Construction crew said they were only 'trimming' her trees to help a neighbor. What they actually did left her in disbelief

Trees that took years to grow were reduced to just stumps by an unnamed construction firm, and the internet is furious. Reddit user, u/LividWalk8179, took to the platform on March 10 to share three pictures: the before and after photos of the two trees in her backyard, and a picture of the letter from the construction firm. The letter dated February 13 was attached to their doorstep, and it was the only form of notification given by company. According to the letter, the trees were supposed to be "trimmed," but the photo attached by the author showed otherwise. The post has gained 42K upvotes and 4K comments so far.

The before picture showed two flourishing Ash trees sloping at an angle towards the fence, and a few of the branches on top hanging on the other side of the property. The after photo simply showed two stumps of trees with no branches left. The letter claimed that they were just "trimming" the trees, but what they did to the trees was not "pruning," and the photo was proof. "This completely killed the two trees in my backyard, and without permits from the city," they added. While they were uncertain, the tree measuring "12 inches in diameter at 4 feet tall" could be qualified for legal protection.

The letter stated that all "trimming will be performed at the property line," and the work will be done by a licensed contractor, with all costs covered by the firm. The letter also mentioned that they were not responsible for the parts of the tree on the OP's side, and added that they would "not be responsible for the health, stability, or ongoing condition of the tree following the trimming work." Even though the letter said this, people in the comments argued that anyone can trim at the property line, but trimming to a point where the tree is killed is enough to fine them.

According to the Community Development Department of the City of Campbell, certain application materials are required before proceeding to remove a tree. This includes a Tree Removal and Replacement Plan, which should have the location, size, species of the protected tree, and the proposed replacement tree. Other required materials include at least two site photographs of the trees, a written statement with reasons for the removal, an HOA approval letter, and an acknowledgement statement. 

Mature trees take decades to grow and provide thousands of dollars’ worth of environmental benefits over their lifetime. According to the US Forest Service, urban trees collectively provide over $18 billion in environmental benefits each year, including around $5.4 billion from air pollution removal, $4.8 billion from carbon storage, and another $5.4 billion in energy savings, which justifies why cutting these trees enraged people.

The netizens were rooting for the Reddit user and pushing them to take legal action. u/TriGurl commented, "Lawyer up and contact the city for a possible stop work order of the construction firm! Look into treble law damages too for your city or state." u/TastyRadishes shared, "I am a central California real estate lawyer, but I am not your attorney. I typically do bird law, but I’ve dabbled in tree law and other lawyerings. This is absurd (technical term), and I’m basically drooling at the idea of filing a case with this type of evidence. California statewide statutory and case law are very protective of all trees, and local ordinances can increase the protections. I once had a contractor threaten to do this to a client, but we showed that contractor the light before he cut the trees, and he built his wall in a zig-zag style around the allegedly offensive trees."

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