Legal rules for building without a permit

Questioner

Good day, my neighbor of the adjacent houseboat has a fence on his terrace. This fence is according to permits on the water not built with a permit, there is no permit for it. The neighbor bought this houseboat in 2015, and the fence was there before that. I don't know how long before that, but I assume it has been there for a long time. 1) Does a construction without a permit expire? If so, after how many years? 2) If it has not expired, can I demand that the fence be removed? I am not allowed to put up a fence myself.

Lawyer

If a movable property has been built without a permit, the relevant administrative body that must decide on this must first thoroughly investigate whether legalisation by means of a water permit is possible. This is usually the case. However, such matters do not expire. It is also possible that you are not allowed to place a fence now, but situations from the past are approved.