Investor · East coast · Member since 2017 · 56 posts · 16 votes
Hi there ,
I am considering one deal in the east side,a SFH and base on what I saw , I am starting to think that the garage was not originally build when the house was . So now I am in doubt if that garage has a legal Building permit on it . How can I find out this in Indianapolis ? I looked at the propery card tax record , and certainly the garage is listed there . But it is really look like it was constructed afterward , and actually I do not think it was a great job.
I am actually really curious to find out how can I verify this things by myself. I think I read in some place that there is phone number in the city department that could Check this info by me on the phone, since is public records, but honestly I am a little bit lost in this . I hope some of the seasoned investors in Indy or agents , or anybody that know how to check this can help me out and let me know what’s the procedure, and share some tips on it
Property Manager · Shelbyville, IN · Member since 2014 · 303 posts · 161 votes
5y
@Juan T. By no means legal advice. Not a lawyer. But possible outcome...
This is one of those "old house" things. If taxes are assessed on the property for a higher amount as having a garage and city has been recognizing the existence of the garage, it just becomes grandfathered at some point. If the garage appears somewhat newer and you can go back on tax records within past 7 years and find the existence of the garage, then I would be a little more worried.
If this home has been bought and sold 25x in past 50 years and believe the garage is just as old, where does the burden of proving the garage was or wasn't built legally stop and start?
Get title insurance and if it's not listed as a potential exception and not encroaching, I would move forward if it's a formidable garage. You could maybe need to have it inspected, make some repairs, and pay a permit fee as best case. Worst case is tear down...
Again if it's more of a liability anyway, then get that quote to teardown.
Deland, FL · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
5y
If it were me and I wasn’t sure I would decide if the deal still made sense if I had to remove the garage. If it does I would just put in an offer as well as point out the garage is illegal
Property Manager · Shelbyville, IN · Member since 2014 · 303 posts · 161 votes
5y
@Juan T. By no means legal advice. Not a lawyer. But possible outcome...
This is one of those "old house" things. If taxes are assessed on the property for a higher amount as having a garage and city has been recognizing the existence of the garage, it just becomes grandfathered at some point. If the garage appears somewhat newer and you can go back on tax records within past 7 years and find the existence of the garage, then I would be a little more worried.
If this home has been bought and sold 25x in past 50 years and believe the garage is just as old, where does the burden of proving the garage was or wasn't built legally stop and start?
Get title insurance and if it's not listed as a potential exception and not encroaching, I would move forward if it's a formidable garage. You could maybe need to have it inspected, make some repairs, and pay a permit fee as best case. Worst case is tear down...
Again if it's more of a liability anyway, then get that quote to teardown.
Calling right now is tough since the employees are working in a limited capacity from home. Try using the above website, so long as the address is within Marion county, and search the records by address - it may not show anything depending on the time it was built, online records only go back so far. But that's the easiest way to check public records of permits pulled/approved on properties.
Investor · East coast · Member since 2017 · 56 posts · 16 votes
5y
Thank you much for the help and ideas, I learnt a couple of things that I did not know , and a couple of ideas of how to approach this .
I am also waiting for a specific quote on this rehab for a contractor, I think it is wise to really know what I am getting into. It will cost me a little bit extra money , but I think it is a good investment.
Rental Property Investor · San Diego, CA · Member since 2015 · 26 posts · 7 votes
5y
You can also check out the county website, pull up the address and look at the property card. It'll have a sketch and some more information on the property.