Just an overt manifestation of how local governments operate. Laws are essentially hard algorithms that can be activated regardless of the health status of the individual. In fact, the fact that someone is out of commission is precisely how the local government(federal government cannot collect property taxes) can make easy bucks as default judgment after default judgment piles up, and then they get a chunk of change when the house sells via lien or other revenue collection means.
The populace, being legally illiterate and fawning over government as a noble entity, presume it is a some sort of "kind" entity and that such laws are good for public safety and used with perfectly and just discretion. This upbringing is precisely what leads to government laws that have the potential to be predatory. Because the populace don't think like lawyers.
Actually just came home from a trial today appealing a citation that resulted $50 fine on my mom even though the work was finished before the trial. Ultimately, the attorney trying to get a little fine called off the dogs when the judge said the trial would have to continue another day as they were about to reach the end of the time limit. That's because the lawyer did not want one particular city inspector whose sociopathic sweet words led to "inaction" and I personally displayed unusual legal understanding for a layman t during a 5 minute recess where I told my mom she fucked up the cross-examination(she, being not trained in law at all, could not stick to just asking questions and threw her own testimony immediately afterwards. While the judge had some iffy and disorganized behavior, she was quite patient, probably because other have complained about her in the past) . Being a witness, I was mostly powerless to do anything except sit through the trial.