Mind Your Own Business, Larry
In every neighborhood, there’s that one neighbor who can never seem to mind their own business. “The grass is getting pretty tall, don’t you think?” “Why did you choose that color for your home?” “Did you read the policy about mailboxes, because yours isn’t allowed.”
In the OP’s neighborhood, that guy is called Larry, and he always made sure that you had the proper permits to modify your home. On paper, that’s not a bad thing since construction without a permit is illegal. However, it’s a jerk move to be the permit police. We guarantee Larry asks for permits because his requests always get shot down.