Florida Real Estate Blog

Permits are they Open or not? That is the question that each buyer should have answered before they purchase a home.

How would you know if someone needed a permit? Call the county Building department and they will be able to guide you. So what is an open permit and why should I care?

An Open Permit is any work done on a home that should have been permitted but was not or there is no record of it.

How do you resolve this issue? Again contact the building department of your county and ask for their guidance. In Seminole County you as the buyer would request a permit for the work that had been completed. You would then have to comply with what ever inspection requirement the county has on the build out. Yes that could mean opening up walls.

Can I have the Seller do this? Yes you can but then they cannot sell it for 1 year. So the best thing to do is go forward with the purchase of the home and escrow an amount of funds to support the completion of the permitting process ( that should include some funds for opening walls and replacement of those walls). Keep good receipts and the Title Company or Real Estate Company can hold the Escrow deposit until the work is completed. Once you have your permit and the property is back the way it was when you purchased it and all bills have been paid the remaining Escrow goes back to the Seller.

If this is not resolved at this time you may have to escrow the monies in 5 years when you decide to sell the home.