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You can’t make a blanket statement as to a yes or no answer. There are many factors and the main ones usually are, why is an inspector looking to gain access, and where is the house? These will be contributing factors as to how hard the authorities come down on you.
Try this in NJ or NY and you might as well expect to pay a ton of money while being stopped in your tracks from doing any work. Usually better to beg for forgiveness then to prove a point and antagonize the local authorities. In recent years they have increased their power and have raised fees.
Big government is growing and from what I’ve witnessed over recent years, it’s only getting worse, not better.
The thing is the town wants you to get permits so they can legally increase the assesed value to get more tax money from you.
How is this pertinent if they only collect to the total budget? Each home's assessed value only determines the percentage of the total from the entire tax base that needs to be collected. It doesn't mean they make more overall from the tax base because homes are assessed higher. They require permits for the fees associated AND the reason below.
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It's actually preferred if someone who knows what they are doing does it with no permits because you get the house redone well without the taxes that come with it. The only people that lose are the town, and the idiots who wish they bought it in the first place that are complaining on this forum.
This implies that people who have work done without permits are always doing/paying for quality work. This is simply not the case. You can hire any fly-by-night handyman (who won't go by code) just because he was cheaper, for obvious reasons.
So if you're a buyer, how do you know they used someone who "knew what they were doing"? The first thing they hear is no permit - which raises flags to begin with. I've done minor stuff with no permit, but for any job larger than a bathroom remodel, you can't expect buyers to blindly accept it with a great big thank you. They then also have to think about re-selling without permits which can be another headache for them.
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Originally Posted by Oldandtireddad
Less government means more personal responsibility. It's nice going from blue to red..
It's great that you trust yourself, but I wouldn't trust my neighbor whose house measuring only 15ft from mine may potentially catch fire or explode because of shoddy work. I mean, I can see the quality of work judging from the window framing alone...
Bottom line, you can't trust that everyone else has "personal responsibility". We also have vehicle inspections for the same reason.
And if the Town or Title Company discovers work that was completed without permits and final inspections, the sale of the house will usually be held up until all necessary permits and approvals have been obtained.
Why take that chance unless you’re never going to sell or transfer ownership ?
And if the Town or Title Company discovers work that was completed without permits and final inspections, the sale of the house will usually be held up until all necessary permits and approvals have been obtained.
Why take that chance unless you’re never going to sell or transfer ownership ?
Buyers have 3 options.
Buy something run down for 300k.
Buy something flipped for 450k.
Buy something renovated for 460k no permits and 6k tax.
Buy something renovated for 460k with permits and 13k tax.
If it was me trying to buy a home for my family after an exhaustive search in the awful sellers market, I'd go with the best option and the one with the lowest monthly payment closest to my job.
Believe me. This isnt kentucky. This is New York. Over half the people here do illegal things to get by, including the fed, state.
Trying to go to your house as an INSPECTOR is illegal and it's an obstruction of justice to fight for it. You need a court ordered warrant that requires hard evidence.
Hard evidence is either visual or via the ear. This means that IF you cover all of your windows and only drill in the basement (you need to dig it first 4 ft so you are lower, sound proof the walls, etc. Etc. The noise wont escape.
If you are doing ANY serious reno upstairs near where inspectors can hear you, then you are at risk of a legal court order as they will have evidence.
In other words, dont be an idiot. I've sold all of my houses with no permits and no one cares. Maybe YOU do, but most qualified buyers dont.
How is this pertinent if they only collect to the total budget? Each home's assessed value only determines the percentage of the total from the entire tax base that needs to be collected. It doesn't mean they make more overall from the tax base because homes are assessed higher. They require permits for the fees associated AND the reason below.
This implies that people who have work done without permits are always doing/paying for quality work. This is simply not the case. You can hire any fly-by-night handyman (who won't go by code) just because he was cheaper, for obvious reasons.
So if you're a buyer, how do you know they used someone who "knew what they were doing"? The first thing they hear is no permit - which raises flags to begin with. I've done minor stuff with no permit, but for any job larger than a bathroom remodel, you can't expect buyers to blindly accept it with a great big thank you. They then also have to think about re-selling without permits which can be another headache for them.
It's great that you trust yourself, but I wouldn't trust my neighbor whose house measuring only 15ft from mine may potentially catch fire or explode because of shoddy work. I mean, I can see the quality of work judging from the window framing alone...
Bottom line, you can't trust that everyone else has "personal responsibility". We also have vehicle inspections for the same reason.
I agree with this.
IF you ask the people doing the work, they always "know what they're doing". if you ask the friends and family of those workers, the people who hire them, they'll say the same, b/c they don't know any better.
Everyone's uncle "in the business" give them a "good price" family rate, just we're going to skip the permits, b/c who needs that waste of time/extra expense.
What really pisses me off is that this stuff just happens. You wake up one morning and read "NY lawmakers just passed the blah blah blah bill". It's like wtf where is the transparency? Where is the control of we the people?
Why do we not get the opportunity to go "whoa that aint cool we do not support this?"
We don't.
Some overpaid assclowns just come up with ways to generate revenue or pander to groups of voters. It's stupid.
Why should there be a fee for permits? There shouldn't be. People shouldn't have to pay for filing paperwork that some moron is already getting paid to file. Stupid stupid stupid.
Being penalized for wanting to improve our qol and living conditions. That's communism.
How is this pertinent if they only collect to the total budget? Each home's assessed value only determines the percentage of the total from the entire tax base that needs to be collected. It doesn't mean they make more overall from the tax base because homes are assessed higher. They require permits for the fees associated AND the reason below.
This implies that people who have work done without permits are always doing/paying for quality work. This is simply not the case. You can hire any fly-by-night handyman (who won't go by code) just because he was cheaper, for obvious reasons.
So if you're a buyer, how do you know they used someone who "knew what they were doing"? The first thing they hear is no permit - which raises flags to begin with. I've done minor stuff with no permit, but for any job larger than a bathroom remodel, you can't expect buyers to blindly accept it with a great big thank you. They then also have to think about re-selling without permits which can be another headache for them.
It's great that you trust yourself, but I wouldn't trust my neighbor whose house measuring only 15ft from mine may potentially catch fire or explode because of shoddy work. I mean, I can see the quality of work judging from the window framing alone...
Bottom line, you can't trust that everyone else has "personal responsibility". We also have vehicle inspections for the same reason.
If you're on the safety side, know that most people wont do serious life risking renovations on their own. I know how to do oil to gas conversion, but I never want to be liable if the street blows up. Then I go to jail. I think most people understand the legal risks.
As for redoing other things, like electric, plumbing, etc, which can be done very properly, then no permits needed. If you dont feel safe, that's understandable, but know that you are not a shining star here and that there are 10mil+ people here doing whatever they want.
Honestly, I dont feel safe, and if I had a choice to stop my neighbors from doing work or fleeing this place, I'd flee. You simply cant take away people's natural rights here for the sake of your own sanity.
This applies to everything and not just reno. If you dont like a minority in your neighborhood due to their gang activity, you cant stop them. If they are doing something illegal, you still cant stop them as the police usually are 2 minutes late to the game every time.
In other words, get used to it. Life in New York isnt a fairytale. It's quite the opposite. A ranch on a 3 acre farm elsewhere will suit your requirements though
What really pisses me off is that this stuff just happens. You wake up one morning and read "NY lawmakers just passed the blah blah blah bill". It's like wtf where is the transparency? Where is the control of we the people?
Why do we not get the opportunity to go "whoa that aint cool we do not support this?"
We don't.
Some overpaid assclowns just come up with ways to generate revenue or pander to groups of voters. It's stupid.
Why should there be a fee for permits? There shouldn't be. People shouldn't have to pay for filing paperwork that some moron is already getting paid to file. Stupid stupid stupid.
Dont worry, most people dont file permits. The town is just trying to squeeze the other lemons here
IF you ask the people doing the work, they always "know what they're doing". if you ask the friends and family of those workers, the people who hire them, they'll say the same, b/c they don't know any better.
Everyone's uncle "in the business" give them a "good price" family rate, just we're going to skip the permits, b/c who needs that waste of time/extra expense.
I'm no expert in something's, am an expert in others, but you dont need an expert to know that you need a fuse between a high current power source and something that takes a lower amperage.
You dont need to be a genius to not blow up your house. You DO need to pass 5th grade however. Most of old folks in our generation were handy. These new people though -are questionable: "wow is this a hammer? Knock knock, oh ****! Help!"
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