From: "Ivanna Pee" 
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: No Cert of Occupany for over 30 yrs.
Date: 14 Aug 2006 08:09:22 -0700
   posting-account=Nxi24QwAAAA0B4FkEDhDqqb-vL3f5NLL


John A. Weeks III wrote:
> In article <1155314445.137388.88170@74g2000cwt.googlegroups.com>,
>  trader4@optonline.net wrote:
>
> > Andrew Koenig wrote:
> > > "Ivanna Pee"  wrote in message
> > > news:1155228901.354089.79870@m79g2000cwm.googlegroups.com...
> > >
> > > > This week, I went to the Town Building Dept to get a permit to finish
> > > > my basement. They pulled my file and told me that the original building
> > > > permit for the HOUSE, issued in 1973, has no Cert of Occupancy. They
> > > > say its no big deal and I'll get two COs, eventually.
> > >
> > > > Thoughts?  They''ve been taxing me, I have been paying insurance all
> > > > this time...
> > >
> > > They say it's no big deal.  Is there any reason not to believe them?
> >
> >
> > What does your paying insurance and taxes on a house you've been living
> > in for 30 years have to do with a CO, or lack thereof?
>
> 1) If there is no certificate of occupancy, the insurance policy
> may not be valid.  They may have paid all these years, and gotten
> nothing if there was a major claim.
>
> 2) If there is no certificate of occupancy, then it isn't a legal
> residence.  If it isn't a legal residence, then they should not
> have been charged property taxes for a residence, but rather, only
> for raw land.
>
> -john-

This is exactly what I was getting at. When I told my freinds, who work
in construction, they told me to call a lawyer immeadiately, but that
is not my style. I was hoping someone may have heard of a similar
situation, and what became of it, if anything.  N.Y. here