QDEAR BARRY: We received a notice from our local building department informing us that our garage was converted to a bedroom without a building permit. The conversion was done by the previous owners.

Q: In past articles you've mentioned “as-built permits” for additions and alterations that were done without building permits. I have a property that was totally renovated — new electrical, plumbing, ...

TEL AVIV, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Secure collaboration through access-sharing is a must-have feature in almost any modern application, from requesting to edit a document or viewing a widget in a ...

QDEAR BARRY: What would be the consequences of improving our home without a building permit? The work would include altering plumbing, installing new siding and roofing, removing the electric water ...

Q: We received a notice from our local building department informing us that our garage was converted to a bedroom without a building permit. The conversion was actually done by the previous owners ...

Your garage often serves as a catch-all: workshop, storage area, even an unofficial gym. But not all garage usage is harmless—or legal. Some hobby setups, conversions, or storage practices can violate ...

Police officers conduct a technical identification on wood carried by a flash flood in Menang Gini Village in Indonesia, on Dec. 16, 2025. Credit: Sutanta Aditya/NurPhoto via Getty Images The ...