I don't understand what you're getting at here?
I know of very few people that shrug of $20K as no big deal. It's not life altering, but we're not talking about a couple hundred bucks here either. When you consider that this guy very likely purposefully removed a tree of this size that is irreplaceable on the same scale when he knew it was on our property, there are consequences for that. It's why the law is in place as it is and why the consequences of it are pretty significant.
The landscaping and trees are a big part of why we moved here. I really wish this hadn't happened. If had my druthers, I'd rather the tree was still standing and none of this was going on. Not that I would pay $20K for a tree, but it was there and it was a beautiful tree in a beautiful location. I'd prefer his construction truck damaged my car because that can be replaced.
So, with all that info, and since learning that this is not an uncommon thing from construction people (act first, deal with it later), yeah, I'm not letting this go at all. I'd like to be made whole as best as possible given his actions.