JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A family-owned Jacksonville tree-trimming business is in a financial bind after vandals caused thousands of dollars worth of damage to their company vehicle and equipment.
The husband-and-wife owners of Wicked Outdoors said the company equipment truck and trailer were vandalized despite being kept in a secure location at the Mount Herman Exceptional Student Center.
In the past six years of business, the couple never experienced anything like this. They do all the work themselves and currently have multiple contracts with the Duval County School District.
“Never in a million years would I have thought that something like this would have happened. It’s terrible,” Devin Cox said.
Devin Cox and her husband were contracted to work for Mount Hermon to conduct tree trimming and brush clearing at the school. They believed it was okay to leave their property in the parking lot since it was fenced off and locked.
The owners, however, received a disturbing phone call about their equipment and vehicles being destroyed.
“Both doors are wide open. The windshield is smashed up. The other window smashed up. Everything we own was out in a pile. Everything was vandalized. Spray painted. You name it. Inside and outside were destroyed. They even pulled the hood upon our truck and poured all kinds of fluid in our radiator and our engine,” Cox said.
Obscene graffiti was spray painted on the truck. The trailer tires were slashed. Motor oil was poured into the radiator. The bucket truck motor was smashed. Tracks on the skid steer were gashed and a stack of important job-related paperwork was set on fire.
Devin said destroying their property was one thing, but spray-painting obscenities and gang signs on the truck is not a good look for their business.
“We work for the county school board so every kid we come in contact with sees it. So, it’s like our livelihood and reputation is on the line here,” Cox said.
Now, the owners are worried that the cost of repairs will put a financial strain on the family of seven because that equipment supported their livelihood and supported their five children.
Their youngest child is only 2 years old, and he has autism and suffers from seizures that can result in a hospital visit. His parents said they can’t afford a hospital bill and to pay for repairing or replacing thousands of dollars worth of work equipment at the same time.
“We’re not you’re normal company. We don’t have thousands of dollars laying around,” Cox said. “What you see here is what we built with our bare hands, blood sweat, and tears. Everything you can imagine. We’re at the point now where it’s like you either fix it and recover or everything is going to fall apart.”
Cox said she and her husband had a seven-day grace period to find insurance to continue working. They signed with Simply Businesses Insurance with the understanding that they would be covered if something happened to their equipment.
The business’s previous insurance company would have covered the damages but the company recently left Florida.
Simply Businesses Insurance told the couple that the damages weren’t covered since somebody else caused the destruction. Now, they are left to repair or replace the destroyed property.
The family started a GoFundMe to help regrow the business.
Jacksonville police are still looking for all parties responsible for the vandalism.