What Happens When You Build Without Permits?

"County inspectors happened to see the house this year while investigating a complaint at a nearby property. They're still unsure exactly when it was built.

...County officials have told Wagner, who lives in the house, to go through the permit process retroactively or face possible fines or demolition. The Army Corps of Engineers is also pressuring the builder to remove a 71-foot gravel road he built on coastal wetlands to create a boat launch to the island.

...Dixon, a 15-year veteran, said she has seen the county demolish home additions, piers and garages that were built without permits. But she said that until this year, she had never seen people build whole houses without permits."