Have a current buyer who is trying to get information from the listing agent and the seller regarding how an unpermitted room was constructed. Open space above the dining room was built into a play room upstairs. His fear (and rightfully so) is that the kids will be up there playing, jumping around, and the floor will fall in to the dining room table, injuring both the kids and whoever is sitting having a cup of coffee at the table! So, reasonable requests:
- WHY DIDN'T YOU GET IT PERMITTED?
- When was the room built?
- Who did the work?
- Were they licensed contractors?
- WHY DIDN'T YOU GET IT PERMITTED?
- Is there anything wrong with it that you know of?
- Were there plans drawn up?
- What kind of materials were used?
- WHY DIDN'T YOU GET IT PERMITTED?
- How far apart are the joists?
- What is holding the floor up to the walls?
- Was the flooring nailed or screwed in?
- Are you willing to open up the structure from the ceiling below so an inspector can verify it is done to code?
- AND AGAIN, WHY IN THE WORLD DIDN'T YOU GET IT PERMITTED, AGAIN??
Honestly, you'd think we're asking for the moon in wanting some basic information about an addition to a $1.3million house. First of all, we live with earthquakes here in Southern California. What if the kids are home with the babysitter, playing up there, we have a little trembler and because it's inferior or not secured enough, WHAM, CRASH, down they go in a rubble, injured and maybe even killed.
So 5 days of selective amnesia go by and we're asking everyday, "Please, just look in your records. Surely you have a cancelled check or something... We just want to know how it was done..". We go to the city building division and pull your file. Interesting.... You duly permitted everything else you ever did to the home, except this one thing! WHY? Well... finally you disclose who the contractor is. You didn't want to get him in trouble, you say. Well, in the meantime, the buyer has asked enough questions at the city on how to get a 7 year old room permitted, they may be putting two and two together and if my buyer doesn't go through with this purchase, don't be surprised to hear a knock on your door and a man with a Building and Safety badge standing there with a clipboard.
So, why don't homeowners get their projects permitted? I can understand if they're just putting in retrofit windows, or replacing something that already existed. But building a loadbearing room over living space? Really, was the few thousand dollars you saved worth the nail biting and problems you've created?? I don't think so...
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For expert guidance on how to prepare your Westlake Village, CA home to sell
(including properly permitting important work!)
Contact Kathy Smiley with Prudential California Realty
http://www.westlakevillagehomeexpert.com
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Serviing the Conejo Valley communities of Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Oak Park, Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park, California
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