Two St. Louis-area homeowners signed emergency tree removal agreements in the chaos after major storms. Neither, they say, was told what the work would cost. Now one Ellisville resident is fighting a $12,000 bill, and a Central West End couple faces a foreclosure lawsuit over $36,720.

Both disputes involve the same company: OLI Outdoor Services.

The Ellisville case

KMOV4 reported on June 17 that an Ellisville homeowner is disputing a $12,000 tree removal bill from OLI following severe storms that hit the St. Louis region on April 27, 2026; few other details have emerged. The National Weather Service had rated that day a Level 4 of 5 severe weather threat, with damaging winds and tornadoes moving through between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.

The Central West End foreclosure

The second case is further along and more severe. A Central West End couple told KMOV4 that after the May 2025 EF-3 tornado sent a tree crashing into the front of their home, they signed an emergency mitigation agreement with OLI that contained no pricing details.

"The lights went off... The giant tree in front of our house ended up smashing into the front of it," one of the homeowners told the station.

About a month later, they received an invoice for $36,720. Their insurance company approved roughly $19,000 toward the work, leaving a gap of approximately $17,720. The couple told KMOV4 that the OLI representative said insurance would cover the cost. They said they were never given a price before signing.

Court records show OLI filed a mechanics lien against the property over the unpaid balance, then escalated to a foreclosure lawsuit.

Under Missouri law (§§429.010–429.360 RSMo.), a mechanics lien can be filed against a property for unpaid labor or materials even before any court reviews the underlying invoice. According to a Missouri construction-law analysis of the statute, a disputed lien can trigger a technical default on a mortgage, potentially accelerating foreclosure proceedings.

OLI has not responded

OLI Outdoor Services' owner told KMOV4 he would provide a statement but had not done so as of June 23. The Illinois Attorney General's office said it has received one complaint about OLI since 2025. A Missouri Attorney General spokesperson said the office is checking with its team and encourages homeowners with concerns to file formal complaints.

What arborists say

Andy Jones, co-founder of Rooted Arbor Care in O'Fallon and an ISA Certified Arborist, told KMOV4 that homeowners should never be pressured into signing agreements without clear pricing.

"If they're trying to slip something to you to sign just for consultation, that's all wrong," Jones said. He advised homeowners to always get at least three bids and to know the cost before any work begins.

No specific market-rate benchmark for emergency tree removal in the St. Louis area has been published, making it difficult to assess whether either bill constitutes price gouging under Missouri law.

What residents can do

Missouri's Merchandising Practices Act prohibits businesses from charging prices substantially above market rates during declared emergencies. The Attorney General's office administers and enforces this provision. Homeowners who believe they've been overcharged can call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-392-8222 or file a complaint at ago.mo.gov.

The AG's office also advises residents to verify that contractors are licensed and insured, check for complaints with the Better Business Bureau, ask for referrals, avoid paying in cash, and confirm all work is completed before paying.

Post-storm contractor disputes are not new

The billing conflicts come against a backdrop of aggressive contractor solicitation that began immediately after the May 2025 EF-3 tornado, which killed five people and caused an estimated $1.6 billion in damage. Benjamin Anderson, a St. Louis property owner, told Fox News he turned down a man with Florida license plates who offered to tarp his roof for $2,000 the same day the tornado hit. There is no evidence linking OLI to that kind of storm-chasing activity, but the environment has left homeowners wary of post-storm agreements.

The April 27, 2026 storms that triggered the Ellisville dispute were a separate weather event. The Central West End couple filed a complaint with the Missouri Attorney General after seeing the Ellisville report. No court date for the foreclosure lawsuit has been made public.