Michigan AG sues tree service companies for alleged price gouging after severe weather
(CBS DETROIT) - Michigan Attorney Dana Nessel has filed a lawsuit alleging that a group of tree service companies price-gouged during storm clean-up services.
The lawsuit was filed against Florida-based Canary Date Sculpting Inc., Michigan-based Holtslander and Sons Tree Service LLC, Mississippi-based Garrison McKinney Tree and Bridge Services and Kentucky-based E&B Contracting.
State officials initiated an investigation into the companies after the 2022 tornado in Gaylord.
According to the lawsuit, the investigation found that between 2021 and 2022, the owner of Canary Date Sculpting allegedly recruited the other businesses to complete clean-up services and misled Michigan consumers "about the nature of the agreements they were signing, the cost of the services they were providing, the potential for financial responsibility for the cost not paid for by insurance, and confusing consumers about their legal rights and obligations."
Officials also found that while Canary Date Sculpting performed no other work after May 2022, Holtslander and Sons allegedly continued "unfair business practices" in 2023, according to the lawsuit.
"After major storms, bad actors take advantage of vulnerable residents desperate to repair damage to their homes and clean up debris," Nessel said in a statement. "My office will not tolerate businesses that exploit consumers with deceptive tactics and will continue to investigate and pursue predatory companies to the fullest extent of the law."
