Queen Anne County Tree Care Expert
Ordered To A 60-Day License Suspension
Violations related to negligent and wrongful conduct in the practice of tree care
ANNAPOLIS, MD — The Office of Administrative Hearings has ordered a 60-day license suspension for Licensed Tree Expert Thomas Lawson of Lawson’s Tree Experts, a commercial tree care firm in Centreville. A 20 -day suspension was sought by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Service for wrongful conduct in the practice of tree care. The judge ordered a longer suspension than requested by the agency, citing the licensee’s failure to participate in the investigative process and a previous 10-day suspension in 2000 for similar conduct.The order concludes departmental action related to a complaint from a citizen in Chesapeake Beach regarding an incident in August 2002, and a complaint from a citizen in Annapolis in December 2002. The judge found that in both cases the tree expert failed to complete work as contracted despite receiving payment in full. This is an improper practice and considered wrongful conduct in the practice of tree care by DNR, which licenses the state’s commercial tree care practitioners. Lawson has not renewed his tree expert license for 2004. The agency will seek to enforce the suspension at the time he again becomes licensed.
All tree care professionals practicing in Maryland must obtain a license. Without a license, they may not practice or advertise tree care services in the state. A complete list of licensed tree experts is on the DNR website at http://dnrweb.dnr.state.md.us/forests/oflists/lte/treeexpert.html.
Complaints regarding licensed or unlicensed tree experts may be made to the DNR Forest Service at 1-887-620-8360, ext. 8531.
Posted February 20, 2004