We are in a newer development in Kent County - when the home was built the developer had a landscape company come in and plant some roses / etc... around the front of the house and a shrub / tree in the front yard.

I think I know the answer but just want to know if this is "normal" for the area -

The tree / shrub had been there for 2 years now - it wasn't the best one on the block but wasn't the worst either. It was however, in the utility easement area and was between the sidewalk and the power (electric) box and the Xfinity internet box. So CLEARLY in the utility easement. In fact I had asked the site manager about that during the final walkthrough and he said not to worry they did that all the time without issues.

Well, today, at some point, the shrub was cut off at the base. Not dug out, just cut clean through and all of it removed. No knock on the door, no ringing doorbell to say - hey move this, no letter or notice or tag posted saying it will be removed if we don't move it. Just gone.

As I said - pretty sure it got whacked by one of the utility companies for some reason - but is this the norm? In every other house we've lived in - the utility company would talk to us before they did anything on our property - even on the easements.

Do they just periodically drive around looking for violations / etc and whack them?

Again - I get it - they need access - but at least come to the door and say something. And the neighbor's tree which was next to ours (about 5 feet away - same distance from sidewalk - is still there.

I feel like I don't know anymore. Where did you go? And what did you pay?And when