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Don't rely just on the title report. Go to the Township or village and request a Certificate Search which will list all permits ever obtained on the property as well as their status. Using that information, you can also obtain the approved plans to compare to what's actually present. You should also request information on any open or pending violations or complaints/investigations on the property. This will save a lot of headache.
For example, there may not have been a violation issued and the title may read clear, but there is an unresolved complaint regarding an illegal apartment or pool. That becomes your headache once you buy. It could also be a way to see issues that won't show up on the Certificate Search, such as unresolved Applications for permits. Applications do not show on title reports, as the item is just proposed. However, when I worked in code enforcement, our computer system would auto-generate a complaint if the application was pending for too long without any activity, particularly in the case of Applications before the Board of Zoning Appeals. You could be inheriting a huge investment, or getting surprised at closing with a problem that is not easily solved by one inspection or some escrow money.
Case in point: I dealt with one homeowner who bought a house shortly after Sandy. Previous homeowner had applied for several structures and improvements. These didn't show on the title search in 2013-2014. By the time ththe new owner went to upsize to a new home and sell in 2020, those Applications now all flagged as inactive before the BZA. It was a nightmare. A few exterior items were gone, but several still needed to be settled at the Board. And of course, the title is run about 4 days before scheduled closing, and there is no time to act.
The Title report does not indicate that everything at the house is completed under permit, to code, with valid Certificate of Occupancy or Completion. The report only indicates that there are no currently issued permits that haven't been resolved, and that there are no unresolved issued violations on the property. Do your research now and save money and headache later.
Welcome to the LI real estate market I guess. You cannot trust a real estate agent as they will lie to your face with a smile and don't expect prior homeowners to be honest with you. House I purchased the first question I asked was if they had all their CO's and specifically mentioned several that I knew would be a problem. Selling agent lied to my face saying they had everything. All permits and CO's for all work done. Let's put it this way. The entire house was missing a dozen CO's and it delayed the closing for months. Nothing like finding out there is a dozen missing after you have already put a down payment and in contract…
Side lesson. Never use a house inspector the real estate agent recommends. I learned the hard way and paying for many issues my home inspector missed that should have been obvious. I was able to fight for a refund on the inspection fee but it was a drop in the bucket compared to what was "missed". More like the inspector looked the other way so he would not ruin his friends sale. I won't go into specifics but multiple hazards and damage was missed that I'm now paying for.
It never hurts to remind a buyer that the seller’s agent works for the seller and won’t get paid unless the house is sold. The wise potential buyer views the realtor as a used car salesman. (This is not to suggest a realtor and a used car salesman are necessarily dishonest.) Imagine a used car salesman recommending his pal the mechanic to ‘inspect’ the car. (This is not to suggest recommended home inspectors and recommended auto inspectors are necessarily dishonest).
Don't rely just on the title report. Go to the Township or village and request a Certificate Search which will list all permits ever obtained on the property as well as their status. Using that information, you can also obtain the approved plans to compare to what's actually present. You should also request information on any open or pending violations or complaints/investigations on the property. This will save a lot of headache.
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Do we have to go there personally, is this something we can request online? Or do we have to have a contract in place to request this? Can anyone just walk in and ask?
Do we have to go there personally, is this something we can request online? Or do we have to have a contract in place to request this? Can anyone just walk in and ask?
For Town of Oyster Bay, you have to go in person to request this info. If you are not the property owner, it will take longer, i think at least 4 weeks if I remember correctly. They don't ask for ID, so I would ask and see what happens.
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