Posted by Leonard Steinberg on August 13th, 2013 A Chinese medicine mogul spent six years building his own private mountain peak and luxury villa atop a high-rise apartment block in Beijing, now known as “most outrageous illegal structure.” Authorities have finally stepped in and given hime 15 days to tear it down. The eccentric complex of rooms, rocks, trees and bushes hovers atop a 26-story building looks like something built into a seaside cliff, and has become the latest symbol of disregard for the law among the rich as well as the rampant practice of building illegal additions. If you think this practice is exclusively an emerging economy phenomena, think again: illegal, crazy add on structures have been happening in Manhattan for decades, and their owner have had a similar disregard for their neighbors or the law. Sitting on the boards of condominiums has taught me just how far some owners will go to do exactly as they please, regardless of the impact their handiwork could negatively impact their neighbors. Remember the leaking Khashoggi swimming pool at Olympic Tower? What is shocking about the Beijing monstrosity is that the angry neighbors complained for years that the unauthorized, 800-square-foot mansion was damaging the building’s structural integrity and its pipe system, but that local authorities failed to crack down. They’ve also complained about loud, late-night parties. Yet there were no automatic legal repercussions. Smart buildings in New York demand all plans to be approved by the building’s engineers (at the expense of the unit owner)…..and then monitor the actual work to be sure what is done matches what was planned. Workers have to be fully insured. It does still amaze me how the contractors (maybe at the instruction of their clients?) still try to cut corners or install certain items not approved or worse, illegal. For those who say ‘big deal!’, know that sometimes an illegal renovation can negatively impact a building for years, even decades. And often the damage this work can do is major. Worse, once a building sues, the process can take years to resolve, and the legal costs can eat up the majority of the collected funds.  I have personally experienced a neighbor install a faucet poorly, and the ensuing flooding took 18 months to rectify, not to mention the immeasurable cost of aggravation. Years later, I have yet to be reimbursed the $ 2,000 insurance deductible…..