Sorry this is so long, but I read your post earlier and have really been thinking about it throughout the afternoon, trying to know exactly how I felt about your situation.
I realize it's a little late for this lecture, but: I don't agree with what you did at all. When you first wrote about them, you said they were coming and going all the time, blaring their music, dogs tied to trees, etc. Only when you couldn't get them to turn down the music did you call code enforcement about their porch. Code enforcement obviously has nothing to do with their music being loud, so there would be no point in complaining about that to them as you said. So to me, what you did was very vengeful. You just wanted them to get into some sort of trouble because they were annoying you with their music.
Calling code enforcement about their porch because they made you mad with their music is not only inappropriate action, but it's pretty counter productive, as you now know. Not only will the music still be loud, but now they have it out for you. The only thing worse than loud neighbors are loud neighbors who are mad at you. I just feel that your actions were uncalled for and inappropriate to the situation. And now you are shocked and upset about your porch being reported in return. Your own title sums it up best. You started a war with your neighbors. You started it. Believe me, I really do understand having lousy neighbors that are offensive and loud. I've lived in many places over the years, and many were apartments where the music was literally on the other side of the wall keeping me up all night. I get it, I really do. But ethically, I think it's your obligation to take appropriate action, whatever that may be, but it should be legal recourse at least relevant to the offense.
I'm a little confused on one thing: You said these neighbors have a friend in code enforcement. You also said "Turns out they didnt have permits for the front or back porch or for their shed. They are probably going to pay bigtime for it." Well, if they have a friend in code enforcement, why are they in such trouble? Wouldn't their "friend" make sure your report on them got overlooked? I'd say they don't have that good of a friend if they are still in trouble.
Okay, so assuming for whatever reason they need to fix their porch now, and you do too, since they are requiring you to (or tear it down and you want to keep it), how about this: Why not go over to them and apologize, yes apologize. Kindly explain that you were frustrated with their music, and in your frustration, you took the wrong course of action (because it was the wrong course of action), and that you regret what has happened to them and yourself as a result of your poor choice. You even said yourself you "didn't mean for it to come to this" when they got in trouble, so why not be honest. AND THEN: Now here's the crazy part that will make you gasp: Suggest to them that you would like to help them rebuild their porch (labor not money) and you would like them to help you re-build yours (labor not money) and you would like to work together and close the chapter on this ugly mess.
The worst that can happen is they will tell you to bleep off, and continue as things are now. The best that can happen is that they may take you up on it, and you both get new porches. The war ends, and who knows, they may respect your honesty and attempt to reconcile so much that maybe, just maybe, they'll turn their music a little lower in the future.
If you start lawyering up and starting a legal battle, what's very likely to occur is the same thing that happened already. They will do the same, and the battle will continue and they will make your life a living hell. I think your best recourse at this point is what I said above. Even if you do not want to rebuild the porches, at least apologize. You did handle it wrong. I totally understand your frustration as I said, but you should never have called code enforcement. So why not apologize? Not for being bothered by their loud music, but only for how you handled it. It's amazing how even the roughest toughest people will suddenly turn human when a person is standing at their door with sincerity and nothing to gain.
I wish you luck.
PS: By the way, just to share: My neighbor a few houses up has a huge monster truck that is unbelievably loud. It makes those loud Harley's look like a whisper. All conversation is totally drowned out when he drives by, and he deliberately hits the gas intermittently to make it louder in a lame attempt at showing it off. This same neighbor has two huskies that frequently get loose and have killed virtually everyone's chicken on my road. I have to build an expensive predator proof run and cannot free range my own chickens because of him, so I understand the frustration of a thoughtless neighbor. So why haven't I complained? Because someday I will do something that he might not like, and when I do, I expect it to be overlooked based on my tolerance of him. I am having a shed installed next week which I do not plan to get a permit for since I am way out in the woods and only the people on this road will see it. Had I complained to him about his truck or dogs, he might drop a dime on me about my shed. So every time he gasses his stupid truck passed my house, I cringe but then try to think of it as money in the bank; like "neighbor credit", lol.
