PA: Annual Apartment U&O

[pixelrogue1]

What is the name of your state? PA

Local town insists on annual inspections of apartments, at rates that rival the hourly wages of doctors.

After paying the fees, the inspector would schedule out nearly a year or so - payment in beginning of the year, inspection at the end of the year. If I called I would get an abrupt, loud and cold "We call you, you don't call.us."
Ok, wait for the call.

2016 payments are made, and the year passes by with no call. 2017 payments are made, and the year passes with no inspection.

This year I ask for a copy of the U&Os for 2016 and 2017. Personal visit resulting in a promise to mail, but it never showed. Reveal phone calls over the weeks each resulting.in a promise to email, but no email.

Now when I call I am directed to the inspector. Inspector hot and bothered, blustery, stating the precious year must have slipped through the cracks. When I ask for the 2016 U&O, which I am confident does not exist as it never happened, I.am.told that would be provided only AFTER the new inspection for 2018.

Everything is stonewalled until after there is a new inspection.

----

What are the legal imolications? If the township accepted payment and never furnished the inspections,what does that equate.to legally? I expect at a minimum a refund for all the payments.This is also an inspector.who will make life difficult at will, so push buttons on the missed U&O and suddenly he will throw vague and expensive repairs or try to shut down.

I am not picking a fight - need to know what the responsibilities and risks are to both parties.

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state? PA

Local town insists on annual inspections of apartments, at rates that rival the hourly wages of doctors.

After paying the fees, the inspector would schedule out nearly a year or so - payment in beginning of the year, inspection at the end of the year. If I called I would get an abrupt, loud and cold "We call you, you don't call.us."
Ok, wait for the call.

2016 payments are made, and the year passes by with no call. 2017 payments are made, and the year passes with no inspection.

This year I ask for a copy of the U&Os for 2016 and 2017. Personal visit resulting in a promise to mail, but it never showed. Reveal phone calls over the weeks each resulting.in a promise to email, but no email.

Now when I call I am directed to the inspector.
Inspector hot and bothered, blustery, stating the precious year must have slipped through the cracks. When I ask for the 2016 U&O, which I am confident does not exist as it never happened, I.am.told that would be provided only AFTER the new inspection for 2018.

Everything is stonewalled until after there is a new inspection.

----

What are the legal imolications? If the township accepted payment and never furnished the inspections,what dies that equate.to legally? I expect at a minimum a refund for all the payments.This is also an inspector.who will make life difficult at will, so push buttons on the missed U&O and suddenly he will throw vague and expensive repairs or try to shut down.

I am not picking a fight - need to know what the responsibilities and risks are to both parties.

This definitely requires a consult with a local attorney, probably a local real estate attorney. It may be that a class action suit of some sort would be the way to go, because this has to be happening to more landlords than just you.

 

[HRZ]

Annual inspections around me in PA are a revenue device ...pay the fee, smile , and don't pick a fight .

 

[pixelrogue1]

E

Annual inspections around me in PA are a revenue device ...pay the fee, smile , and don't pick a fight .

Exactly.

So there is a repair they asked me to do years back. Did the repair, had the permit pulled, job was completed * approved by the inspector *. Fast forward two years, and that same inspector now tells me that that job repair will need to be done again in the future - as it was not to code. ??!!

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

E

Exactly.

So there is a repair they asked me to do years back. Did the repair, had the permit pulled, job was completed * approved by the inspector *. Fast forward two years, and that same inspector now tells me that that job repair will need to be done again in the future - as it was not to code. ??!!

Do you have proof of that inspector's approval?

 

[xylene]

Is the repair actually to code?

 

[adjusterjack]

Then why do you continue to own the property under those ridiculous conditions? I'm not being snarky. It's a serious question. If you are making a lot of money and building equity (which is why I owned rentals for 20 years) then you accept the bad with the good and do like HRZ says:

pay the fee, smile , and don't pick a fight

 

[pixelrogue1]

Do you have proof of that inspector's approval?

I do.

 

[pixelrogue1]

Is the repair actually to code?

Think so, In terms of the history and what would have been grandfathered. Either way, inspector and borough would have some accountability in the matter.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

I do.

Then you take that proof to the supervisor of the inspector that said it was not done to code and argue the issue.

 

[pac72]

also codes are always being updated , codes are MINIMUM standards to be met. and the local jurisdiction are free to add their own requirements above and beyond code MINIMUM requirements.. so what met code a few years ago may not meet code now..

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

But when codes are updated people generally don't have to rebuild.

 

[FarmerJ]

When codes are changed then sometimes they are written to have triggers that spell out when the newer code is required, Such as when a landlord has a property that has a bathroom and kitchen right out of 19300 and LL is going to gut them and in the remodel move things around, so now newer electric codes apply to those rooms and if the wiring is truly that antiquated such as the main service then to meet that newer code for the kitchen and bathroom its pretty likely that more changes to the homes electric main will have to be done , where as if the LL had left it all alone and did not remodel So my point is that you may want to get a copy of code books say from a local library and that includes most importantly your own city-county -township codes you will know what your talking about if you must challenge a local yokel who thinks they know it all or if they are new to the job like the one who came to my door after I bought my first house back in 87

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

But the OP seems to be talking about something that was approved in this decade and has made no mention of any renovation since the inspection nor any planned renovation.

 

[FarmerJ]

Payrollhrguy the idea of taking the time to make sure by reading code books and knowing city ordinances is that if inspector doesn't know for sure but refuses to admit it and says you must do B and the property owner knows its A and it has been A since 1998 according to code the property owner can politely tell the inspector the what the code book said ( or show the Inspector ) and If the inspector still doesn't budge to go to that persons boss and point out the errors.