Great Lakes Wire

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has announced the resolution of legal actions against several tree service companies accused of misleading consumers following severe storms in Michigan.

“When severe weather strikes, Michigan consumers deserve honest help, not misleading contracts or inflated prices,” Nessel said. “My office remains committed to protecting Michiganders from deceptive business practices, especially in the aftermath of disasters.”

In 2024, Attorney General Nessel filed a lawsuit against Canary Date Sculpting, Inc., operating as Canary Tree Service and owned by Justin Hartmann. The lawsuit claimed that Hartmann and Canary worked with other companies—including Garrison McKinney Tree and Bridge Service, LLC from Mississippi and Holtslander and Sons Tree Service, LLC from Michigan—to provide storm clean-up services in Oakland and Washtenaw Counties during summer 2021 and in Gaylord after the May 2022 tornado.

The complaint alleged violations of the Michigan Consumer Protection Act. According to the allegations, these companies misled customers about contract terms, costs, insurance coverage responsibilities, and legal rights. The lawsuit also accused Canary of price gouging during times when demand for tree-trimming services increased due to severe weather in 2021 and 2022. Holtslander and Sons was further alleged to have continued such practices independently in Genesee County starting in 2023, with additional affected consumers identified after the Kalamazoo tornado last year.

Attorney General Nessel recently secured a default judgment against Canary and its owner Justin Hartmann after they failed to respond to the lawsuit and stopped business operations during the investigation. This judgment prohibits them from doing business with Michigan consumers and ensures that previous customers are not liable for any unpaid portions of Canary invoices not covered by insurance.

A settlement was reached with Garrison McKinney Tree and Bridge Service, which denied wrongdoing but agreed to provide price quotes before performing emergency tree services in Michigan if it operates there again.

The Department of Attorney General also obtained a partial summary disposition ruling this April finding that Holtslander and Sons violated parts of the Michigan Consumer Protection Act. A subsequent settlement requires Holtslander to remove allegedly unlawful contract terms, give written quotes before entering into emergency service contracts, eliminate misleading information from its website, refrain from pursuing certain past emergency service payments from customers, and pay $25,000 to the state—some of which will go to affected consumers.

Attorney General Nessel advises residents impacted by storm damage to request written estimates for work—even if they expect insurance coverage—and read all contract details carefully. She recommends requesting printed copies if electronic contracts are difficult to read.

Consumers can file complaints or seek more information through the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team via mail at P.O. Box 30213 Lansing MI 48909; phone at 517-335-7599 or toll-free at 877-765-8388; fax at 517-241-3771; or through an online complaint form.