Thursday, February 17, 2011

Township C of O can cause havoc on closings! Someone higher up needs to govern these people!

In our area of New Jersey we are required to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy before closing. Years ago the mortgage companies required them as well as the Townships.




Today the mortgage companies (most of them) don't require them anymore. However that doesn't matter because the townships do.



It use to be (back in the day) that a C of O was for "SAFETY" issues. Then as the years went on we encountered more and more Township inspectors who were on such a "POWER TRIP" they started failing homes because they didn't like the color that the room was painted. No matter how much we asked nicely or argued, they didn't care. "Have it done or you don't close"!!



This attitude from the town became so horrific over the years, yet there was nothing we could do. I even wrote a letter to the Governor at the time (15 years ago) and 3 months later received a response saying "we can't help because we don't govern those departments of the townships".



I had an 89 year old woman with no money, and everything was going well and we were about to close...the C of O inspector came in (with his attitude that he was "God") and failed it because the rooms needed to be painted neutral and the carpets were old and needed to be removed and replaced. After explaining to him that this was ridiculous, he gave me the attitude that the more I argued with him the more he would put on the list.



Well, never won that battle and none of the battles that followed over the years.



Now when you go to get a C of O they even have a new system of "making more money". If you want it done this week, it will cost you $250. If you want it done in 2 weeks, it will cost you $150. If you don't want to pay the extra money then we'll be out to inspect in 3 to 4 weeks (knowing full well that we need to close). This infuriated me!!! The market has been slow, so don't tell me you can't come out sooner because your backed up with appointments.......................What a thing for our townships to do to homeowners. And the "We're the boss" attitudes just freak me out.



Well, maybe KARMA is coming around for those people. Just heard that because of lack of money, the jobs being cut are theirs!



So hopefully you don't live in an area where a C of O is required..........It's a JOKE!!!



Sandra Nixon



EverSand Realty Group

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