To answer the original posters question, here is the summary of the deed restriction on trees from the Deed Compliance page of the VCDD web site:
- Tree Removal: No tree with a trunk four (4) inches in diameter shall be removed or effectively removed through excessive injury without first obtaining written permission.
So if this seemingly radical prunning and topping of the tree was made without approval and it results in the death of the tree, they could be in for a hefty fine or requirement to replace the tree with a healthy mature one at great expense.