TGIF

Feeling stifled by zoning codes? An English farmer concealed construction of his dream house under a 40-foot pile of straw. He and his family then lived in the house under the straw for four years.

They hoped to exploit a loophole that allows a building otherwise in violation of the code if it stands four years without any objections. The Daily Mail, which reported the story (and has a picture of the completed home), said the man's plans were frustrated by authorities, who ruled that the clock did not start ticking until the hay was removed.

In other news from the Wide World of Real Estate, luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers suffered a particularly unkind cancellation. The daughter of the company's co-founder walked away from a $2.5 million condominium built for her and her husband, the Wall Street Journal reported. Walk-aways a growing problem for builders, as some buyers prefer to forfeit a deposit instead of overpaying for new homes that have declined in value since the original contract was signed.

Finally, a note to loyal readers: Our comments system seems to be working again. Apologies for any difficulties over the last few days. If you run into problems, today or in the future, please email me at appelbaum@globe.com