Yeah; she had the permits. It was kinda funny from the outside because people kept complaining to the county and the county kept pushing back saying it was approved. That shed must've been inspected 3 separate times because of a couple of neighbors who didn't even live on the same street but I guess were just bored.
The neighborhood has an HOA but the HOA actually had no actual rules because they were not properly registering with the county when they made bylaws (where my mom is all HOA rules have to be submitted to the state, otherwise they are not enforceable). Gotta love HOAs.
I recently moved into a neighborhood with a stricter HOA, after avoiding them for most of my life.
My plan is to wait until February 2022, and build the ugliest golden Trump mailbox I can slap together. Then, when they ask me to take it down, request an appeal, and film the ensuing meeting. Then, send said video to Fox News et al. Then, run for HOA on a platform of abolishing the HOA.
... I really don't like neighbors telling me what I can and can't do.
Well it is being used as a tool in the literal sense. Who it applies to of all parties mentioned above in the perojative sense will be left as an exercise to the reader (as it is a matter of opinion).
Note that depending on the country, you might still need authorization to build any structure on your own property.