MOTHER/DAUGHTER-ONE FAMILY HOME

[CPLON]

I LIVE IN NEW JERSEY AND I BOUGHT A HOME 15 YEARS AGO
BELIEVING THAT IT WAS A MOTHER/DAUGHTER OR ONE FAMILY.
MY NEIGHBOR FILED A COMPLAIN 15 YEARS LATER SAYING THAT
MY HOUSE IS A TWO FAMILY. WHEN I WENT TO THE BOROUGH HALL
AND LOOKED THROUGH MY TAX PAPERS I FOUND THAT IN 1986
THE HOME WAS ASSESSED BY THE PREVIOUS OWNERS AND ON THE
FORM IT SAYS THAT THE HOME IS A ONE FAMILY WITH AN APARTMENT
COMVERSION, NO ONE CAME TO INSPECT THE HOME AT THAT TIME
AND I ALSO FOUND THAT THE APARTMENT WAS PUT IN WITH NO PERMITS. THEN IN 1996 THE TOWN ASSESSED THE HOMES IN MY
TOWN AND WHEN I FOUND THAT FORM THEY SAID THAT THE HOME
WAS A 2 FAMILY CONVERSION. AND ASSESSED BY HOME ON THAT
BASES. WHEN I PURCHASED THIS HOME THE REAL ESTATE SOLD ME
THIS HOME AS A M/D HOME-ONE FAMILY AND THIS IS THE IMPRESSION THAT I WAS UNDER UNTIL MY NEIGHBOR OPENED THIS
COMPLAINT AGAINST ME. WHAT GROUNDS DO I HAVE. IS THEIR SUCH A THING AS GRANDFATHERING WHEN YOU PURCHASE A HOME
WHAT CAN I DO TO GET THIS PROBLEM STRAIGHTENED OUT SO THAT
I DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ALOT OF LEGAL PROBLEMS . SHOULDN'T YOUR HOME BE INSPECTED WHEN THE TAX ASSESSED REPORT IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT ORIGINALLY MADE. I REALLY COULD USE SOME ADVICE TO GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF. DO I HAVE ANY GROUNDS AGAINST THE REAL ESTATE THAT SOLD ME THIS HOME OR THE TOWN WHO FAILED TO INSPECT THE HOME.

[HomeGuru]

Repost in lower case and summarize for a better chance at getting a response.

[CPLON]

I live in New Jersey. I bought a home 15 years ago as a
mother/daughter - single family.
This is how the real estate agent sold it to me. Now
15 years later my neighbor files a complain against me
stating that I have a two family. The house was assessed
in 1986 before I bought it and it stated that it had an
apartment conversion. In 1996 it was assessed again stating
that it was a 2 family conversion. No one ever came to inspect the home when these assessments were sent to the town. The apartment was put in before I bought it with no permits. How does that affect me. These I was not informed
of until now when I searched this out. They taxed my home
on a two family conversion. What grounds do I have to
stand on. How do I get this taken care of without causing
myself alot of greif. Could this be grandfathered.

[HomeGuru]

Research the zoning and buiding code history information going back to the date you bought the property.
It would seem that if the property was assessed as a conversion and the zoning supported this use prior to your purchases, then you should be grandfathered. This is based on the fact that you have been paying real property taxes based on the higher use for 15 years.