Sounds like euthanasia for palms. Yes, they are dead if this is done. Assuming this is done in late fall and not now!

The idjuts must have thought they were crepe myrtles. I hate crepe murder too but at least the survive. Palms will not. Heart gone.

The funny thing is I'm sure they paid money for the palms, paid money to have the palms installed, and now paid money again to have the palms killed in the middle of summer. Seems strange.

Let me make sure I've got this straight. Did they cut into the trunk or just give it a hurricane cut? if they cut into the trunk its dead. If they just gave the branches a severe trimming it should be fine. But if that's the case i wonder if they just replaced the old ones with new ones. Many places still give palms a hurricane cut for transplant. I personally prefer to keep a full head of leaves for transplant. Even if some leaves die back this fine because the palm will gain nutrients from the dying leaves.

Nope, they don't get hurricane cut, they are cut to about a foot to the ground.... stumps! I'll try to get one posted this fall!

I guess maybe they planted them last year, let them die in the winter, and tried digging them up in the spring, but the palms probably had strong root systems by then and were too hard to dig up so they cut them down to stumps. Or at least thats what I hope they did since it's a big waste to let tropical palms die in northern winters and an even bigger waste to by some palms and cut them down when they are still alive!
-Alex