All Forum Posts by: Alyse Oz

This is a huge problem in New Jersey!  I think oil tank removal companies really take advantage of customers.  It’s ridiculous!!!  I had a tank removed several years ago, and they said it was old and rusty so I needed to have an additional test.  So I paid for that ‘test’ then they asked for more money for remediation, I paid for that.... then they said , we hit a rock, we need to test the water!!!!!!!!  I think the whole thing was BS!!!!  It was a total scam with no end in sight! I paid tens of thousands of dollars.  I wonder if this happens only in New Jersey.  It doesn’t seem to be an issue anywhere else!  I have some additional properties in NJ and I hesitate even checking for an oil tank!  It seems to be a problem only if you want to sell.  The buyer usually requires a NFA letter.

Maybe if a group of homeowners got together, we could change the ridiculousness.  These companies can charge what they want and make things up.... it benefits them greatly to find a ‘problem’.  

I agree that Philadelphia is a great place to invest!  Very low taxes compared to NY or NJ. I’m also looking into purchasing property in Wilmington, DE.  

I’m really focusing on low tax areas.

Also make sure you have a rental license etc

I started the process before all this COVID stuff happening.  You have to attend 2 informational meetings.... I had attended 1 and never got to attend the 2nd because they never called me.  I spent weeks during February trying to get a callback to attend the 2nd meeting so I could get the process going.... step by step.  My investment property sits empty and my contractor can’t finish up the rehab because of COVID.  I bet with all this COVID business, section 8 tenants are in high demand. I’d try to pretty up the place as much as I could so I could attract them.

 It's in West Philadelphia :)  I'm off to L&I again today....to handle these fun issues:)  It's like a puzzle....I think they have serious system issues though.  I'm not sure if anyone else is experiencing it.

Thank you very much for all your advice!  I will start with the low hanging fruit and call 311.  I will then look into finding affordable expeditors if I need to ( I did a quick google search and found a few).  Can anyone recommend any they know? I’m not sure how a lawyer would come into play at this point.  I don’t want to change any zoning or anything.  It was a 3 family house and it still is (zoned rm1, sits on a double lot over 4000 sq ft)   I just want to pretty it up And rent it out until the area appreciates.  Then Many years down the line,  if and when the area appreciates, I may want to deal with zoning/variance/lawyers and build on the joining lot ( I was told I could build 7 units because the lot is huge).  In fact in the future, Maybe I’ll tear down the current 3 family and Build a 10 unit building.  I need to dream big :)

again, thanks to everyone for all your wonderful advice!  It’s certainly a challenge to deal with L&I.... I hope I don’t pull my hair out too much!!!! I never thought I’d say this but  I’m tempted to just forget the building permit and just do it without all the needless paperwork.... but I’m too much of a goody-goody.  The City of Philadelphia shouldn’t make it so hard to do the right thing!  I got the requested plans and the licensed contractor and now this!

Also, be aware that even if there aren’t any visible violations in the public system system (atlas or whatever it’s called) it still may have fees/violations.  When I looked in the system before I bought the property it said the violations were all ‘complied’

I went to L&I last week to get a rental license for a property I just bought and a bunch of issues came up.  I’m not ready to rent it out yet, but was told I needed to get a rental license before getting a building permit.... which seems strange in itself but whatever. Every time I go there it’s something else, I was told to get plans, I did that and now this.

I thought ‘ok I’ll follow the steps.... getting a rental license is simple, but oh no!  A bunch of things came up from 2009 and I was told to go to the 11 th floor to pay ‘inspector fee’ this that blah blah .... all from supposed previous violations in 2009!

also I was told to go to zoning for a whole other thing  before the rental license.  It’s even difficult to get a rentals license.  

I purchased a 3 family home in Philadelphia under an LLC (I am the sole owner). The home was not in the best condition, but ok. I think someone lived there before I became owner. The previous owner apparently did not deal with lots of paperwork (permits etc), now I understand why!!!! Dealing with L&I is a nightmare....terrible bureaucracy. My goal is to live in the top unit and rent out the bottom 2 units. I have a contractor and will get the whole place fixed up. The architect came and made the plans, all is good. My contractor said that they went to L&I to get a permit with the plans but was told that the owner has to get rental licenses first. This seemed strange to me and to the contractor, but that's what the guy said. I'm not planning on renting until the place gets fixed up. Strange stuff!!!! Therefore I went to L&I to get the rental license and was told #1 that I needed verification from zoning and #2 that I had to go to the 11th floor to pay some fees for some violations from 2011!!!!! I haven't even gotten to Problem #2, first I want to handle hurdle #1.

I'm not sure what this zoning business is....it's a huge lot and zoned RM1.  From what I gather the previous owner stopped getting rental permits and last got a vacant lot/house in 2015....and stopped doing anything from 2015 on (I suppose he too was tired of dealing with L&I.  One person I spoke with said just get a change of use permit...but I'm not changing use, it was a 3 family house, and it still is.  Another person said it's not needed.  

It just seems like one hurdle after another.  It's my 3rd time there...I finally got the commercial business license stuff sorted out and now this!!!  Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

Maybe you should sell it, as is.  I noticed a lot of tenant occupied properties on hubzu.  Maybe you can use that platform?    

Also, should I provide him with the shovel etc?