLY by your company. When the police arrive make sure they understand the property owner does not want this guy plowing and to be warned off the property and will be charged if found doing it again.

I say this because you are correct in thinking that if this guy screws up anything you may to be at blame... if the property owner will not agree then maybe a little "get the he!! off your contract" 'talk'!


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## Matson Snow (Oct 3, 2009)

Is that Lower than Lowballing................i will call it Freeballing.....


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## toby4492 (Dec 28, 2005)

Maybe he's just pre-plowing for you


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## AA+ Landscaping (Nov 12, 2008)

Two years ago I got a new commercial grass account and some guy was cutting it. He cut it 2 times before I could tell him he didn't have that account any more.


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## 496 BB (Feb 11, 2010)

I would express to the owners that he is NOT affiliated with your company and record the conversation or do it in email so you have records of it. Now your in a better position if anything should occur. Now just let him plow his little heart out until hes content. Gotta love idiots!!!!


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## qualitycut (Jan 13, 2008)

I have had people plow my lots with snow in them by accident, but no snow and doing it? Are they trying to show they can get closer to the pavement than you?


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## Matson Snow (Oct 3, 2009)

toby4492;1164757 said:


> Maybe he's just pre-plowing for you


Did a Pre-salt follow the Pre-plow?????........


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## nor'easter1 (Jan 28, 2003)

Sounds to me like you lost an account. Everyone who controls the property is giving you not so straight answers. Good luck with situation I hope it works out in your favor.


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## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

Matson Snow;1164755 said:


> Is that Lower than Lowballing................i will call it Freeballing.....


I think freeballing means something else.


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## Matson Snow (Oct 3, 2009)

cretebaby;1164839 said:


> I think freeballing means something else.


:laughing::laughing:....It has Many Meanings....


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## deereequipment (Jul 12, 2007)

I wonder if he'll actually send them a bill for the plowings???


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## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

Brian you should send him a bill for "management" services. I can see the new national management company now. BYM.


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## RepoMan207 (Oct 7, 2008)

.....He's obviously plowing something.?.?.?


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## Jguck25 (Oct 30, 2009)

This happened to me last year on a private road, but there was snow.. lol The guy was looking for a lot of bids during the summer and he signed more than one contract. He signed someone elses contract first, which i did not know about, and then he signed mine saying he wanted me to do it. After the first storm the other guy showed up while i was halfway done plowing it and asked what i was doing. I told him that i had a signed contract from this guy, but yet so did the other guy. My price was 5 more per push and he went with me because the other guy had a bad reputation. It was very aggravating until it was all taken care of


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## dayexco (Oct 30, 2003)

i would immediately go to the owner's office, "i hope you took pics of the property before you started this fall"....and insist he sign a damage to property disclaimer. all you need is to fix a bunch of curbs/landscaping this spring not caused by you


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

Well, like I said, I'm doing a follow up call tomorrow. I went to the two other stores and both owner's said no problems at all with the plowing. We've been doing them for years now, just doesn't add up.


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## Young Pup (Aug 13, 2004)

Dealing with something similar here myself. Getting old real quick. I have even talked to the contractor 3 times on the phone.Good Luck I hope it all works out for you.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

RepoMan207;1164861 said:


> .....He's obviously plowing something.?.?.?


Kinda thinking the same thing.....


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## Flawless440 (Dec 6, 2010)

Had the same thing, i got paid for the other guys work all winter. I never saw him do it, he did a great job to. I was hire by the owner of the building and the think the tenet hire the guy. I got paid every month and never herd anything about it.


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## mrsnowman (Sep 18, 2010)

We had that happen two years ago at a chain account. The guy was trying to move in. One of my drivers was going by and stopped to call me. I had my driver block him in and I went straight to him. That was all it took. He never tried it again. He was trying to do the lot for 30% of what I was. The kicker was that his 30% charge for one plow was good for 24 hours no matter how many plows he performed! That could be one charge for as many plows as needed. I would loose gas at that price. Needless to say, he is no longer in business.


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## procutsnow (Aug 24, 2010)

I had it happen twice this season so far with a resi. Showed up and it was already plowed. Spoke with the owner after the first time and she just thought I did it and had no clue who could have done it, second storm same thing. She called around and can't figure out who is doing it. I am of course annoyed that I'm losing money but I also voiced my concern about her getting billed by this guy and that I can't have somebody that doesn't work for my company on the property. She said not to worry that she signed my contract and I could bill her. 

I think it's another companies' driver confused about the property, it is a weird intersection/5 corner situation. I told her she needs to figure out who is doing it and keep them off of the property.


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## dayexco (Oct 30, 2003)

wow, mention SIMA, and post gets yanked...go figger, wow, thank the good Lord i didn't include USM in the post.


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## bronco91 (Dec 14, 2009)

I hope everything works out.


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## slave2lawns (Oct 9, 2008)

dayexco;1165390 said:


> wow, mention SIMA, and post gets yanked...go figger, wow, thank the good Lord i didn't include USM in the post.


LMAO , makes you wanna say hmmmmm


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## rebelplow (Jan 30, 2008)

My question is... are they up to date on paying you? If they are late paying.......perhaps you are the one that's plowing, _the other guys lot_, for free?!?


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## Matson Snow (Oct 3, 2009)

dayexco;1165390 said:


> wow, mention SIMA, and post gets yanked...go figger, wow, thank the good Lord i didn't include USM in the post.


Ya...But i did..Thats why our posts got yanked.....I wonder how it feels to be controlled by *USM*......


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## cubanb343 (Dec 13, 2007)

Interesting. Is the lot shared by another business or something? Probably just a mistake or miscommunication. Not that that ever happens in this business........... Other than that, makes no sense at all


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## wahlturfcare (Oct 24, 2005)

there is one guy in the town where im from who will undercut you for a flat plowing rate to get it and now show up sometimes till a couple days later. He has on times plowed snow up to the loading docks or donuts in the snow to try and steal the property away.

over time, people here have realized he's not reliable. 

I always make contracts and document the property before the snow flies and in the spring.
It also helps to have a list of vehicles with each property owner so they know if its you or not.
This year i am putting gps and cameras in all the trucks because of what the other guy did to one of my clients last year and i got the short blame for it untill they figured it wasnt me. That way the clients can see if im cheating them on time or damaging anything.


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## PhilFromErie (Jun 29, 2009)

So one time a had a guy plowing with me that never ran the route before, we finished up everything and i call him and say ok head over to perkins. I guess i should have been more specific beacuse when the rest of us got there for breakfast it was plowed and salted and my guy was calling me to see where to go next. It was worth the free plow and salt for the entertainment value of joking about it for a year.


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## WIPensFan (Jan 31, 2009)

PhilFromErie;1165816 said:


> So one time a had a guy plowing with me that never ran the route before, we finished up everything and i call him and say ok head over to perkins. I guess i should have been more specific beacuse when the rest of us got there for breakfast it was plowed and salted and my guy was calling me to see where to go next. It was worth the free plow and salt for the entertainment value of joking about it for a year.


:laughing: Thank god you didn't meet up at Walmart or Home Depot.


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

cubanb343;1165724 said:


> Interesting. Is the lot shared by another business or something? Probably just a mistake or miscommunication. Not that that ever happens in this business........... Other than that, makes no sense at all


No its a single lot, the same 4 guys have been doing the same 4 lots for years. We always see each other about the same time every storm and finish up at the same time, its kind of comical.


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## cubanb343 (Dec 13, 2007)

Insane!! I wonder what the real explanation is then, if you'll ever get the real truth out of anyone.


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

cubanb343;1165909 said:


> Insane!! I wonder what the real explanation is then, if you'll ever get the real truth out of anyone.


Hang on, I'm calling him now.....


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## dieseld (Dec 30, 2005)

2COR517;1165112 said:


> Kinda thinking the same thing.....


X2. He cannot possibly be dry plowing the lot can he? If he is I would not be contacting the building owner I would be calling the nuthouse to see if anyone escaped.


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

Here's the story.....They need open by 7am, ok so far they have been with the exception the that first huge storm we got. But since then things have been fine, always open by 6ish. I guess its a friend of the one owner who really wants this contract. The other owner said it only happen this one time and he told the other owner that he cant do that b/c of liability. But I still cant figure out why this dipsh!t would be plowing at 10am and with no snow on the ground. I done trying to wrap my had around it. I guess he's trying to one up me on plowing bare pavement. I said in another post "I'm done trying to figure people out".


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## BossPlow2010 (Sep 29, 2010)

dieseld;1165949 said:


> X2. He cannot possibly be dry plowing the lot can he? If he is I would not be contacting the building owner I would be calling the nuthouse to see if anyone escaped.


The county dry plows the roads


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## Mackman (Nov 3, 2009)

Sorry i wont plow there again. I thought i was helping you out.


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## REAPER (Nov 23, 2004)

Maybe he needed some practice.


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## procut (Dec 1, 2004)

There is a guy around here famous for stuff like that. They will lose a job but they just keep doing it, or bid something and not hear one way or another and just assume they must have got it. 

There was a good example this year, he was told MULTIPLE times that he wasn't supposed to be doing a certain lot, but kept showing up and doing it.


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

Mackman;1166006 said:


> Sorry i wont plow there again. I thought i was helping you out.


DAMN YOU MACKMAN! Next time I catch you its weggie time. purplebou


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## mwadeson (Nov 29, 2010)

we had a guy in town do that to us this year he went into the place and chewed their buts because they had called us. He did it the first snowfall but was late doing it and that is why we got called so he tried to beat us to the punch. He did it and didn't get paid for it. Same guy broke down with no backup and called us wondering if we could do a few lots at the end of the year last year said we could but went through with the owners to show damage that had been done already prior to us coming in just a way to save our a$$.


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## quigleysiding (Oct 3, 2009)

Why don't you just put him to work seems like he needs a job.


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## nekos (Oct 16, 2003)

Brian Young;1165996 said:


> Here's the story.....They need open by 7am, ok so far they have been with the exception the that first huge storm we got. But since then things have been fine, always open by 6ish. I guess its a friend of the one owner who really wants this contract. The other owner said it only happen this one time and he told the other owner that he cant do that b/c of liability. But I still cant figure out why this dipsh!t would be plowing at 10am and with no snow on the ground. I done trying to wrap my had around it. I guess he's trying to one up me on plowing bare pavement. I said in another post "I'm done trying to figure people out".


I use to work with a guy that would plow lots with no snow on them. His reason for doing it...

He had no clue how to bid a parking lot so he would go pretend plow it and see how long it took so he knew how much to charge. This guy was a real gem i tell ya. :laughing:


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## BigLou80 (Feb 25, 2008)

Brian Young;1165996 said:


> Here's the story.....They need open by 7am, ok so far they have been with the exception the that first huge storm we got. But since then things have been fine, always open by 6ish. I guess its a friend of the one owner who really wants this contract. The other owner said it only happen this one time and he told the other owner that he cant do that b/c of liability. But I still cant figure out why this dipsh!t would be plowing at 10am and with no snow on the ground. I done trying to wrap my had around it. I guess he's trying to one up me on plowing bare pavement. I said in another post "I'm done trying to figure people out".


So let me get this straight is has his blade dropped on dry pavement? 
I would head over there and take some pictures of videos of this guy in action as well as document his plate number


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## bmacd1 (Apr 5, 2010)

i had a good semaritain try and plow a large drift in front of one of my fav. lots.....while i was in the back haha needless to say he took down 2 employee parking signs and chunked some curb, and he id'ed himself to the store looking for $20..i talked to the regional manager and that man will now be responible for whatever damage i accumulate this year...only thing that made me mad was he f'ed up my perfect pile near the front, jerk


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

I have a small apartment complex in Danvers (where I live, small town) I do and a kid that lives there has access to an older riding mower.

First snow storm and he's got all the sidewalks clear, and I see him running around the town pushing small drives and even along the roads.

I ended up catching up with him and explained to him the liability issues of him doing the sidewalks at the complex. People sometimes just want to play, but they don't realize the legalities of doing something like that.

He got the idea, I think.............


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## Mackman (Nov 3, 2009)

nekos;1166867 said:


> I use to work with a guy that would plow lots with no snow on them. His reason for doing it...
> 
> He had no clue how to bid a parking lot so he would go pretend plow it and see how long it took so he knew how much to charge. This guy was a real gem i tell ya. :laughing:


Thats how i BID my jobs. Thats not a good way??


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

BigLou80;1167216 said:


> So let me get this straight is has his blade dropped on dry pavement?
> I would head over there and take some pictures of videos of this guy in action as well as document his plate number


Thats exactly what happen,lol The pavement was dry due to a melt off and after he was there it was all slushed up again.


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## dumbyankee (Jul 30, 2010)

Immmmmmm lost. Daaaaa ya heard of a squeege plow. Daaa great on Daaaa dry pavement. Or may be the guy made too much money this year and had to run up some expences for a tax right off. Yaaaa I think thats it. Yaaaaaa


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

BossPlow2010;1166000 said:


> The county dry plows the roads


The state does the same thing around here:realmad::realmad::realmad:.

I think they are all in a.....ah, nevermind.

If I ever get into local politics, my sights are set on the DOT


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## northernsweeper (Aug 26, 2004)

"So one time a had a guy plowing with me that never ran the route before, we finished up everything and i call him and say ok head over to perkins. I guess i should have been more specific beacuse when the rest of us got there for breakfast it was plowed and salted and my guy was calling me to see where to go next. It was worth the free plow and salt for the entertainment value of joking about it for a year. "

I love it!!..:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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