Building inspector walks up to construction foreman overseeing the digging of holes in the ground, pouring concrete, etc. Inspector: Hi... can I see your permi

Building inspector walks up to construction foreman overseeing the digging of holes in the ground, pouring concrete, etc. Inspector: Hi... can I see your permits? I hadn't heard about this. Foreman: It's OK... we have verbal permission from the zoning board and building commission. Inspector: Oh, I see, well... carry on! I think it's fair to say that there is no such thing as "verbal approval" when it comes to any government bureaucracy so empowered to approve/reject any activity. Sure, you might get the verbal commitment of bureaucrats and politicians to oil the wheels and speed things up, or even look the other way... but they can also just be giving you happy talk, too. It don't mean a thing until the right approvals are filed with the right offices, usually on the right forms, with the right seals, and the right signatures.