This week, two families I know were turned in, probably by neighbors, for doing minor projects on their house without a permit. Yes, they were in the wrong and yet … In 2021, a neighbor turned us in to the city for something a decade old, and the city came to take a look a couple years later.
My neighbors say the "EPA" has visited because somebody has anonymously reported them for "polluting." The anonymous reports could’ve been saved via a friendly knock on the door to talk about it.
I think of these anonymous reporters as snipers. If somebody has an issue with me, come talk to me. I imagine they get a moment of joy and fleeting righteousness hurting somebody that they may have an issue with. Or they may be reporting someone they have never spoken to and feel powerful. If they have any idea what the process is like to go through the city, they might be a little kinder. The anonymous reporting system creates distress and distrust among neighbors.