Butchered Magnolia

I am sure it will be ok but it might take a year or so, depending on how much he took off. We have one too. They are lovely.

Oh dear, what a shame. I know how you must be feeling!

I don't have that Magnolia, but the two I have are practically indestructible.
They have been hacked at over the years and recovered well. One is a lolly pop shape and the other has lots of twisted branches which give it an unusual look that I like.

Can you look at it with fresh eyes and see if there is a shape you like lurking within it's shorn branches?
Maybe you can lightly prune it to encourage it to grow into it?

It will grow back what ever.

An old neighbour took it upon himself to prune all the trees and shrubs along our boundry line without asking our permision. He half murdered our Cherry tree on the grounds that the birds made a mess droping Cherry stones on his drive, and likewise he said that the shadows cast on his daughter's bedroom window by our Magnolia were causing her to have nighmares, so he chopped that down too, leaving a bush less than half its original size. I was livid with him, if he had have asked us first, I would have got them proffesionally pruned by a local garden service who knew what they were doing. The Cherry tree looks hideous with its thick trunk and just a few spikey branches up top, looks more like a Palm tree shape tbh!
My Magnolia has survived and regrown, but still remains quite bush like rather than the full tree height it originally was. Its been in that spot for about 25 years now, and thankfully is now safe from the naughty Neighbour who sold up and moved out last year!

I have cut back a good bit from my magnolia a few times and it always grows back. It is very hardy so don’t worry as it will eventually grow back again.

My neighbour has magnolia Stellata which he regularly prunes back every year to keep it bush size. It always blooms in the spring and is covered with beautiful white starry flowers from which it gets its name. Most magnolias do not take to being pruned but Stellata which is a smaller magnolia anyway seems to be able to cope with it. I would be hopeful that yours will too.