Sprinkler system in Duplex-being required to maintain

[Benjamin Haberman]

BP Community,

It's been a while since I posted but I'm hoping someone out there could give me some good insight on this matter. I purchased my first duplex 4 years ago. It was my first one. I now own 3 duplexes, a motel, and 3 single families. At the time, there were no fire inspections required in the township. In 2019 they started doing fire inspections in all rental properties throughout the township. I ended up getting my first inspection report back and it said I needed to provide a working sprinkler report from a licensed fire suppression company. I was blown away. Why? Because I had no idea I even had sprinklers. I know for a fact they aren't working and I also know that I don't want to mess with them.The only thing I hear about sprinklers is how expensive they are to maintain. The township is saying I am required to maintain the sprinklers since they are there now. I told them I would demo them and the fire inspector told me he would fine me $10,000 per sprinkler if I remove them. I got all fired up talking to him today when I went to his office. I calmed my self down and pleaded with him to give me a better solution. He said I could go to the construction office and get a permit to demo them. I went to the construction office (his dad is the construction official :( ) and they are telling me that they wont sign it and its against the law to demo sprinklers. I seriously feel that im being screwed with and its the worst feeling. Knowing what I know now, I would of ripped them out when I was doing the original repair on the duplex. I DO know that they are NOT required in the new construction code for duplexes when building new.

The duplex is filled with Section 8 tenants and I literally just passed the section 8 inspections for downstairs and upstairs.

If anyone out there has any useful information for me on how to proceed, i would really appreciate any insight.

Thank you!

[Nathan Gesner]

I'm surprised to hear you passed a Section 8 inspection with non-functional fire system.

It's your responsibility as a buyer to investigate what you are buying. That includes knowing the requirements for having and/or maintaining the fire system and whether it works at the time of purchase. You bought something without knowing this requirement and now you're stuck. Obey the law and fix the system.