An open permit is work that was permitted but never finalled: the file is still open at the building department because a required inspection was never passed or never called. Related to it is unpermitted work, where the permit was never pulled at all. Both attach to the property, not to whoever did the work.
- Search the permit history early, by folio. It is public, and it is the cheapest diligence available on an older building.
- Closing one can be a signature or a demolition, and nobody knows which until the file is read. Price the range, not the hope.
- Unpermitted work can also mean the unit count is not what the rent roll says, which changes the income, the insurance and the loan.
- Insurers and lenders both care. An open permit can stall a policy or a funding date on its own.
Related terms
All termsMunicipal Lien Search
A municipal lien search asks the city and county what they are owed and what they have open against a property: unpaid utilities, code violations, open or expired permits, special assessments, and unrecorded liens.
DevelopmentCertificate of Occupancy (CO)
A certificate of occupancy is the building department's written statement that a completed building meets code and may be legally occupied.
ClosingInspection Period
The inspection period is the window after the effective date in which the buyer investigates the property and can cancel.
Terms arrive with the writing.
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