"No, it is a rehab. I was there this morning with the contractor. There are still two walls standing. The building had some foundation problems that we have to correct."

    I couldn't believe what I was hearing! "Well, I was over there just ten minutes ago and there aren't any walls. This isn't a rehab of anything."

    "Well this morning I was there with the contractor and there were two walls standing."

    "Well ten minutes ago there weren't any walls, and I've got pictures."

    The conversation went on like this for a few more minutes. It ended up with the owner telling me, "Well, you will have to speak with my attorney."

    "I don't need to speak with an attorney," I told her. "I only need to speak with the city."

    At that point I was pretty steamed. We have had far too many people in the neighborhood building structures without permits and without any regard for codes, zoning, or the local authorities. More often than not, once a structure has been built, the city is reluctant to make the owner remove the building. There had to be something I could do to prevent this illegal structure from being built.

    I thought back to the original fight for our fire station. Back in the early 1970s when Fire Station #9 was first threatened by the bulldozer, Dorothy Richter went and stood in front of the huge machine. She refused to budge if they were going to take out the fire station. "Damn it," I said to myself. "If Dorothy can do that for the fire station, I can do the same thing to take a stand and prevent illegal building." I decided then and there that if they were going to pour a foundation without a permit, they were going to have to pour it over me.

    I had to start working hard. I made some calls to the city department in charge of issuing building permits. I also sent an e-mail with pictures to Marzia Volpe with the city's Development Planning and Review Department. She has always been helpful in the past. I also alerted all of my neighbors as to what was happening. I asked them to let me know immediately if they saw any signs of work being performed at the house.

    First thing the next morning I checked to see if a building permit had been issued for that address yet. None had been issued. I went out to run a few errands. While I was out I got a call on my cell phone. It was a neighbor. "There are guys working over there and it sounds like they may be getting ready to pour cement."

    "O.K.", I said. "I'll be there in ten minutes. Meet me there with your camera."

    When I arrived at the house, there was a crew of workmen moving sand into the area preparing for cement. I ask for the boss. I was told that he wasn't there but that they could call him for me. A few minutes later the "boss" showed