Is my home legally a duplex or single family residence?

[Colleen Doonan]

I bought a home that was built in the 1870s. When I went to close on it, I was surprised to find that my home has 2 legal addresses. I was told by the attorney not to worry about it. Shortly after moving in, I received a letter from someone in the family who detailed how it was converted to a duplex during the Great depression. When I got my utility statement from the town, there were two different bills for two different meters and addresses. The tax assessor says that my town is transmitting two different addresses and thinks it is a duplex. My town says they changed the zoning to single family 10 years ago. Does the zoning change what it is considered? Each part of the house has a main entrance on a different side of the home. the previous owner lived in it as a single family home but each dwelling can be separated by a single door and utility services are separate and go to two different addresses. The recording at closing gives two addresses for the property. I thought it was a SFR. but maybe it is a duplex legally. How do I know for certain?