<p>Now I know why Banks selling auctioned properties with quit claims deed. A quit claims deed does not have a full title search, so all the defects in title will carry forward to the buyer. </p>
<p>I am closing and the buyer had to have a loan, then I found a building violation was put on the house in 2006, title cannot close without the building violation being cleared, in part because of the loan. Not sure if all cash deal will close either.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, the building violation can be cleared, I just have to do more paper work in the building department.</p>
<p>This has to do with the patio cover thing? I can’t wait to hear about how long the City Bldg Department is going to take to clear the lien off the property :)</p>
<p>no, the building violation was on the ROOF, the inspector did not find any thing wrong with it, so he agrees to clear the violation. However, that yoyo had TWO permits issued for the patio cover, none of them had final inspection, so the building department asked me to take it down OR file for another permit so it can be inspected.</p>
<p>Tomorrow, per buyers request, I am going to the building department to pull a permit on the patio cover. That will have them to clear the ROOF violation. After I pull the permit, its the buyer’s responsibility to finish it.</p>
<p>Well, I’m now waiting for the Historical Committee police (whoever they are) to drive by and determine that my new front overhang is ‘not a repair’ and is different than the original and I’m going to get arrested or something.</p>
<p>Amen, what a lesson learned! That’s my phrase I use whenever I am losing money and this project is getting closer to my biggest lesson learned every day.</p>
<p>Sh** went to the building department to fill an app. They sent me to Planning, what? So guys at planning goes on and on, bottom line, I need a variance and a survey to get that patio cover permit approved. So i said screw it i will take it down. It is going to be done this afternoon. Case closed. </p>
<p>Here is my story from my visit to City Bldg Dept yesterday. And this reinforces why my competition does not get permits. As soon as you get a permit you are inviting the City to stick their nose in everything.</p>
<p>When the inspector came for my plumbing inspection, he looked at our derelict garage and said “Ive been here before and put a stop work order”. I panicked because he couldn’t remember details. I explained that I need to tear it down but Planner had told me that I am not allowed to tear down without building new one. He said he would try to come up with solution and call me. He was very nice about it.</p>
<p>Waited 3 days and I tried to follow up to City with phone call. The desk guy told me prior owner had been issued a stop work and came in to get reroof permit. So there has been a reroof permit open the whole time. Of course this was not disclosed by derelict Seller. </p>
<p>He said I needed to come in and review with them. I went in and explained that I just cannot waste any more time and money trying to fix this garage and then have them fail the inspection. They need to help me find a way to be allowed to fix it or tear it down. </p>
<p>Their answer was “board it up and don’t let anyone near it until you have money for new garage”. That is not going to work for selling this house.</p>
<p>I proceeded to explain that I had already wasted a lot of money tearing down front porch and restoring original overhang because of their erroneous info. </p>
<p>In August when I bought this mess, I called for due diligence on whether historical reviews were needed. I luckily wrote everything down. Both the receptionist and the Planner told me I was NOT historically designated or in historical district and not subject to historical review. Yesterday the Planner actually confirmed in front of everyone that she gave wrong info because my address was “not entered into database yet”. </p>
<p>So when I came in for plumbing permit that is when a different planner came running over and told me about historical and I opened my big mouth about front porch. I was told I could “repair and maintain” original overhang. </p>
<p>That is when I was also told that garage cannot be torn down, but I’m not sure that has anything to do with Historical.</p>
<p>So now I’m stuck in a holding pattern while the City has some meetings on what I am allowed to do.</p>
<p>If I had just torn down garage in back alley, I don’t think anyone would have ever noticed!!!</p>
<p>I’m all for maintaining historic neighborhoods and structures, but I fail to see how the derelict garage on your property does anything to maintain the historic nature of the property.</p>
<p>I had to have my house inspected when I put it up for sale. I had to put in railings because the ones I had didnt meet 2011 code. The railings were fine for 50 years. :)</p>
<p>I had to put in a retaining wall in the front because the dropoff was 2 inches too much. </p>
<p>But the two issues that got me were windows and a pool fence. These items were already approved and permitted by the town. We got the permits in the 80s and the 90s. </p>
<p>In the 90s we redid our windows. Fifteen years later, the town says 2 windows were 2 inches too high off the ground. Another window, an $8,000 window, only opened up 19 inches wide instead of 20". The town wanted me to change those windows. Changing the $8,000 window would have changed the whole look of the house. I told the town, “Your predecessors names are signed on the permit”. </p>
<p>“Well. That was a mistake. They shouldnt have signed off. The windows dont meet code requirements.”</p>
<p>I called Charles Window and Doors who was doing some work for me. The salesman called the town and said “You guys are being ridiculous and punitive. Changing the window in the front is going to change the whole look of the house.” I am not going to forget that. The company gave up a lot of money when they made that call. </p>
<p>The pool fence was ridiculous too. The town wanted me to take down a 65 ft long, 4 ft high wrought iron fence and put up a 5 ft fence even though the town signed off years before on the 4 ft fence. The 4 ft fence met Cal code. The guy who was head of the building dept said, “A 5 ft fence would make the yard look like a prison.” </p>
<p>Yeah…</p>
<p>So… I compromised. I replaced a couple of previously approved and permitted windows. I didnt have to touch the fence or the $8,000 window. Cost me $4,000. My donation to the town… Which is not strapped .</p>
<p>I would not buy an historical building in that town.</p>
<p>Our house in CT was a remarkably pristine post and beam structure with original floors, windows and even window glass, plaster walls, etc. When we moved, we had to go through an inspection process having to do with the fact that the company would take it off our hands if we could not sell in a relatively short timeframe. The inspectors–who knew absolutely nothing about historic houses–came up with a list of “defects” that we would have to “fix” if the buyers wanted them. Such as installing railings in the completely original narrow and precipitous front stairs. (Believe me, no one who was physically handicapped would be able to get up those stairs anyway. There was a normal staircase with railing at the back of the house where there was a more modern addition.) One guy said that we should rip up the original wide board floors–some of them were 3 ft wide–and replace them with something that was nice and even. I had a complete meltdown and told the corporate move lady at Coldwell Banker that not only would I not do any of these things, but I would refuse to sell the house to anyone who wanted to!</p>
<p>Then there was the inspector who gave us a hard time about signs of ancient bug activity on the bark of the split trees that were the first floor joists. Yeah, a bug chewed that bark–when the tree was standing in the forest in 1780! We agreed to the ridiculously unnecessary fumigation since it would not actually harm the house.</p>
<p>To sell the house you had to have a City inspection? That’s highly unusual. However, if the inspection was the buyer’s inspection and he noted the items not to “current code” you do not have to do anything. You have every right to reply back to buyers that items were to code for their age.</p>
<p>I have never heard that you have to bring a house to current code to sell it. If that was the case, no one would ever be able to sell a house :)</p>
<p>Regarding my garage issue, its not really a historical issue. Its their Planning/Zoning policy that if a house has 2 car garage then demo of existing garage MUST be replaced with new 2 car garage for parking reasons I guess. I have offered to fence in the 2 pkg spaces, put up car port, etc. </p>
<p>If I have to build new garage, it will have to be new code which is larger size. This would mean new foundation, electrical to the tune of at least $15-20k. </p>
<p>Even though this house is in small City, they have no bldg history records. They said I have to go to County records. If I can prove I never had a garage in my records, I can demolish it.</p>
<p>"I have never heard that you have to bring a house to current code to sell it. If that was the case, no one would ever be able to sell a house "</p>
<p>Yeah. Town inspectors. Looking for safety violations… But the town’s definitions can be subjective. :)</p>
<p>In my town, you have to have a sewer inspection before sell the property. The good thing is that the sewer inspection is free(you have to provide the video), and there is no charge for sewer repair inspection either. I posted a separate thread but no one is answering that.</p>
<p>^^ Marin County is known for quirky towns. That is the reason it is NOT highly developed. My client bought a 400 acres land in Marin county, there are plenty flat spots in the lot and it does not have endangered species. The county would not allow them even to put down one nail on that land.</p>