Remember the awful neighbor who called the police because of a patio? There's a fabulous sequel.

[maxsolomon]

27. It's just absurd.

She could have gone to the City of Montclair Building Dept and asked if:

a. a Patio requires a Construction Permit, and if so
b. if that address had one.

It doesn't, so they didn't. People call about permits all the time - it's why cities have Permit Techs, whose job it is to politely respond to questions from angry busybodies on the verge of a nervous breakdown. They have Inspectors who'll red tag illegal construction, too.

One phone call, one internet search, one rational action before an emotional outburst. Now she's the star of the Internet's never-ending shaming show. Hoist by her own Petard, as Shakespeare said.

I know, In know; she'd probably have come up with another reason to harass them...