Sometimes those shady deals work out because both sides actually get something real. You fixed a safety issue they ignored and saved your own property from their negligence. Way better than some inspector writing tickets that nobody ever fixes.
You know, I read about a similar thing where a neighbor repaired a shared driveway after the city wouldn't. Like @julia843 said, both sides got what they needed. The city saved money, and the neighbors got a smooth road without waiting years. It's crazy how often these handshake deals actually fix things. What's your take on that?
Yeah, those handshake deals can be the only way to get stuff done. I swapped some plumbing work for a fence repair once, and it solved both our headaches without any official red tape. The system is slow, so you just work around it.