My last general contractor did not pull permits in Lorain

[Roohil Hamid]

I purchased a duplex in Lorain in May of this year and hired a general contractor (GC) I found on Bigger Pockets. He started the work in June with an expected completion by the end of July. During that time, I received a letter from the City of Lorain about some violations, including overgrown grass, missing handrails, window frames, and not pulling the necessary permits. I forwarded this to my GC, and he assured me he would take care of everything, including pulling the permits.

Work continued, but after mid-July, the weekly updates from him stopped. Despite my constant follow-ups, it became clear no one was actively working on the property. He kept making excuses, saying the crew would start the following week, but nothing changed. I even sent a few people to check the property, and still, no work was being done. His last excuse was that he was waiting on cabinets and materials—this is just a standard rental rehab.

By September, I decided to end our contract and started looking for a new contractor to complete the work. Then, two weeks ago, I received another letter regarding the same violations, this time with an official notice and a court hearing date in Lorain. I’m based in California, and it seems the building department is upset about the lack of permits. I have a hearing next Friday, and I’m unsure how to handle this situation. Any advice would be appreciated. This was a full gut renovation, about 70k rehab.