scrounge gone bad

[basswidow]

Last night on my way home from work, I noticed a house that a tree company had dropped two large trees (bucked rounds covered the entire yard). So this morning, I pull over and spoke with two guys in the front yard (one with a chainsaw). I ask if the wood was free and he said yes. I said " great, I'll go get my truck". They had pushed many of the rounds down to the street (front yard is a hill).

So I call my wife to bring down the truck and we get there around 11am. The guys were missing - but I start loading whats at the street. The next door neighbor comes out and says " shouldn't you ask permission" and the wife comes out of the house. I explained that I had asked earlier at 9 am from the two guys in the front yard. The wife tells me that was the contractor but her husband wants the wood. Oops. I apologize and offer to unload the wood I loaded, but she said I could keep it. I gave her my card for her husband to call me if there is any he doesn't want.

I guess I should have gone up to the house and knocked - but I felt I was already given permission? Am I in the wrong?
Neighbor said I was the 7th truck to just stop and start loading wood. Well, if the other seven were told the same thing by the same guys - I could understand. Now if they were just stopping and taking - thats very wrong. But the guys clearly told me it was free - as they were rolling the rounds to the street.

I thought it looked like oak - but it's hard maple. Nothing to die for, but decent wood.

Scrounging is very competitive here in NNJ....

 

[midwestcoast]

With the tree guys rolling the rounds to the street, they obviously screwed up if the owner had told them he wanted the wood. If they weren't sure then they sure shouldn't have told you to take it.
Could be that the owners had no intention of taking the wood, or just wanted a little for the fireplace, but with all these pick-ups coming around & grabbing the wood they all of a sudden feel like it's worth something, or remember their friend with a woodstove...so now they want it.
NIce touch leaving your #. I'd leave it on the trailer for a day. If the guy comes home & is pissed you can always take it back & smooth things over. More likely they'll get tired of moving & splitting wood & give you a call in a week or 2 to come get the rest.
No use feeling bad when you know you did the right thing & asked first.

 

[basswidow]

I definately feel bad. I am a stand up guy and like to do the right thing always. And I thought I did in this situation. I was very apologetic.

Maybe you're right. In the two hours it took me to get my truck, probably one of the neighbors said they'd take it. Some of the rounds are massive and will require noodling and sledge/wedge. It looked as thought someone had started to noodle some already. The hill is fairly steep and if the rounds get away from you - they would roll right down the hill into traffic. Plus - when you park street side - your truck takes up a travel lane. Bad loading set up. The ones they put down at the street were easy to load.

The wife said she wanted all the rounds pushed down to the street and gone off her yard - so I was wonder what the problem was? Must be a neighbor spoke up for them. Guess I am just alittle disappointed too. I haven't made much headway on next years wood yet.

 

[cygnus]

Hey Bass. It is competitive NJ. I'd say there was some bad communication there on the part of the contractor and if you don't try as you did you may never get anything. Rounds at the street are generally the call sign for 'up for grabs!' and many times I'm too late. That's why I posted this: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/63187/ Thought I could help some of my Hearth neighbors with insight of the listings and area.

 

[smokinj]

You would really think the guy with the "saw" knows where the weight is going to go.....

 

[Wood Duck]

I think you did all that can be expected - you stopped and asked the guys who seemed to be in control of the wood for the wood, and received permission to take the wood. Furthermore, you took it without damaging the property. Perhaps there was a misunderstanding between the tree guys and owner, but not between you and anybody. it seems like you handled the miscommunication politely, so where is the harm? You even provided your name and number in case they want to sue somebody! What a gentleman! I would do the same next time and feel just fine about taking the wood. I have done the same thing several times, and once a homeowner came out to stop me saying 'I think the tree service wants the wood.' As soon as I explained that the tree service had offered me all the wood I could haul away, the dispute was solved.

I have to say I was expecting more excitement based on the title of your post. You may even end up getting a lot of the wood from this scrounge, so it might not be as bad as it seems. I think leaving your name and number is a good idea and might pay off; at the very least it shows your apology was sincere. Around here there are lots of fireplaces and even more backyard fire rings, and everybody thinks they want firewood when it is available free in their very own yard. In reality, most of the wood the tree services cut and stack against the backyard tree ends up rotting because it turns out the homeowner never gets around to that backyard bonfire they were imagining.

 

[oldspark]

Always talk to the owner, saves you heartache and headache.

 

[KingNFM]

Scrounging is very competitive here in NNJ....

Tell me about it. I just moved up to Highland Lakes and in the community that I'm in has no natural gas line. Almost every house up here has either a fireplace or a wood burning stove.

 

[basswidow]

I made the asumption that either of the two men were the owner. Live and learn. I guess it's not all BAD. I did get a near bed full. It's on my drive to work - so I'll be able to see what happens. I've got plenty of other stuff I can get that I know I have permission for, but I always take an interest when I see a yard full of rounds and rounds at the street.

Giving my card could also be a bad thing. The husband could be highly PO'd too! We'll see.

 

[basswidow]

Scrounging is very competitive here in NNJ....

Tell me about it. I just moved up to Highland Lakes and in the community that I'm in has no natural gas line. Almost every house up here has either a fireplace or a wood burning stove.

Yeah - anything that gets cut like this doesn't last long. With the wind we had the night before - I thought there'd be alot of pickings. My neighborhood doesn't have natural gas either. It's oil or propane, or in my case 100 % free wood heat.

 

[smokinj]

I made the asumption that either of the two men were the owner. Live and learn. I guess it's not all BAD. I did get a near bed full. It's on my drive to work - so I'll be able to see what happens. I've got plenty of other stuff I can get that I know I have permission for, but I always take an interest when I see a yard full of rounds and rounds at the street.

Giving my card could also be a bad thing. The husband could be highly PO'd too! We'll see.

If he was wanting it that bad you can bet the ground crew would have know somthing!

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

I mean no disrespect to any member here, nor any 'guy holding the saw'. But seriously! What are you thinking? The land owner ownes the trees. Every one of you says that tree removal people charge extra to get rid of the wood. So why would you think 'the guy with the saw' would have signed a contract turning over control of the wood to him?? There are places in Upstate NY where you'd get shot at,near,or around for taking wood without asking the woods owner . .a/k/a stealing

 

[smokinj]

I mean no disrespect to any member here, nor any 'guy holding the saw'. But seriously! What are you thinking? The land owner ownes the trees. Every one of you says that tree removal people charge extra to get rid of the wood. So why would you think 'the guy with the saw' would have signed a contract turning over control of the wood to him?? There are places in Upstate NY where you'd get shot at,near,or around for taking wood without asking the woods owner . .a/k/a stealing

Oh The drama! lol If I have a contract to do a job I know where the weight is going what size I need to move it in the fastest way possible Period! Sure would think any job site would be ran close to that!

 

[basswidow]

No disrespect taken. There wasn't a tree service truck in sight. I assumed the two guys in the yard were the home owners and or had the authority to give permission. Little did I know - the homeowner was off to work and these were the tree guys. Still I would think you could take their word? This was not the kind of area where I'd fear getting shot at and didn't feel I was stealing anything - since I had asked permission.

I think it's common in this area - that if a homeowner can't afford for the tree company to haul wood away, they have it bucked and put an ad in craigslist or put a sign in the yard - free wood. Or the tree service may not want the wood and they buck it and let the sroungers have at it. I've seen alot of tree companys put ads in that say they are dropping a tree at ......listed address and the wood is free for the taking. So I wouldn't question the guys in the yard as being wrong when they said it was free and good to go.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

I guess I have a guilty conscience, so if it was me I would probably go over to the homeowner and offer them like $20 or something just as a good gesture. The homeowner has your card and info on it, so even if they don't want the money I think the offer says a lot about your character and that you were taking the wood under the premise that you had the ok to do so.
Just a guilty catholic here

 

[basswidow]

HA I feel bad, but not $ 20 bad. I think my apology will have to do. They had the opportunity for me to off load and said don't worry about it - so I guess I shouldn't. Just a strange scrounge for sure.

EDIT: I am not Catholic but I understand the guilty conscience thing.

I'll probably drive by on my way home to see half the wood gone and the wife and neighbor fending off a couple more trucks.
They are gonna have a blast with the 3-4 foot in diameter trunk sections.

 

[Singed Eyebrows]

Last night on my way home from work, I noticed a house that a tree company had dropped two large trees (bucked rounds covered the entire yard). So this morning, I pull over and spoke with two guys in the front yard (one with a chainsaw). I ask if the wood was free and he said yes. I said " great, I'll go get my truck". They had pushed many of the rounds down to the street (front yard is a hill).

So I call my wife to bring down the truck and we get there around 11am. The guys were missing - but I start loading whats at the street. The next door neighbor comes out and says " shouldn't you ask permission" and the wife comes out of the house. I explained that I had asked earlier at 9 am from the two guys in the front yard. The wife tells me that was the contractor but her husband wants the wood. Oops. I apologize and offer to unload the wood I loaded, but she said I could keep it. I gave her my card for her husband to call me if there is any he doesn't want.

I guess I should have gone up to the house and knocked - but I felt I was already given permission? Am I in the wrong?
Neighbor said I was the 7th truck to just stop and start loading wood. Well, if the other seven were told the same thing by the same guys - I could understand. Now if they were just stopping and taking - thats very wrong. But the guys clearly told me it was free - as they were rolling the rounds to the street.

I thought it looked like oak - but it's hard maple. Nothing to die for, but decent wood.

Scrounging is very competitive here in NNJ....

If those were large rounds you would almost need to pay someone to cart them away here. We are a bit spoiled in this area, Randy

 

[smokinj]

HA I feel bad, but not $ 20 bad. I think my apology will have to do. They had the opportunity for me to off load and said don't worry about it - so I guess I shouldn't. Just a strange scrounge for sure.

I would not convicted you if I where on the jury!

 

[oldspark]

I think you made the best out of a bad situtation, sleep well tonight. ;-)

 

[Shipper50]

There is a tree service company doing work on the roads in my area and I saw some guys a couple of weeks ago that had left some dead red elm stacked on the side of the road. I stopped and asked who the boss was and this young guy comes up to my car and I said what was going to happen with the wood?

He told me all the wood left on the side of the road belongs to the person who owns the land its on. He told me I should ask the owners of the land if I wanted the wood.

The smaller pieces are gone and the big rounds are still there and probably will be there till someone with a splitter takes them. I live out in the country and everyone looks to burn wood.

Shipper

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

They are gonna have a blast with the 3-4 foot in diameter trunk sections.

See, now if y'd done it right, you could go back in a couple a weeks and get them to pay you to take the best stuff. ;-)

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Last night on my way home from work, I noticed a house that a tree company had dropped two large trees (bucked rounds covered the entire yard). So this morning, I pull over and spoke with two guys in the front yard (one with a chainsaw). I ask if the wood was free and he said yes. I said " great, I'll go get my truck". They had pushed many of the rounds down to the street (front yard is a hill).

So I call my wife to bring down the truck and we get there around 11am. The guys were missing - but I start loading whats at the street. The next door neighbor comes out and says " shouldn't you ask permission" and the wife comes out of the house. I explained that I had asked earlier at 9 am from the two guys in the front yard. The wife tells me that was the contractor but her husband wants the wood. Oops. I apologize and offer to unload the wood I loaded, but she said I could keep it. I gave her my card for her husband to call me if there is any he doesn't want.

I guess I should have gone up to the house and knocked - but I felt I was already given permission? Am I in the wrong?
Neighbor said I was the 7th truck to just stop and start loading wood. Well, if the other seven were told the same thing by the same guys - I could understand. Now if they were just stopping and taking - thats very wrong. But the guys clearly told me it was free - as they were rolling the rounds to the street.

I thought it looked like oak - but it's hard maple. Nothing to die for, but decent wood.

Scrounging is very competitive here in NNJ....

I wouldn't sweat it. You made what a lawyer would call a "good faith" attempt to get permission.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

This seems to me to be nothing but a simple case of mis-communication. It is so easy to do and being as how we are all human, it happens. I know how you feel as something similar has happened to me in the past. I was told something was there to take (by one of the family) if I wanted but when I showed up to take, I shortly ran in to an irate fellow who seemed to be Hellbent on bending my nose. So there I was, torn between wanting to bend his nose but also wanting to apologize. As soon as he cooled off, I explained the situation and apologized. He then understood and we shook hands before I left. It was close but just a simple case of mis-communication. He just had not been told about the deal yet. I'm betting there was some fine talking done in that house that night. lol

All in all, it is done and you can not change it. So chalk it up to one more lesson and then forget it.

 

[wood-fan-atic]

Bass- you did what you thought was the right thing - ASK PERMISSION. If some other person(s) not in authority said you could take it, it was NOT your fault. I ask tree guys all the time what they're doing with the wood. If they are supposed to leave it for the homewowner, they tell me so- if not, they say 'load up'. Good enough for me.

 

[dlaurinaitis]

Just like a kid who doesn't want their toy until another kid starts playing with it.

The home owner probably had no interest in the wood, but when she realized people wanted it, she probably offered it up to neighbors and friends.

Or her neighbors and friends are wood addicts like us and caught wind she had free wood and then staked their claim to it.

Don't lose sleep over it. Its human nature.