Loved it! Anyone who's ever had to deal with red tape (buying a house comes to mind) can relate.
I liked how really sort of true-to-life this was, considering that it's based on a fictional character... If this sort of thing - the red tape harassment - were real, a lot of cities, countries, or groups might very well respond pretty much like you've laid out - with a percentage of insincere offers mixed in purely for the embarrassment it might cause.
Great story!
'Toc
