Part of the fun of the Interweb is that you re-discover "oldies but goodies," like this story from 2006 about a neighborly dispute that ended up with ... er, just read:
A city councilman in Utah, Mark Easton, had a beautiful view of the east Mountains until a new neighbor purchased the lot below his house and built a new home. The home was 18 inches higher than the ordinances would allow, so Mark Easton, mad about his lost view, went to the city to make sure they enforced the lower roof line ordinance.
The neighbor was forced to lower his roof at a significant expense. So while he's at it, he decided to add a "abstract art representing a cactus" on his vet cover so his complaining neighbor can see it everyday!
Links: More pic at Brainless World | Snopes said it was true - via Ectoplasmosis
I'm not big into onerous zoning laws and neighborhood deed restrictions, et al, but if you buy property and move into such a place, you deserve what you get.
Along with Sid though...you should know what you're getting into before you move into a zoned neighborhood. I for one will never move into a neighborhood which has onerous neighborhood association rules.
http://www.snopes.com/photos/risque/ventcover.asp
Congrats to the 'cactus' neighbour. Few people would've been as clever.