Comment on Ask a real estate pro: ‘Unpermitted structure’ derailed home repair grant. What do I do now?

Q: I bought a house in 2002 with an enclosed patio. More recently, I was approved for a grant from my city to repair my home. A city inspector came out to assess the house for the repairs required through the grant, but I was denied the grant because the enclosed patio was an “unpermitted structure.” I followed up, but the city does not have records going back more than 10 years.