Real Risks of Building Without a Permit?

Please tell me some true stories of buying or selling a house with a deck that was built without a permit. Did the lack of permit cause problems, and if so, how were they resolved? I know that the Buildings Dept can make you tear down the deck, but has anyone ever heard of this actually happening simply because the deck was built without a permit, and not because it failed to meet the structural requirements set forth in the Buildings Code?

By Dumpstress |