Topped trees to NOT have to be continually topped just because they've been topped before! Post some pictures so we can tell more about what you are working with. It sounds like your tree service either doesn't know what they are doing or wasn't able to convey they whole story to you.

Sweetgum lives hard and dies young, topping a fast-growing, unusually short-lived tree like this probably pretty much eliminates the possibility of it becoming a satisfactory mature specimen - already of questionable suitability around buildings and in many other circumstances, often a somewhat wobbly tree that may snap under the weight of snow even without having been damaged by topping.

plant some replacement trees in the area at the proper planting time in fall ..

and then spend the next 5 to 10 years to wrap your head around removal ...

ken

Here are some pics of the tree in question, I don't have any of it before it was topped. I realize now that there are a couple of oaks in the area but the main crowders were actually pines.

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Before the tree was topped I was trying to figure out how to make a nice sitting area in the shade, the problem was the exposed tree roots and uneven ground. Now I'm thinking that if it would be best to remove the tree I could have a stone patio installed without having to worry about hurting the roots, but the new problem would be the reduced shade because of the tree being gone. My bf could build an arbor, but an arbor can't provide as much shade and coolness as a tree.

I'm wondering if my neighbor's trees will grow new branches that will end up shading that spot in a few years.

For now I'm not in a hurry to solve the problem, the patio isn't figured into the landscaping plan for at least 2 years so I have some time to think. I just saw the topped tree and had to run to ask for some advice : ) Thanks!

If it were in my yard, it'd be in the woodshed.
That's a 'Butcher job'.
Pros are doing work like this?!!

That's a "tree service", not a real arborist job, but then again we saw what that clown did to the BP in the other thread. No saving that. Cut it down and report these morons to the BBB. There needs to be a Plant Amnesty in the OP's area, eh botann?

Dan

After seeing that pic, I will modify my statement above...

It sounds like your tree service either doesn't know have a clue what they are doing or wasn't able to convey they whole story to you.

Yes, I am very dissapointed with the service. They did have a certified arborist though, I checked their credentials and they are one of the oldest tree companies around and were supposed to be good. But I guess they have a lot of new guys and the supervisor left and it was the last tree of the day so they hacked it *sigh.* They also didn't do all the stuff they were supposed to and had to come back a second day to finish the job. Needless to say I won't be hiring them again.

Fortunately they had an experienced arborist to prune my two big, beautiful oaks in the back and he did do a good job on them. They are the most important trees on the property.

But can I hope to get more shade from my neighbor's trees in the future? It looks like there is a big open spot where my tree used to be, will they grow new branches in that newly freed up space?

If I cut down the Liquid Amber and have a patio put in with a raised planter for a small Japanese Maple, do you think it would do well? I would have to put it nearly on top of the old tree trunk, unless I have it removed.

Thanks for the responses, I wasn't sure I was right about how bad the tree looked but now I feel vindicated. I will be watching from now on when I have my trees trimmed, I have learned my lesson.

Dan wrote:
"Report these morons to the BBB".

People seem to be under the impression that the Better Business Bureau is some kind of police force that combats shysters and poor customer service. Maybe it's because they've got the word "bureau" in the name that may lead someone to believe they are a government agency when they're not.
They are just an intermediary to try to get complaints resolved. Their goal is to get the customer and the vendor to sort it out. They're not going to put on a cape and fly over to the tree service and give them a knuckle sandwich. They're going to write them a letter saying Jane Public has a complaint as follows and wants to resolve it. So contact her. And PS, people have been researching your company, you should pay us $300 a year for a membership.

Tell the tree service to remove the tree including stumpand when you post reviews online of their company, rather than tell the entire word what a lousy job they did by ruining your tree, you'll tell the whole world that they made a mistake but owned up to it and removed the problem at no charge.

See, now it isn't the BBB that has any real ability to get complaints resolved, it's the customer. Thanks to review sites, a company's reputation is right out there for the whole world to see.

I never claimed the BBB could resolve the issue.

Thanks!

Dan

That's precisely why I replied with a clarification as to what they do. Because the BBB *can* help resolve complaints.

I had never seen such a clear photo of a topped chopped lopped tree. It is stunningly terrible to look at. How the hell could anyone at all think the tree looks good?

Wow, that's even worse than what my neighbor does to his trees!

I know, and this is the view that everyone sees as they walk past my house. I can't cut the tree down immediately because it is providing the only bit of privacy I have from my neighbors and I want to preserve the sanctuary aspect of the yard. In a year or so I'll remove the tree and put in a taller fence.

I thought I did my homework - I looked online and picked one of the most recommended local companies, they had a certified arborist logo, I got an estimate and both my contractor bf and I thought he seemed like a good guy. Other than keep an eye on them, what should I have done differently?

If you read the reviews online and it all checked out.... wasn't all the guy's friends and family members posting positive reviews around the same time, and you verified that the arborist is certified (isa-arbor.com), aside from supervising of course, what you could have done was ask for references or to see trees that they have worked on recently and go by and look at the trees.

But don't beat yourself up over it.
The online reviews are a great tool we have for decision making but it's not a guarantee the contractor will not stop caring about doing a good job.

It should be interesting to see if they come out and say they topped it because it was topped previously. That's the only excuse I can think of. (It's not a good excuse but some people are under the impression that once a tree is topped it has to be topped year after year)

That is exactly what he said. I don't think he listened very closely I told him how I wanted it pruned, but he heard 'prune for health' and saw that it had been topped and so he topped it again. When I said that I asked for it to be pruned not topped he said 'once it's been topped you have to keep topping it.'

So I've learned a lesson, from what's been said I think the tree probably wouldn't have lived a long life anyway. When the leaves fell of last winter I got a good look at the previous topping cut and it was really bad, it was also full of rotting leaves which I thought were probably not good for the tree. That's why I decided to hire someone to 'fix' it. Oh well, what's done is done and I'm moving on. Planning the landscape actually becomes a lot easier without that tree, so there is a silver lining.

Well ask him why you have to keep topping it.
If he says something like 'you have to keep doing it because the branches will be very weak' then ask him why, if it'll become a hazard, that he didn't suggest removal to begin with?

Another thing you may or may not have forgotten to do is to get a proposal outlining the cost and detailing what is to be done in writing. That way the man with the chainsaw isn't going from a relayed foggy memory of a telephone conversation.