My sister’s neighbor bought the house/lot across the street, presented the plans (remodeling) but then proceeded to do everything against the original approved plan. Some things had to go back to the board for re-approval and my sister went to the meeting and fought the approval but she lost and in the end the new owner basically got to tear down the entire original house and build an entirely new structure (which would not have been allowed if that was originally presented to the planning board). He was NOT allowed to cut down some mature trees, and he was NOT allowed to change the address (the lot is on the point of two streets and he wanted to face the house the other way. The front door faces my sister’s house, but the family doesn’t use it and goes in and out of the back. Weird, but sister is glad she doesn’t have to look at the garage.
If the building in question was built against code without a variance, sometimes the penalty is to tear it down. Here we have a fence ordinance and if you build the fence even an inch off your property line you may have to take it down and rebuild. As they say, measure twice, cut once.