Marion County woman left with damage, messy lawn after lawn service scam

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — What should have been a basic tree-trimming service left a woman’s Marion County yard trashed.

Rita Baldwin said the worker she hired scammed her and stole from her, and now she’s out twice the money on top of having to clean up a messy yard.

“This is embarrassing, to have to have my yard look this way. This is ridiculous,” said Baldwin.

She was left with the cleanup after she said a worker made the mess and left with her money.

“Never showed up. Never called,” Baldwin said.

She hired the man last week.

He was only called “Dean” on his business card.

Baldwin and Dean made a deal that he would cut down one tree in her yard and trim another.

He didn't complete much of the work before he left and never returned, leaving debris and damage spread about her Dunnellon yard.
"You see how he bent the chain link fence because the logs were dropping down on the fence," Baldwin said.

The original job cost $600. Now, to clean it all up and repair some of the damage could cost another $800.

Baldwin said Dean also took off with her $250 ladder.

She tried to track him down.

“I’m finding that these people didn’t even own that business that they’re claiming. That was all fraud,” she said.

Baldwin said she’s speaking out to warn her neighbors before they potentially make the same pricey mistake.

“He’s got a real problem and he has no conscience. He should be apprehended,” said Baldwin.

Channel 9’s Kimberly Eiten tried to track down the worker.

The woman who answered the phone said it was the wrong number, then said she’s have the owner call back.

The owner has never returned the call.

Cox Media Group