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Old 02-19-2024, 12:21 PM
 
16 posts, read 29,457 times
Reputation: 37

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Hi all!
We are buying a home in Sun City West that has a 440 sq ft addition built on it. We already passed the inspection, and we are in the process of closing, but just now our agent is pulling the question of permits and if there is any in existence.
We already emailed Maricopa Count planning and development for a record search on permits, but it is my understanding that this can take weeks.
The addition is drawn in the house plans on the Maricopa Assessors web page, and the correct square footage is shown, it does include the addition. We would be the third owners since the addition was built. Despite the available sketches on the Maricopa Assessors page, our agent still thinks that there was no permit and he is telling us that we should possibly back off.
I am thinking why would anyone build an addition illegally, then call Maricopa County to put it into their system and pay additional tax on it, if there are no permits? The house is gorgeous, and this will be the fourth inspection we are paying for and then backing off for one reason or another. I would hate to do that and then receive news form Planning and development that the house was perfectly ok.

Can anyone chime in on this?
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Old 02-19-2024, 12:43 PM
 
Location: Gilbert, AZ
1,692 posts, read 1,273,376 times
Reputation: 3689
Who cares? If you like the home and it passed inspection, what does your agent think the repercussions will be if it wasn't permitted?
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Old 02-19-2024, 12:54 PM
 
5,168 posts, read 3,088,896 times
Reputation: 11050
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sno0909 View Post
Who cares? If you like the home and it passed inspection, what does your agent think the repercussions will be if it wasn't permitted?
It can get sticky because the county bases property taxes on permits for improvements. Significant additions will not be ignored. If they want to, they can assess a big fine or even demand removal of the structure.
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Old 02-19-2024, 12:57 PM
 
Location: Gilbert, AZ
1,692 posts, read 1,273,376 times
Reputation: 3689
Quote:
Originally Posted by TimAZ View Post
It can get sticky because the county bases property taxes on permits for improvements. Significant additions will not be ignored. If they want to, they can assess a big fine or even demand removal of the structure.
They have been the third owners. Although, now they have surely drawn attention to it since they are inquiring about it. So if it isn't permitted, you are now on the radar.
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Old 02-19-2024, 12:58 PM
 
Location: Gilbert, AZ
1,692 posts, read 1,273,376 times
Reputation: 3689
And if it's drawn into the plans on the Assessor's page, I'm not sure how that couldn't be permitted. Doesn't make sense.
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Old 02-19-2024, 01:06 PM
 
4,624 posts, read 9,278,272 times
Reputation: 4983
It shouldn't take weeks to get an answer, I would pick up the phone and call the building safety department. I've done that before. Even if it is unpermitted, it is pretty commonplace in the market to have additions that are unpermitted but built well and there is a market for them. If it is on the assessors sketch and on the assessors square footage, it was likely submitted but it's not a guarantee.
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Old 02-19-2024, 02:09 PM
 
Location: Arizona
8,271 posts, read 8,655,088 times
Reputation: 27675
They got my friend for something there wasn't a permit for and done by a previous owner. It cost her quite a bit.

If it's on the assessor's page I'm pretty sure it was taken care of.
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Old 02-20-2024, 05:35 AM
 
Location: Boydton, VA
4,602 posts, read 6,364,058 times
Reputation: 10586
The "current" homeowner is on the hook for any illegal/un-permitted work done by a previous owner. I would make my offer contingent upon a positive outcome of a permit investigation.
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Old 02-20-2024, 07:22 AM
 
16 posts, read 29,457 times
Reputation: 37
I just wanted to post an update to my question, in case somebody in a similar situation comes across this post I received an email as an answer to our permit records search, and since there is evidence of this edition being in existence since 2013, maybe even before that, there are no permits on file. Maricopa Planning and Development keeps records for only ten years, and since the addition is older than that, there are none to be found, which pretty much leaves us in the clear.
We also believe that due to the addition being shown on the Maricopa Assessors page, the people who built it most likely had permits. To build something illegally and then call the assessor to brag about it, and voluntarily pay a higher tax on it seems counter-productive.
Thank you all for your answers, you helped us make a decision!
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