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Fri 30 Jul, 2004 08:52 pm
Is this normal? These cheap-o house painters are trashing the garden here at the place I rent (I am the garden caretaker, so it's sort of personal).
At the end of the 1st day I asked them not to lean their ladders against the struggling honeysuckle vine. The guy said, "oh, ok, I don't know plants so well." They moved the ladders and I collected branches that they had ripped off some shrubs.
At the end of the second day, I came home to find 3 large tree branches laying across my garden and had to cut them up that night myself. The yews have been trampled.
The third morning I left the house and saw that they laid a tarp on my potted ferns.
Soon, they'll be moving around to more intensley planted areas and I am afraid I'll lose lots of little green babies.
I only rent, so I can't really complain too much. But, I want to know if this is normal painter behavior. Anyone know?
It sounds like they're making some kind of effort to avoid damaging the plants.
But not good enough, in my opinion.
Tell them you expect payment for every plant destroyed and their caution should increase dramatically.
Doesn't sound too unusual. They were hired to paint, not maintain the garden. If the landlord didn't ask them to watch out for the garden they won't care much. They'll only be interested, really, in the directions of whoever is paying their bill.
When the roofers were done at my place, they removed all of the ground cover and mulch I'd been developing in my front garden for 4 years. I was p!ssed, but I'd not talked to the guy who did the quote about the ground cover. My fault.
Yeah, Beth, I know there's not much I can do besides maybe removing all the plants and putting them back when they leave.
Gus, were I paying the bill, I would ask payment for damages to plants.
They don't exactly sound like they're trying very hard to oblige, littlek.
I will loan you my Winchester '94, you take it outside when they are painting, have a sitdown facing them and lay the 30-30 across your lap.
littlek--
Tell your landlord. You didn't plant those yew trees and the deprivation of shade is reflected in your energy bills.
You know the stchik--"More in sorrow than in anger....."
At the very least ask the landlord to tell them to be careful. They'll listen to him (since he has the $$) not you.
Dys - if I didn't have to work, I'd maybe take you up on that offer.
The plants seem to be holding up to having tarps lain upon them. I have told the landlords of my concerns, but didn't tell them to speak with the painters about it. We're not sure how much english they understand. Now the couple on the third floor has returned and one of them is Brazillian, so maybe she can talk with them about it.
It's really hot and really humid here. They've got all the screens off my windows, so I can't even really open them. I dug into the screen pile, found what I think are some of mine and put them back in the windows. Now I can get some cooler air in here.
David Emerson - you're not from MA are you?
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