Permits & violations
Municipal issues and property records
12 guides
Guides in this topic
- Permits & violations · New York City
Buying a NYC House With an Illegal Basement or Cellar Apartment
What an illegal basement or cellar apartment means for a NYC buyer or owner: how it shows up, title insurance, rent, the legalization pilot and options. - Permits & violations · Long Island
Certificate of Occupancy and Open Permits on Long Island: Town-by-Town Rules for a Sale
Do you need a new CO or inspection to sell a Long Island home? Town-by-town rules in Nassau and Suffolk, and how open permits get closed. - Permits & violations · New York City
Do ECB/OATH Fines and HPD Charges Follow a NYC Property to the New Owner?
Does an unpaid NYC OATH/ECB fine or HPD repair charge pass to you when you buy, including from a bank or at a foreclosure auction? It depends on the debt. - Permits & violations · New York City
Found an Old DOB Violation After Closing in NYC? What Title Insurance Covers and Your Options
Found an open DOB or ECB violation after your NYC closing? Why title insurance usually won't pay, when the seller may still owe, and how to clear it. - Permits & violations · New York City
How to Check a NYC Property for Violations, Permits and Charges Before Contract
Free NYC sites that show a property's violations, open permits, CO, summonses, taxes and water charges, and what each finding means for your closing. - Permits & violations · New York City
How to Clear OATH/ECB Violations and Judgments Before Selling a NYC Property
Selling a NYC property with OATH/ECB violations? Paying vs. curing, certificates of correction, reopening a missed hearing and the Debt Demolisher amnesty. - Permits & violations · New York City
Legal Two-Family or Not? Checking DOB, DOF, HPD and the Listing Before You Buy or Lend in NYC
A NYC house sold as a two-family is only legal if DOB records say so. How to read the CO, tax class, HPD registration and listing, and why it matters. - Permits & violations · New York City
No Certificate of Occupancy or a CO Mismatch in NYC: Can You Close?
A NYC house with no certificate of occupancy, or used differently from its CO, can still be sold, but a lender may refuse. What it means and how to fix it. - Permits & violations · New York City
NYC Property Violations at Closing: DOB, OATH/ECB and HPD Explained
Do open NYC building violations stop a closing? Which DOB, OATH/ECB and HPD items are liens that must be paid, and which stay with the property. - Permits & violations · New York City
Open Building Permits and a NYC Sale: Who Closes Them Out, Holdbacks and Lenders
An open DOB permit doesn't legally stop a NYC sale, but your contract and lender can. Why old permits surface, who closes them out, and how holdbacks work. - Permits & violations · Westchester County
Open Permits and Certificates of Occupancy at a Westchester Closing
Can an open permit or missing CO stop a Westchester home sale? Usually not by law, but a few places require a new CO or inspection on sale. - Permits & violations · New York City
Stop Work Order on a NYC Property You Are Buying or Selling
A DOB stop work order doesn't legally block a NYC sale or deed, but it stays with the site. How to find one, what it costs, and how it gets lifted.