Someone called code enforcement on me, for no reason (Brookhaven: sales, apartment)

[confusedmomwestislip]

Hi,

I live in a high ranch, two bedrooms on top and two bedrooms on the bottom. We sleep on the top because I feel safer for my kids, (both still in diapers)

Well I get a letter today saying someone reported me as a multi family dwelling, which it is not, we use the first floor as a playroom for the kids and a tv room for us. I called the town and said I do not have a illegal multi family dwelling and I wouldn't mind the town coming into my home to inspect it. We bought this house less than a year ago, we say hi to our neighbors but not much more. I'm upset that someone would do this, there are other real illegal rentals on the block.

What can I expect when the inspector comes, I feel violated and I don't like strangers in my home, I'm a very protective mom.

Thank you for your answers

[TomMoser]

The inspector will come and just look around to make sure that you don't have an apartment. He'll be in and out in two minutes. Do you have anything that would make someone think from the outside that you have an apartment, such as a second electric meter?

[confusedmomwestislip]

Hi Tom,
Thank you for your reply, The previous owner rented the first floor to her mother in law from what she tells us. We don't have a second meter, we are paying taxes on a 4 bedroom two bath house, and that is what they have in the CO,

Do you think the inspector would say anything about a door separating the two floors? That is how we bought it, should I have my husband remove the door?

The bottom floor is street level, we pay almost 10,000 in taxes because we are paying on the entire sq of the house.

thank you

[confusedmomwestislip]

Come to think of it, I might have said to my neighbor we only use the top floor because I'm scared to sleep on street level

[confusedmomwestislip]

There is a sink down there, we don't use it, should I have that taken down too,

[lialleycat]

If there is a second kitchen down there, they *might* have something to say about it. I took out the stove when i moved into a mother/daughter house in Brookhaven Township and then it wasn't a problem. I used what they had as a kitchen in an illegal apartment for storage, it was great to have two freezers so I could stock up on sales and I'd put all the cases of soda in the second fridge, so everyone could have whatever drink they felt like! I think if there is no cooking facilities, they can't say it is a seperate apartment.

Knowing how long it takes the town to get to complaints, I wonder if the complaint was actually against the people who used to live there and the town's just getting around to checking it out. You might not have been who the neighbors were complaining about!

[orchid924]

That's just horrible that neighbors did that to you.

[OhBeeHave]

Does the door (which is separating the two floors) have locksets which you would find on an exterior door? IMHO, if it does, it might make the inspector question whether you intend to rent it in the future. Also, is there a second kitchen? Or cabinetry with a sink?

I knew one woman who had cabinetry with a kitchen sink (no appliances) in her basement. The Brookhaven building inspector insisted it be removed as it could be used to create a kitchen for an illegal apartment. She had it for her craft studio, and had evidence as such, but to get her CO, she had to have it removed.

Good luck

[confusedmomwestislip]

Hi,

There's a little fridge down there, I also use it to stock up on foods when it's on sale. There is no stove, but the sink does have a cabinet on the top of it. Maybe I'll have my husband remove it,

[confusedmomwestislip]

Hi,

I wonder if it was about her, We don't have parties, I'm always home with children, keep the front clean, I don't know why someone would done this,