Unfortunately, under this situation, your options are very limited.

The law does not recognize the aesthetic value of trees. I have dealt with numerous timber theft cases in situations where the owner valued the trees for reasons other than simply the lumber value. However, the law only compensates for the commercial value that the tree would have if turned into a commercial product, such as boards.

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't express your concern in every way you can. Filing the complaints with consumer affairs and BBB are two of the best things you can do.

In addition, you should not have to pay the tree company for the negligent work. If the tree dies as a result of their negligence, then you can force them to pay to have it replaced. I realize that this is cold comfort given the time it takes for a tree to grow to the size of the tree you cherished, but this is, unfortunately, the law at the present time.

Gradually, we lawyers who care about issues such as yours are trying to get the legal system to recognize aesthetic and landscape value of trees. I am hopeful that the law will soon change. Unfortunately, it hasn't yet.

Please let me know, if you have follow-up questions.

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This isn't a specialized area of law, so an attorney experienced in the area of personal injury, property damage, or general litigation would be sufficient. The important thing is that they agree with your assessment that the tree should be valued at more than it commercial value and that the company should be responsible for its negligence.

So, that would be the first question I would ask when meeting with the attorney, "do you agree that the company should be held responsible for its negligence in this matter and that the value of the tree is more than any commercial value the wood may have?"

You can find attorneys in your area using either/both of these sources:

http://www.martindale.com/

or

http://www.nysba.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Need_To_Hire_A_Lawyer_