Bill wrote:
What happens is there is a nightclub fire and many people die, some kid
drowns, someone gets electrocuted and dies needlessly...

Then there is public "outrage" that something should be done to prevent
these things from happening again...

Then they come up with new building codes. The inspectors enforce them.

The codes are there to protect YOU and YOUR family! You're barking up the
wrong tree getting mad at city inspectors. Might instead try the "outraged
public" who caused these rules to be created in the first place...



I remember the days of high-rises without sprinkler systems, reason
being my dad was a firefighter and it upset him to discuss it.
Everything around us, over two stories?, where I live now has been
retrofitted.

I didn't think much about codes until I moved into a condo that had been
long neglected (longer story). There were no functioning lights in
atrium, stairway or front walk, in spite of there being elderly and/or
vision impaired residents. Busted sidewalk steps. Pot holes in pkg.
lot. Rats in attics.

Since living here , I've seen an owner do major remodel without permit.
He screwed through the cabinet of the microwave he installed (found by
next owner, after first owner doubled his money). Another newer owner
burned out some of the wiring to our unit by nailing new flooring
through the conduit in the unit above ours. Wiring had numerous black
char marks on it and burned through completely in at least one spot. He
blew our breaker three times (the final time) before he paid attention.
When he went on to plumbing, his plumber didn't notice a leak in
something newly installed until I saw water dripping from bathroom
ceiling.