Sounds like Italy. I wanted to cut down 2 trees in my garden. They were rotten and my neighbour had complained to the commune (local council)
Go to commune. Polite conversation and coffee. Bring us photos they say,
Take pictures, return to commune- Sorry, we have checked and yours is the first house in the village that is not "urban", so you need to go to the commune di montana (rural council)
Go to commune di montana, given form to fill, told to take it to Corpo Forestale (Forestry Commission). Despite photos, and knowing that they drive past the house every day, they need to inspect.
Two days later, sunbathing bikini clad Mrs Beerhead looks up to see three men in military uniforms complete with guns standing over her. The Corpo have arrived. It's the beginning of siesta time, so after more coffees and some collapso, they spend 30 seconds looking at the trees, push to see if they move, give me the nod and sign the well thumbed photos.
Back to commune di montana (after siesta time)who attach photos to form. It needs an official seal and signature, which has to over a stamp which proves I have paid for the application.
The commune don't do the stamps, you can get them anywhere that sells bus tickets. So it's down to Bar Boschetto, buy the stamp, more collapso and discussion about silly rules. Back to the commune di montana, but the bloke in charge has already left for the day.
I track him down in a local bar. He has the official seal in his briefcase. So a couple of aperitivos and finally the deed is done. But the document has to be lodged with the Urban commune, now closed. So it's back to them the next morning, more coffee and chat, the document is formally registered and I get the inevitable grainy photocopy.
So relaxing !
Oh we have 'Revenue Stamps' here - you need them for almost everything like registering a car, etc. but the place where you register the car (and pay the registration fee) doesn't sell them - you have to get in your (unregistered) car, drive to the post office, buy two €1.70 stamps return to the registration place where they stick them on your form so you can pay the registration fee...
I've no doubt that revenue stamps will be involved at some stage of the shotgun debacle....
