Anyone driving around the Five Towns, whether North, South, East or West, can usually see all kinds of construction activity going on no matter which block they breeze by. Lots of creativity is taking place with all sorts of upgrades whether vertical or horizontal.
As soon as homeowners have the financial ability, they either add on, renovate something existing, or create something unique as additions to their present living abode. The upgrades we see on the outside typically involve siding or stucco finishes, new roofs, windows, masonry, and new paving, porches and decks, or simply the re-alignment of new sidewalk replacements—usually created by heavy rooted tree trunks.
Interior renovations may be hinted at from the outside, but never actually seen: updated new kitchens and bathrooms, finished basements, possible additions of new bathrooms, or even an extra kitchen in the basement, everything goes when creativity and the desire for convenience comes into play.
So now comes the hard question. When the planning phase was put into effect for that new addition and the construction crew put those plans on course to completing the masterpiece, did you also remember to file a permit with the building department of your municipality and then get a certificate of completion when the job was done?
Although many people are gung-ho when it comes to doing new construction and bringing in the top guns to make sure the jobs they require are done quickly and properly, many of the renovations are completed without filing the necessary documentation from the necessary departments whether in the Town of Hempstead or in the individual village building departments.
As I view many homes with proud homeowners showing off the beautiful work they have completed, when I ask them if they filed the necessary paperwork, a large portion of them look at me blankly. Whether adding a bathroom, making a garage into a den, or adding a porch, or even a new kitchen or bathroom in the basement, they have not filed for the correct permit.
One house I viewed had 3 beautiful bathrooms they had added into their existing home, but did not think they had to file a permit to get a certificate of completion even though the original structure of the house on the certificate of occupancy showed only 1 full bath.
Some people will say there is no emergency, that they can always file the paperwork when the time comes that they decide to put their house on the market sometime down the road. In the interim, they feel that they can quietly enjoy their new construction without the nuisance of filling out paperwork and filing it with the village.
Many do not realize that even while they are living in the house, having unlegalized construction brings into question whatever homeowners insurance policy they might have and, in the case of an emergency, whether or not the insurance company will pay the claim. This inadvertently opens up a Pandora’s box of potential problems when the insurance company realizes that there are parts of the house that presently exist without the proper legal paperwork attesting to the new construction having been filed and inspected and a certificate of completion given.
The moral of the story is that in today’s world, shortcuts leave you open to later problems and should be avoided at all costs. If you are doing new construction of any kind, check with your local building department to see if you need to file a permit for the type of work you are doing.
If you have already done work but never checked to see whether or not it was necessary to file a permit for it, call the building dept and ask again if you need a permit for the type of work you have done, and if so, then the second question to ask is what kind of paperwork you need for maintenance of that project so you can get the necessary certificate of completion on file so you are protected.
Having the right paperwork will only allow you to enjoy your new construction project that much more!
Anessa Cohen lives in Cedarhurst and is a Licensed Real Estate Broker (Anessa V Cohen Realty) with over 20 years of experience offering residential, commercial and management real estate services. You are invited to visit her website at www.avcrealty.com. She can be reached at 516-569-5007 or readers are encouraged to send any questions or comments by email to anessa@avcrealty.com.
