It was just a swing set. A $1,500 custom-designed swing set that doubles as a wisteria arbor in a posh Washington-area neighborhood, but just a swing set.

Still, the monkey bars and three swings Bill Maloni erected for his six grandchildren in the back yard of his Chevy Chase Village home have drawn ire. Months after the swing set went up last spring, Maloni was cited for a code violation, which triggered three hearings, a vote by the village’s Board of Managers and, now, possible litigation.

“I continue to hope that logic will prevail,” Maloni said. “But I doubt it.”

This wealthy enclave — a tree-lined, 0.4-square-mile area just across the District line in Montgomery County — is governed by an elected seven-member board. It is not the first time the village and surrounding neighborhoods have squabbled with residents over complaints that some might deem trivial — and it is hardly alone in such disputes.