addition built without a permit (for sale, real estate, city hall)

[jeff dewing]

how does someone go about finding out if an addition was built without a permit being pulled, I believe my parents let a family member build an addition without a permit and worried that they did it so the house couldn't be sold due to this.

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by jeff dewing

how does someone go about finding out if an addition was built without a permit being pulled, I believe my parents let a family member build an addition without a permit and worried that they did it so the house couldn't be sold due to this.

Visit the building department at your town city hall. They should have this.

[SoFresh99]

Having a non-permitted addition would only be a hindrance to the sale if it was recent. There are plenty of 60s,70s and 80s unpermitted additions that no one would bother arguing about. If this was recent AND something turns up on the home inspection that would trigger the buyer's curiosity and make go looking for a permit, then you have a problem. But it is only as much of a problem as that buyer makes it into. It could be no big deal, or it could be a giant drama.

Very very very few real estate agents will risk their commission by warning their buyer to look for permits. Which is sad, but would ultimately work in your favor.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by jeff dewing

how does someone go about finding out if an addition was built without a permit being pulled, I believe my parents let a family member build an addition without a permit and worried that they did it so the house couldn't be sold due to this.

The town building department will have this information. There's a chance if your parents sell the building department will notice the addition, fine them, and require proper permitting. Towns are especially interested in additions that add square footage, as those typically increase the tax.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by SoFresh99

Having a non-permitted addition would only be a hindrance to the sale if it was recent. There are plenty of 60s,70s and 80s unpermitted additions that no one would bother arguing about. If this was recent AND something turns up on the home inspection that would trigger the buyer's curiosity and make go looking for a permit, then you have a problem. But it is only as much of a problem as that buyer makes it into. It could be no big deal, or it could be a giant drama.

I had this come up on a transaction earlier this year. My client was buying a home where the 3rd floor and basement had been finished without permits. Based on the way in which the spaces were finished, I told my client at the inspection that I didn't need to go to the building department because I was 99.9% sure that the work was unpermitted. He asked me to check anyway and not only was my suspicion confirmed, but I was informed by the building dept. that they had recently issued a violation notice. Apparently, they had started a practice where they reviewed "for sale" listings online looking for potential violations (they've since stopped as they got a lot of angry calls). My client really didn't care about the unpermitted work and would have moved forward anyway, but it was nice to know that the town was on top of these things.

Anyway, the reason I bring it up was because during that whole fiasco I was told by our attorney that there's a 10 year statute of limitations on unpermitted work. So, basically the building department had to dismiss the violation once the owner could show the work was done more than 10 years ago.

Originally Posted by SoFresh99

Very very very few real estate agents will risk their commission by warning their buyer to look for permits. Which is sad, but would ultimately work in your favor.

Honestly, I think it's 50% about risking a commission and 50% about pure laziness. Most of the unpermitted work I come across is either small (ex. replacing a toilet without a permit) or decades old. In most of the towns I work in the building departments are very actively looking for violations and if you have a dumpster in front of your house but no permit you will definitely get a cease and desist order from the town. Most people around here wouldn't risk an unpermitted large project because they know they'll be caught and they're not saving all that much money by not pulling permits.