It was a brazen move by a homeowner that set off a years-long feud with Birmingham Council.
Mr M Singh was ordered to tear down a building on his driveway after he constructed a two-storey home in place of what was meant to be a humble garage.
Council bosses were left shocked to discover the family, who had originally been given approval for a single-storey garage at their semi-detached property in Highgate, Birmingham, had instead built a little house.
When visited the property in October 2022, the homeowner had lost an appeal against the enforcement action, but the structure – including a large dormer window – was still intact.
But three years later, the building, though remains standing, looks entirely different.
Discussions between Mr Singh and the council led to both parties accepting modifications which have left it looking garage-like while keeping the front doorstep.
The front door to the mini-property has now been replaced by a traditional garage door, and the large dormer window to the side has been ripped down.
The row has left locals in the deprived area of Birmingham scratching their heads.
Many felt sympathy with the homeowners who had taken a petition round for locals to sign in the hope of keeping their little house on the driveway.
Habib, 19, a student, said: ‘I remember walking past this on my way to school when they were building it.
‘They put a lot of elbow grease into it. They were working from eight until five every day.
‘It wasn’t affecting anyone or blocking anyone’s view of anything. It was neat. I’d be fuming if I was them.’
But despite collecting dozens of signatures, the Singh family, whose property it is, were forced to alter the structure significantly.
Nessa Baharun, who can see the property from her back garden, said: ‘Sometimes the Council are just a bit over the top.
‘No-one has had their view ruined. If anyone was affected it would be this house and next door but it doesn’t bother us.
‘It just sits in the corner. I feel sorry for them. They must have lost a lot of money.
‘I have seen them taking furniture out of there, so I guess they just use it for storage.’
Locals said that the change from house to garage happened over two years ago.
One mechanic working on Vaughton Street, a collection of modern semi-detached homes facing a small patch of grass and factory units, said: ‘I don’t know what it is now. You couldn’t drive a car into it, you’d wreck your tyres.
‘And it is definitely not a house. It’s a nothing.’
Other locals questioned the Council’s priorities.
Neighbour Kemal, a businessman in his sixties, said: ‘It does look a bit weird now. It made more sense before and it was not affecting anyone because it was tucked into the corner of the drive.
‘This area has a lot of problems and that building is not one of them.
‘Drug use is rife. The area is covered with these Top Whip canisters which are some sort of drug.
‘We have a primary school on the road and children having to step over rubbish and drug stuff on their way to school.
‘There’s one patch of grass which is all littered and the Council are worrying about a neat little building.’
Shabana Mubarik, a teacher at the nearby Chandos Primary School, said: ‘This is a very deprived area. Staff regularly have to pick up canisters which are everywhere to protect the children.
‘So I don’t care about this little building. I guess it was some jealous neighbour who complained. You don’t know.
‘It makes sense to me to make use of the space you’ve got and their driveway allows them that space. I don’t know why anyone would have an issue with it.’
And Kyah Rosser, 18, out walking her dog, added: ‘I’ve lived around here all my life and I think the Council should definitely have allowed them to keep what they’d done.
‘It’s their land. It makes no difference to anyone.’
The Singh family initially put in their plans for a garage on their spacious driveway in 2009.
But it wasn’t until the aftermath of Covid that they started their build.
Birmingham planners said the end result differed substantially from what was agreed and the family went on to lose an appeal against the order to tear it down.
Most locals recalled Mrs Singh going around the area with a petition asking neighbours to support them.
Geoff, a 60-year-old, said: ‘I signed to support them but they misled the Government so they were always going to be in trouble.
‘You can’t say you want a garage and build a house even if it does make no difference. The rules is the rules.’
But Kerry, a 30-year-old Mum on the school run, said: ‘I do feel sorry for them. They had a plan to make their lives better, spent a lot of money and now they can’t use it for its intended purpose.
‘It’s not blocking any scenic view. There’s not much to look at around here.’
The Singh family, whose property it is, did not wish to comment further, saying that the issue was now closed.