Family wants to build a house. Then they encounter red tape. So instead, they ‘maliciously comply with the law’
One of the most frustrating parts of building a new house in the U.S. is dealing with permits, zoning rules, and local regulations.
Some states are more flexible than others, but most homeowners run into at least some level of red tape before construction can even begin.
But in certain situations, understanding those rules can actually work in your favor.
According to a real estate finance group based in Nashville, that’s exactly what happened in one recent case.
In a Facebook Reel with over 5.5 million views, the account Nashville Money Guys shared a clip showing what looks like a single wall standing on an otherwise empty plot of land.
“This is what red tape will do,” one of the realtors says while filming the structure. “So basically, they can keep the front and then demo everything else, and it’s a renovation… not considered new construction.”
Instead of going through the stricter requirements tied to building a new home, the owners kept part of the original structure in place. That allowed the project to qualify as a renovation.
In the caption, the creator adds, “This is what happens when people maliciously comply with the law! I’m here for it.”
Commenters Find It Entertaining
In the comments section, viewers shared similar stories and pointed out that this kind of workaround isn’t uncommon.
“Come back next year and ‘renovate’ the front wall,” one person wrote.
“Only one wall needs to be left here in Michigan.. you should see cabins up north transform into monsters ..,” another said.
“I lived in Indiana and there was a guy who had a river front property house on a 50 foot wide lot. He wanted to build a new house, but City officials said new homes had to be on a 100 foot lot now,” a third shared. “He was told he could remodel the existing home. I drove by one day and the only thing standing was a small 4 x 3 closet. He tore everything down except for a closet and remodeled the house.”
Is This Legal?
It depends on local zoning and building regulations.
According to a design-build firm in Los Angeles, California, for example, this workaround is largely a myth.
It explains that zoning rules there focus on how big the final structure is, not whether you left part of the original building standing.
In other words, even if you keep a wall, the city is still looking at the total square footage. If it’s too big for the lot, it will likely get flagged by local enforcers.
The firm says they’ve seen homeowners try this and end up having to cut down the size of their home, apply for a variance, or wait until an inspector flags the project.
That said, people claim it does happen in other areas.
“They do that on a regular basis in the mountain preserve neighborhoods in Phoenix. It has something to do with permits,” one Reddit user wrote.
The Mary Sue reached out to Nashville Money Guys via Facebook Messenger for comment.
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