How to Ensure that Remodelling was done with proper permits before buying a House? (Hope: real estate)

[shyguycalif]

We are planning to buy a house in village of westbury.

The house had substantial improvements (new kitchen/new bath) and an extra addition done to it 5 years back, at the peak of real estate bubble.

The current owner had purchased the property later and also does not seem to know too much about these improvements. Websites like nassaucountyny.gov clearly highlights that there was remodeling done to the house.

But there was certain aspects of the house that warrant question if things are as per the code.
1. I am no electrician but electric wiring seemed weird to me (specially the way it was routed). It was touching and clipped on the foundation wall from the panels in the basement.
2. Heat was switched from Oil to Gas but the oil tank is rusting and lying in basement.

Please suggest if one can look at the permits granted in past for a house and ascertain what was done with permit and what was not (if anything).

Thanks!

[Elke Mariotti]

Originally Posted by shyguycalif

We are planning to buy a house in village of westbury.

The house had substantial improvements (new kitchen/new bath) and an extra addition done to it 5 years back, at the peak of real estate bubble.

The current owner had purchased the property later and also does not seem to know too much about these improvements. Websites like nassaucountyny.gov clearly highlights that there was remodeling done to the house.

But there was certain aspects of the house that warrant question if things are as per the code.
1. I am no electrician but electric wiring seemed weird to me (specially the way it was routed). It was touching and clipped on the foundation wall from the panels in the basement.
2. Heat was switched from Oil to Gas but the oil tank is rusting and lying in basement.

Please suggest if one can look at the permits granted in past for a house and ascertain what was done with permit and what was not (if anything).

Thanks!

The Town building department will have a record of all permits and where applicable, completion of work. If they don't have it, it's not official...

Has the tank been disconnected? If it's just "lying there" it may merely have to be cut up and removed...

[Walter Greenspan]

Originally Posted by Elke Mariotti

The Town building department ...

Town or village building department?

[bubsalex]

Check with the village...they should have any improvements done on file, since a permit would need to be filed to do the work. If I recall correctly, the bank will also raise a flag if improvements don't match up with the site map on file at village hall. That happened to be me about 13 years ago when my sunroom turned out to be illegal. Seller went down to village hall and took care of legalizing it. Hope this helps.

[Elke Mariotti]

Originally Posted by Walter Greenspan

Town or village building department?

Oooops - Village Building Dept; thanks for the catch, Walter

[zulu400]

In case you find out that the town/village has to inspect it, make sure you get the proper CO before you can close. It needs to be in your contract if you choose to go for the house. Its also possible that your property tax might go up.

[ubmonkey]

Why dont you just have the town or village come down and inspect before you buy it? Also like others have said these things are public record, so you should be able to go find them at the town.

Also i've heard, you can check on mynassuaproperty.com and just see if the renovations show up on the tax report. if they do then the town has heard of them.

[twingles]

Originally Posted by ubmonkey

Why dont you just have the town or village come down and inspect before you buy it? .

That's a bad idea. Invite them in, and you give them carte blanche to require just about anything to be brought up to code. PLus, he hasn't bought the house yet - if I were selling a house and a buyer wanted to invite in the village idiot - er inspector - I'd call the whole thing off. Because guess who then becomes responsible for doing all the upgrades, geting the permits, filing plans, and so on? And then the buyer decides they don't want to wait for all those COs to be issued and moves on to another house.

Bad enough when you are having work done and the inspector comes in and decides you need to do this, that and the other thing that isn't part of the original job. Don't give them any more reason to do so.