[BAR396]

A week ago I had a note on my front door from the county building inspector stating that no inspections have been performed on my detatched garage. I bought the property 2 years ago, happy to have a shop to work on my Camaros. The note on my front door was addressed to the previous homeowner.
I did some research and found that the permit was applied for 7-13-1998. It took the county almost ten years to do a follow up. Geez. Also discovered title insurance doesn't cover such things. They are classified as "unrecorded items."
The building inspector came out monday. Long story short he o.k.'d the structure. He gave me the number to the electrical bureau to talk to an inspector. He also emailed my info to the elect. inspector. Talked to him yesterday and he checked on my building and there was never any electrical permit pulled. Oh, oh. He said legally 100% inspection compliance is necessary. ie. all the drywall has to come down. The drywall is untaped and attached with screws. I've got 220 and 110 outlets every 8 feet(was set up as a wood shop). It isn't that big of a shop(880 sq.ft.) but what a pain. Two Camaros, work benches, blocks, heads, tool boxes, parts, parts, etc... Suing the original homeowner for lack of full disclosure would be like squeezing blood out of a turnip. I got the house because he was about to go into forclosure.
Somebody is going to pay! Dearly. Probably me, arrghh! Thought I'd share. Not sure of my legal rights at this point. The only positive I can see is if the shop had burned down, destroying all my stuff. The insurance co. would have discoverd the open permit with no inspections and denied any claims. But then again after ten years it's still standing and hasn't burned down.

Brett in Boise

[BillK]

Brett,
Personally, I would think it would easily be worth a couple of hundred bucks to spend an hour with a good real estate attorney in your town and see what they say.

[cjrolke]

man that sucks

if you have to go through all of that (pulling down the drywall)

are there any improvements that could be done while doing that ?

sorry i cant help any more than that

[BAR396]

The only upgrades I would do is install a couple of 220v heaters. My little 110 space heater doesn't do much in the winter.
I'm waiting to see what the elect. inspector says when he comes out. If it sounds bad I'll seek legal consultation for sure. I'm cautiously optomistic hoping he just wants a few sheets down for a spot check.

Brett in Boise

[pdq67]

BillK's RIGHT!!

BUT NOT in your town unless you know and trust him from others telling you so OR you know him personally!!!

pdq67

[68rs406]

Bummer, your only real recourse is to go after the seller and I'll guess you will never see a dime, and the lawyer won't be cheap.
I think it's worth checking into a little bit, but my money is on you being dollars and time ahead just bringing it up to code.
Hopefully your electrical inspector has a kind streak, because it could get expensive. I don't know municipal codes in your area, but in Washington you would be removing all sheetrock at minimum, and the service has to be in compliance with todays code, not 10 years ago. My guess is they did it on the cheap, but hopefully they did it right, but I will bet you will have to upgrade the ground system and possibly other stuff, it really depends on how it was done.
I did a red tag (somebody did electrical work without a permit) "fix" back when I was doing service work, and it was expensive for the owner. If you do work without a permit they can come in and shut you down, make you pay to remove the red tag, pay for a new permit, then bring the entire structure up to current code.
Good luck with it, and very nice to your inspector.

[BAR396]

Yes Sean be verrry nice to inspector cleouso. I was very accomodating for the building inspector. Moved the Camaros out of the way, set up ladder for attic access and provided a nice shiny mag light. When he saw 2 cracks in the foundation on the outside on the footing he got concerned about frost depth. He mumbled about it for a few minutes til a light bulb went on in my head. I volunteered for shovel duty and dug a 2 foot hole next to the foundation. He put his tape measure down in the hole and called it good. The inspection ended right there. When I volunteered shovel duty he said "really, you wouldn't mind? That would be great!"
Time will tell.

Brett in Boise

[nashcar]

Brett, I've been in the home remodeling business for more than thirty years and have yet to open a wall for an inspector. Yes they can make you remove the wallboard but I don't think he'll make you do that. If you know anyone in the area in the building business, ask who's a good inspector. In my area there are several. You can use one that just does electrical or the local code enforcement officer. Explain the situation you're in and tell him everything works fine (I assume) and you've had no problems (if so). Then ask him if you can remove just one piece for him. I'm betting you'll be okay. The inspectors are good people just doing their job, treat them good they'll treat you good. Let us know how it goes. E-mail me if you need more.
Steve

[Nantooch]

Bummer deal there.

GO BRAVES!!

[68rs406]

Originally Posted by BAR396

Yes Sean be verrry nice to inspector cleouso. I was very accomodating for the building inspector. Moved the Camaros out of the way, set up ladder for attic access and provided a nice shiny mag light. When he saw 2 cracks in the foundation on the outside on the footing he got concerned about frost depth. He mumbled about it for a few minutes til a light bulb went on in my head. I volunteered for shovel duty and dug a 2 foot hole next to the foundation. He put his tape measure down in the hole and called it good. The inspection ended right there. When I volunteered shovel duty he said "really, you wouldn't mind? That would be great!"
Time will tell.

Brett in Boise

Thats cool. Most inspectors are pretty decent, but I have dealt with a few that were a pia, usually they are still fair but some are wayyyy more hard core about the code, some make it up as they go along I think. The only time I've seen an inspector put the hurt to someone is when the person is rude to them. I'd just ask what exactly he wants to see done and go from there. Electrical is pretty much the toughest inspection, sometimes structural in commercial, but not usually residential.
Good luck, it will all be worth it when youre done

[68rs406]

Originally Posted by nashcar

Brett, I've been in the home remodeling business for more than thirty years and have yet to open a wall for an inspector. Yes they can make you remove the wallboard but I don't think he'll make you do that. If you know anyone in the area in the building business, ask who's a good inspector. In my area there are several. You can use one that just does electrical or the local code enforcement officer. Explain the situation you're in and tell him everything works fine (I assume) and you've had no problems (if so). Then ask him if you can remove just one piece for him. I'm betting you'll be okay. The inspectors are good people just doing their job, treat them good they'll treat you good. Let us know how it goes. E-mail me if you need more.
Steve

Wow things must be different in your area. You have actually completely covered walls and not recieved an inspection, and they still signed you off? Scary.
Around here you don't get to request an inspector either, if it's a state inspected area you get the state inspector that does your area, if it's a city inspector in a small city (usually the easiest because they are not electricians) you get the one that does your city. In Seattle, where I work mostly, they would never just sign you off if you covered a wall without inspection, and I wouldn't either If I was them.
Most inspectors definitely are decent people doing their jobs and will try to help you out, but I would want the walls opened as a homeowner so I knew it was done right, it may not have burned down yet, but if it did think about whats parked in there, is it worth removing sheetrock? Just my .02

[nashcar]

Sean,
I did not say I covered walls prior to inspection, I'm not stupid. I've taken work where others had not gotten a permit for work on previous projects on the same structure. Don't mean to sound rude.

[BAR396]

Talking to the building inspector mine isn't an isolated incident. There is alot of this going on in my area right now. I asked if there was an audit or something he said no. He also let me know the state elect. inspector has been working with "us" homeowners in this situation recently.
It does sound like to me though since I'm pulling the initial permit everything will have to be to current standards not 1998.
Everything can be moved with the exception of the drill press that came with the shop. It is a 3 phase 220 monster. That came off of a WWII battleship and it weighs around 600 lbs. It looks like I could drill 3/4" steel plate with that thing.

thanks
Brett

[68rs406]

Originally Posted by BAR396

Talking to the building inspector mine isn't an isolated incident. There is alot of this going on in my area right now. I asked if there was an audit or something he said no. He also let me know the state elect. inspector has been working with "us" homeowners in this situation recently.
It does sound like to me though since I'm pulling the initial permit everything will have to be to current standards not 1998.
Everything can be moved with the exception of the drill press that came with the shop. It is a 3 phase 220 monster. That came off of a WWII battleship and it weighs around 600 lbs. It looks like I could drill 3/4" steel plate with that thing.

thanks
Brett

Brett, you have three phase in your shop?

[68rs406]

Originally Posted by nashcar

Sean,
I did not say I covered walls prior to inspection, I'm not stupid. I've taken work where others had not gotten a permit for work on previous projects on the same structure. Don't mean to sound rude.

Thank goodness for that, it sounded like it was something commonly done.
I suppose you are doing remodels and I'm used to large commercial buildings, so the inspections are likely quite different, but the way I read your first post made me afraid for homeowners in your area....Glad to hear thats not the case. Do they require an electrical license to do electrical work in your area?