Most insurance isn't worth it!  That's why I don't have disability insurance, even though I could be hit by a truck tomorrow.  That's why I don't have flood insurance.  That's why I don't have a car policy that can cover a $3 million dollar injury claim.  I can't afford all that stuff, and neither can most other people with incomes like mine.  Unless you are filthy rich, you have to draw the line somewhere.  That being that case, it would be nice if government would do simple, easy, inexpensive things to reduce risks, so we commoners don't get burned so often.

Your idea to check with the government office, or file the notices in the public record won't always help.  It may have in this case... but what if the problem didn't come up unitl after the purchase - I mean, if no notices had been sent out, but the Land Use Office discovered the encroachment after the purchase, the homeowner would be in the same boat.

Nothing that I haven't considered.  I suspect that a good proportion of violations like this are going to be discovered because a concerned neighbor complains about the construction.  A neigbor is most likely to complain quickly after or even as the structure is being built.  Therefore, I think there is a good chance that this kind of code violation would be caught very quickly in many cases-- likely before a sale could occur.  Therefore I think it is worthwhile to create a mechanism whereby the homeowner could get notice, even though it is true that problems could crop up after the sale-- the homeowners' risk, if not eliminated, is still reduced.