The Usurper:I can't build a deck on the back of my house without a government permit.  Even though the current deck exists but is rotting out.  I can replace boards one at a time and over time could rebuild it that way.  That's legal.  But I can't build it all at once unless I give them 200 dollars to say it's ok.  Then they will come out and look at it and say, "looks good."  (I built it anyway without their blessing)

A man is building his dream home in a newly developing area.  As the area grows, sidewalks will be put in by the contractors (a State law).  but the single home owner is being forced to build a sidewalk (under the same regulation) even though a) he'll never be able to use it and b) an new one will be build (and the old one will have to be torn up.

Cost?  15 thousand dollars to the home owner.  Stupid incompetent public servants.  (oxymorons all)