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Don't know where you bought but your attorney is clueless about the process. There is no such thing as playing your cards right with permits. Many on this board can dispute this with evidence as I will do once again.
In 1997, I bought my home in TNH with a c/a unit outside in the side yard that was on the survey when I bought. In 2010, I applied for a permit to put up a fence, the application process includes a current survey. I was denied because I did not have a C/a permit. It makes no difference that I purchased the house this way. I had to apply for a permit after the fact so that means a penalty so instead of it being $50 it was 4 x $50 or $200. I then had to have a electrical underwriter come in. I failed as it was no longer to current code. That inspection was $99 and he had to return to see the corrections for an additional $95. I needed to get a Nassau County certified electrician, no other certification was allowed. It cost me $750 for parts and the electrician. Then the permit for the a/c was turned because it was within the side yard set backs and I had to apply for a variance. Once again, after the fact, so the same penalty applied and I had to pay $200 for that, with no guarantee that it would be approved. Thankfully, moving the unit to another location would impact my neighbors as no matter where I went it would be closer to their living space as opposed to one neighbors garage. The neighbors had to receive certified mailed letters of what I was applying for. That was the one place I lucked out. Everyone of the adjoining neighbors handed in a letter stating that it was in the best place and that moving it would impact them adversely.
If you enclose a room and electric and or plumbing is involved you are screwed if the town requires you to bring it to current code. It can include opening up walls. These are FACTS not opinions and there is no playing your cards right. The closest to that is if you happen to get "lucky" and the title search company does not discover it, or if the appraiser does not discover it. When I bought in '97 these things were not important, today every dollar counts and will cost you big time.
why did you apply for a permit for a fence? sounds like you opened a can of worms.
We had retirement on the horizon. Seeing what a few of the families of our neighbors who had passed away went through with the TNH including one with an unpermitted fence went through we decided it was not worth it to hold up a sale and applied. We were ASTOUNDED about the a/c particularly because we had put on an addition, all by permit, since we had purchased the house and the inspectors were all there multiple times to check and the a/c was never a problem before.
In retrospect we are glad as the a/c issue would have added more stress to our sale, which was complicated by stupid buyers who locked in a mortgage commitment too early and then expected us to move out and pay them.
Don't know where you bought but your attorney is clueless about the process. There is no such thing as playing your cards right with permits. Many on this board can dispute this with evidence as I will do once again.
In 1997, I bought my home in TNH with a c/a unit outside in the side yard that was on the survey when I bought. In 2010, I applied for a permit to put up a fence, the application process includes a current survey. I was denied because I did not have a C/a permit. It makes no difference that I purchased the house this way. I had to apply for a permit after the fact so that means a penalty so instead of it being $50 it was 4 x $50 or $200. I then had to have a electrical underwriter come in. I failed as it was no longer to current code. That inspection was $99 and he had to return to see the corrections for an additional $95. I needed to get a Nassau County certified electrician, no other certification was allowed. It cost me $750 for parts and the electrician. Then the permit for the a/c was turned because it was within the side yard set backs and I had to apply for a variance. Once again, after the fact, so the same penalty applied and I had to pay $200 for that, with no guarantee that it would be approved. Thankfully, moving the unit to another location would impact my neighbors as no matter where I went it would be closer to their living space as opposed to one neighbors garage. The neighbors had to receive certified mailed letters of what I was applying for. That was the one place I lucked out. Everyone of the adjoining neighbors handed in a letter stating that it was in the best place and that moving it would impact them adversely.
If you enclose a room and electric and or plumbing is involved you are screwed if the town requires you to bring it to current code. It can include opening up walls. These are FACTS not opinions and there is no playing your cards right. The closest to that is if you happen to get "lucky" and the title search company does not discover it, or if the appraiser does not discover it. When I bought in '97 these things were not important, today every dollar counts and will cost you big time.
I got a permit for an enclosed porch, dormer, two decks, bathroom when I bought house and whole process was shady.
Inspector basically said I have to pay the electrical inspector he knows to sign off. Which I did. Guy looked at nothing. I submitted his signoff and got my stuff.
Biggest joke of all he said my hall closet light was wrong. Tried to hit wife up when I was not home for like 500 to re-do it and wife said no. The SOB cut the wire to it. The I reconnected it as soon as I got home.
After Sandy I had some shady Nassau guy in my house as I was applying to Step program. They brought and inspector with them and he starts looking around. I threw them out right away and withdrew from program.
His beef he saw I wanted a single light over a desk. So I connected to a light switch rather than back to box. A light I would turn on maybe a few times a year. He starts going on an on and whips out a fake book and starts writing in it. He was looking for a big bribe. I said look I will just disconnect it big deal. then he goes let me start looking at your plumbing and I say let me call 911 and have you arrested for trespassing get the F out and they stop on my front lawn and I said get moving off my property now before I really get mad and they scampered off.
Reason folks dont like permits is bad apples and taxes meanwhile I do think 90% of the folks are good and trying to help. But the bad apples ruin it for all.
I got a permit for an enclosed porch, dormer, two decks, bathroom when I bought house and whole process was shady.
Inspector basically said I have to pay the electrical inspector he knows to sign off. Which I did. Guy looked at nothing. I submitted his signoff and got my stuff.
Biggest joke of all he said my hall closet light was wrong. Tried to hit wife up when I was not home for like 500 to re-do it and wife said no. The SOB cut the wire to it. The I reconnected it as soon as I got home.
After Sandy I had some shady Nassau guy in my house as I was applying to Step program. They brought and inspector with them and he starts looking around. I threw them out right away and withdrew from program.
His beef he saw I wanted a single light over a desk. So I connected to a light switch rather than back to box. A light I would turn on maybe a few times a year. He starts going on an on and whips out a fake book and starts writing in it. He was looking for a big bribe. I said look I will just disconnect it big deal. then he goes let me start looking at your plumbing and I say let me call 911 and have you arrested for trespassing get the F out and they stop on my front lawn and I said get moving off my property now before I really get mad and they scampered off.
Reason folks dont like permits is bad apples and taxes meanwhile I do think 90% of the folks are good and trying to help. But the bad apples ruin it for all.
On one hand I see it as a cash grab, nothing more. On the other hand, many times a consumer will cut corners to save some cash and from a safety point it is indeed unsafe. That said, I will also agree that I have yet to see the TNH worry about safety.
Maybe 8 months after our permit dealings, they declared amnesty on the penalty for someone like me and I could have saved $300.
On one hand I see it as a cash grab, nothing more. On the other hand, many times a consumer will cut corners to save some cash and from a safety point it is indeed unsafe. That said, I will also agree that I have yet to see the TNH worry about safety.
Maybe 8 months after our permit dealings, they declared amnesty on the penalty for someone like me and I could have saved $300.
If this screened in porch is essentially an enclosed deck at this point, then you need to make sure the supports can handle the additional burden of sheetrock and glass. You'll need to heat it and possible A/C it in the summer. If it doesn't have electric outlets you will need that as well.
We have thought about enclosing our porch here but all of these issues have made us put it on the back burner.
If you do it legit with a permit your taxes will go up, how much nobody knows. The town will probably give you some formula to try and calculate it yourself.
Not so much enclosing it but if you hook it up to your heating system it shoots up your tax rate
So is that how it works no heat it's still considered a porch. Who would know the boundaries... I dont want to raise any flags with the town. But I'm getting taxed for a porch.
So is that how it works no heat it's still considered a porch. Who would know the boundaries... I dont want to raise any flags with the town. But I'm getting taxed for a porch.
heated vs unheated is a big difference, think garage or unfinished attic which is not heated.
Some folks put electric heat in which does not county or hook up after CO signed off
The fact that it is being taxed has nothing to do with the permits for the town. Don't mix up the two. Generally speaking when you add heat the space becomes livable square footage.
I have no idea how you became taxed on the screen room unless it was built that way to start off with and would have been on the original survey. Just like, I know that my former home was not built in 1952 with central air, and they were taxing me on it, yet no permits were ever filed for it. It was taxed as such in 1997 when I bought and I was forced to legalized it in 2012.
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