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I'm making an offer on a property that has unpermitted works, which are not visible from the outside and non-structural.
I want to ensure that everything on the property is legalized, both for my peace of mind and for potential resale value down the line.
I am waiting for a comprehensive list of all the works done on the property, whether permitted or not. The seller will NOT get proper permits.
Suppose I go ahead with the purchase, here are my questions:
1. Who should I contact to legalize everything on the property? I want to ensure that I go through the proper channels and get everything squared away with the town.
2. What kind of financial penalty from the town should I expect?
Start with the building inspection department of the Township. They will help you understand what is on file already. Depending on the nature of the improvements the inspector might not be able to approve without partial demolition. For example if an addition was done, then the foundation, structural, electrical, plumbing, would need to be inspected before the drywall is up.
But if the drywall is already up, then the inspector can't see if everything was done properly. So in this case the township might require partial demolition. Sometimes the inspector will let you off. This is highly dependent on the township and how they handle building inspections.
OMG, RUN! This happened to me and it was a disaster.
In Yorktown, the building inspect gave a Certificate of Occupancy without an inspection. Well, the propane gas company came to turn the stove on and nothing happened. Finally, he said "Lets see what's going on in the basement." We went down and the propane pipe was not finished and ended with the open line. The basement was full of propane. I'm lucky I didn't die in an explosion. That was the beginning of the list of un-inspected/undone work.
Any decent company get the permits. If the construction company didn't acquire the correct permits its because they weren't competent to do the work.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zjack2000
Start with the building inspection department of the Township. They will help you understand what is on file already. Depending on the nature of the improvements the inspector might not be able to approve without partial demolition. For example if an addition was done, then the foundation, structural, electrical, plumbing, would need to be inspected before the drywall is up.
But if the drywall is already up, then the inspector can't see if everything was done properly. So in this case the township might require partial demolition. Sometimes the inspector will let you off. This is highly dependent on the township and how they handle building inspections.
All correct! You might need a partial demolition for your own peace of mind!
ONE IMPORTANT POINT - if the seller will not acquire the correct permits - depending on the work - you will not have a certificate of occupancy. Without a certificate of occupancy, the banks will NOT give you a mortgage!!!
Last edited by YorktownGal; 02-26-2024 at 07:38 AM..
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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The problem is that you may not be able to make it legal. Sometimes there was no permit for reason other than avoiding the fees and property tax increase. For example, our first house had the garage converted to living space, without permit. Our first potential buyer backed out because their lender required PMI, and that insurance company requires all work to have been permitted. When we looked into it, the county would not grant a permit because there was insufficient off-street parking without the garage. They didn't want it without the conversion, so we had to wait for another buyer that was better qualified and it worked out in the end.
Another problem is that when you get a permit for any work the inspector may require unrelated work to be brought up to code. Re-wiring or re-plumbing a whole house can be very expensive.
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OP can you provide some insight what type of work was done undocumented? I would think that based on the area you may be tearing down finished rooms as other posters have pointed out which will cost you quite a bit. Town fines would depend on the town...
What kind of work was done without permits? Sometimes it's not a big deal and sometimes it can be.
For instance... a company replaces your central AC system, to me that's a non issue or replaces windows, or a dishwasher. Yes some municipalities require permits.
If it an addition, then there might be property tax issues. Many people close in their garages.
Often the tip off is the sq ft at the county appraisers web site, and the actually sellers numbers.
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