Bend City Councilor Justin Livingston is being sued by a Bend tree-trimming company that alleges he failed to pay a bill.

The small claims suit, filed in Deschutes County Circuit Court earlier this month by Bend Tree Services Inc., said Livingston hired the company on Aug. 20, 2016, to remove a hazardous broken tree at 16301 Whitetail Lane in La Pine. Bend Tree Services estimated it would cost $1,000 to remove the tree and surrounding brush and clean up the area, according to the claim.

After doing the work, the company mailed Livingston a hard copy of the invoice, emailed another copy and left eight phone calls inquiring about payment, according to court documents. The company’s seeking $1,105 from him — the $1,000 cost for tree removal plus court fees and service costs.

Livingston said he’s improperly listed as the defendant in the case and it should have named Livingston Field Services, a company he owned at the time that did property preservation for foreclosed homes. Livingston Field Services no longer exists, and Livingston said the incident is not connected to his day job as a real estate agent.

He said there’s more to the incident than is reflected in the claim and that he intends to respond in court, but he declined to comment further.

— Reporter: 541-633-2160, jshumway@bendbulletin.com