Well, his Cleric is on the outs with her temple. Part of the back story. She's a female Cleric/adventurer from a culture that doesn't allow women to advance.
She's also a Pious Templar, a class that's specifically Temple Guardians, from a Temple she can't approach. Ain't that a wonder?
So no tithes, no tasks to be completed at her own expense, no entanglements back home.
Getting back to the original topic, which was new/inexperienced DM traits and mistakes:
Many a new DM will write their adventure as an epic story, grand and beautiful. At least, that's how they'll envision it. And woe be to the mere mortal PC who strays from the story line. Or, to put it simply, they run railroads.
Our current adventure follows that path: The party started on the Isle of Man, in the port town of Douglas. We had captured a raider's ship, a galley, and wanted to sail it across the Irish Sea to Blackpool England, where we'd sell her and arrange a Ketch or Sloop, something small enough for the party to manage.
Then this DM took over. Ships arrived from Blackpool. The Commodore of the small flotilla gave us a receipt for our Galley (no negotiation), and pretty much told us we were sailing with him. He was sailing in the direction we wanted to go (South, following some people who had taken one of our friends).
When maritime encounters appeared imminent our Druid-type (a Spirit Shaman) offered Gust of Wind, Control Winds and even Standing Wave and means to outsail and avoid the threats. And we tried everything. Enemy ships sailed straight into hurricane winds without hesitation, and followed us no matter how we hid or worked to avoid them. It became evident that on three thousand miles of Atlantic ocean, we were on a track to these encounters.
We were t-ported over to the enemy ships, which allowed the DM to place us exactly where he wanted us. Requests to be placed at either the fore or aft of the main deck were ignored. Right in the middle, fully surrounded.
As PC resources proved effective in these encounters, the DM began to cancel them. On one ship fire spells simply failed. (We have a War Mage). On the next, summoning spells didn't work. Both showed up as Hallowed Ground (per the Hallow spell), but when we tried to use Consecrate to break the effect the DM called for caster level checks as if it were a Dispel. And when we succeeded, the Hallow effect remained.
When we'd try to capture opponents alive by portioning in non-lethal damage, they'd die anyway. Apparently non-lethal damage can still kill in his game.
Another trait of the inexperienced DM is the Mighty NPC. This is the guy or group who can easily dispatch the foes you're struggling with. The city guards who can all score 35 on their Hide checks, all the not-so-subtle ways the DM can show you how great he is.
PCs were told they were escorting cargo to the buyer when we reached the port city. No options. Encounter on the way. We win, then get billed for damage to store fronts. Oh, and the encounter is actually resolved by wondrous NPCs on flying carpets who could somehow fly in with everything short of a heavenly chorus, and yet still be hidden and striking from perfect concealment.
At the destination we are told that we have to sign an agreement to be allowed in town. Two PCs refused, and were simply told they couldn't leave the temple grounds until they did. When they still refused, Wall of Force spells blocked the exits.
One PC cast Firewing and flew over the walls. Archers shot at him, and he could never get out of range. Turns out there are master archers on rooftops all across the city, just waiting for people to try this. He flew several hundred feet in the air to be out of range and returned to the ship. Technically he wasn't in town so he didn't need the agreement.
The other PC was standing in the open being fired upon by those wonderful guards who can maintain a 35 Hide, while firing. In short, he was dead. No cover, no way to avoid, no way to counterattack. Player was mad, going to force the DM to kill the character for refusing to sign an agreement.
What's funny? The player rebelling against this blatant show of "I'm the DM it's going to be my way), also tends to run railroads.
Oh, and the boss of the area? An old PC of the DMs.
Not trying to rant here, and I'm sorry if it seems like I am. It's just interesting to see how many classic bad/rookie DM cliche's this guy can pull.
You love misery, man. 
