That tree was ready to die even if they left it alone. 180 years? Time to cut it down and plant a new one.
https://www.hunker.com/12000115/how-long-do-oak-trees-live
Ridiculous to make someone pay $600k over a tree and call it "damages" Did someone lose $600,000 because of this? Then nothing was damaged. Is "looking" at a tree worth $600k?