Tree Decisions

Dennis Yniguez of «Tree Decisions» was the lead arborist involved with mapping and identifying trees affected from the Caltrans Richardson Grove Improvement Project. In his mapping of the controversial Project, Dennis purposefully omitted trees as well as misidentified Old Growth. Dennis is not to be trusted and lacks integrity in his profession…
«Faced with contradictory conclusions from each side’s expert witnesses, the court sent a judge into the forest for a closer look. Eureka-​based Magistrate Judge Nandor Vadas visited the site with representatives of both parties, and he found that the maps Caltrans had prepared were inaccurate. An old growth redwood measured at 84 inches in diameter was actually 104 inches thick. Another old growth was missing from the maps altogether.
Judge Alsup ruled that Caltrans’ analysis of the project’s impacts was „based off of false data,“ that its fact-​finding was „arbitrary and capricious“ and that the discrepancies and omissions „raise serious questions about whether Caltrans truly took a ‘hard look’ at the effects of the project and made an informed decision.“ He ordered Caltrans to prepare a more complete environmental assessment, with maps signed by a qualified engineer.»
«The complaint alleges that Caltrans’ failed to fix the numerous errors in mapping and measurement of affected old-​growth redwoods that were cited by the federal judge in his order.»
«The earth is not dying, it is being killed, and those who are killing it have names and addresses.»
–Utah Phillips

I think this business is defunct. The phone is disconnected.
MY BAD… my mistake… they are very much alive and in Business. Sorry for causing any disruption but I corrected it as soon as I found out.

Dennis Yniguez has provided my wife and I with outstanding service over several years of tree issues. Our consultations have involved his expertise as a Certified Consulting Arborist — we have not needed his forensic counsel. We were worried about the asymmetric root system of a large tree in our yard, concerned it could fall on us in a storm. At another time, we needed his opinion about the risk to the same tree as we built a retaining wall very close to it’s base. Most recently he gave us an over-​the-​phone consult about the risk to another tree in shaving some of its trunk to keep it clear of a fence.
In every interaction, Dennis brought knowledge, professionalism, efficiency, caring, and thoughtfulness to his work. It is obvious that he enthusiastically enjoys what he does — he loves trees. He makes sure his advice covers all the important bases and all our questions are answered. In fact his advice has often helped reveal –and usually resolve — matters we had not even necessarily considered. Besides all this, he’s a genuinely nice guy.
We recommend Dennis and Tree Decisions without reservation.
(Reading the one terribly ad hominem attack review on Unilocal,I can’t believe the reviewer is talking about the Dennis Yniguez we have worked with. It just does NOT reflect the quality or nature of the experiences we’ve had with him at all. He functions at the highest levels of integrity, thoroughness of communication, diplomacy, courtesy and intelligence.)

I would recommend Dennis Yniguez of Tree Decisions unreservedly for consulting on tree disputes.
I’m a relatively new homeowner, and, after a lifetime of avoiding such disputes, I finally felt compelled to contact a neighbor whose palm tree planting had quickly grown to block the center of my home’s view of the Golden Gate Bridge, which had been a significant asset of my home. Since palms can’t be pruned, I anticipated a difficult negotiation to remove the tree completely and replace it with suitable plantings.
I was very lucky to have had two local arborists separately recommend Dennis. I contacted him for a consultation, and thank my stars that I did. First, Dennis was extremely courteous and respectful throughout our interactions. After initial phone discussion of my situation, he very clearly, and without pressure, proposed how he could work with me and explained his (extremely reasonable) rates. We arranged for a one-​hour consultation at my house, and he arrived with his wife, Ann, who works as his partner in the consultations and contributed very helpful insights and advice. Dennis is a licensed attorney as well, so could represent me in court if it came to that.
They thoroughly examined my situation, asked me a lot of sensible questions about the history of the lots, etc., and studied the view angles and my neighbor’s plantings themselves. They pointed out potential issues down the road with other nearby plantings that should inform my strategy, spotting significant things I hadn’t noticed, and showed an active and informed curiosity about all details of the layout.
With that background, Dennis gave me extremely valuable, experience-​based advice on strategy, laying heavy emphasis on imagining my neighbor’s point of view, and planning a diplomatic and «generous» approach to arriving at an informal settlement my neigbor and I could both live with. He also outlined progressive options of mediation/​arbitration if we couldn’t agree. He reviewed the view ordinance in detail for me, pointing out key parts and explaining how they come into play in real life. That meeting ran a good bit over an hour, but he charged only the estimated hour.
It would be hard to exaggerate how much more clear and confident I felt going forward armed with Dennis’s advice and tutoring. The negotiation wasn’t entirely easy, but my neighbor and I reached a mutually acceptable agreement, and without a doubt it was done much more easily, and with hugely less anxiety on my part, than it could have been without Dennis’s help. Once I had verbal agreement, I took Dennis up on his offer to draft a contract. For another modest charge for discussion and drafting, he produced a customized — not boiler-​plate — two-​page contract that we used to seal the deal… and now I have my view back. From beginning to end, I felt as though I had an experienced and wise friend guiding me through the process.

I was referred to Dennis for his expertise around trees, their health and potential risks. Over the period of a few months we had a few phone conversations. Dennis educated me about his professional process and I explained my needs. The communication resulted in a clear understanding of how he worked and whether it met my immediate needs. Dennis obviously understands the local tree population, potential disease risks, growth patterns etc. He was very generous in sharing his professional perspective with me in order that I understood whether he would be able to help in my particular situation.

Dennis Yniguez of Tree Decisions was absolutely impossible to work with. He wanted to charge an exorbitant fee just for consulting ($ 6,000); wanted us to agree to his terms before ever providing a written quote; was outraged when we wanted to get alternate bids for work; tried to turn neighbor against neighbor using threats and scare tactics; and keep pressuring us through harassing phone calls and veiled threats. For some one whose job it is to mediate, he was just awful at communicating and completely ineffective at representing his client or effectively communicating with the surrounding neighbors affected. This is someone to be avoided at all cost, to call him unprofessional is too generous; he is mean-​spirited, willful, and manipulative. Stay away!