Business

State sues tree contractor on behalf of Long John Mountain homeowners

A Durham company that charged a Long John Mountain Estates couple $25,000 to remove two trees that fell on their roof during Hurricane Helene has been blocked from doing business. [PHOTO EXHIBIT IN ATTORNEY GENERAL LAWSUIT]

By Lightning Reports, Published: November 19, 2024

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein obtained a preliminary injunction against a Durham company that charged a Hendersonville couple $25,000 to remove two large trees that fell on their roof during Hurricane Helene.

Homeowners Valerie and Jerry Godown heard a loud boom at 5 a.m. Sept. 27 at their home on Long John Mountain off N.C. 191 and at daylight saw that the storm had caused two large locust trees to fall on their roof. Unable to reach a local company to remove the trees, Jerry Godown contacted the company in Durham, which had received positive reviews on HomeAdvisor.

When he arrived six days later, company owner Lorenzo Lorin Huggins Sr. informed the couple that it would cost $25,000 to remove the trees and that payment had to be made upfront.

“Desperate to prevent further damage to their home, the consumers, whose roof was slowly caving in under the weight of the trees, agreed to defendant’s demand, which was three to four times the industry standard for emergency tree services,” Stein’s office said in a 17-page complaint it filed in Wake County Superior Court on Oct. 30. “The defendant charged that exorbitant price even though he only brought three men, three chainsaws and a leaf blower to do the work.”

Instead of removing the tree limbs and debris from the home, the crew “dropped tree limbs and debris through the hole in the Godowns’ roof, into the interior of their home” and caused another tree to fall on and damage a retaining wall, Stein said. The crew “did not complete the removal of the trees that had fallen on the consumers’ house, nor did defendant dispose of the trees despite being paid for those services.”

Through their insurance company, the Godowns were able to hire a reputable tree service that finished the work. The crew “observed the work done by Huggins & Sons and told us the company did a poor job and overcharged us,” Valerie Godown said in an affidavit filed in support of the attorney general’s lawsuit.

Stein asked the court to stop the Durham company from doing business and order it to turn over its records of consumers it worked for since Jan. 1, pay restitution to the Godowns, pay a fine of $5,000 and cover the state’s litigation cost.

“Taking advantage of Western North Carolinians in the aftermath of tragedy is wrong,” Stein said. “That’s why I took action to put a stop to this company, which I alleged engaged in deception. I am pleased the court ordered the company to stop its practices while this lawsuit continues.”