My understanding was that the point being argued was over whether the removal of the hay bales constituted continuation of the building project - which resets t

My understanding was that the point being argued was over whether the removal of the hay bales constituted continuation of the building project - which resets the 4 year time window - or if it was unrelated. Given that the only reason the hay bales were there was to conceal the construction of the property, I don't think it's unreasonable to argue that removing them constitutes part of the project.