But in this thread I don't want to focus on that specific case, but in general if there can be exceptions to the unofficial rules and if you remember cases of exceptions.
Since the rules is more or less an 'unofficial list of BTT rules', then there would always be exceptions, see what Theymos had to say:
But I don't believe in having a set of hard rules which is to be applied to all cases. enforcing the rules.
Thus since there is never going to be anything like a set-in-stone rules on Bitcointalk, then there would always be exceptions, especially based on how the mod who handles the case interprete the 'rules'.