He/She will need to cooperate because a reconveyance will need to be signed for the property you are selling.

Hello My Husband and I are fairly New at real estate investing we want to start investing in wholesaling lease options in Ny we are not sure what papers we need. Can someone help us?
Thanks in Advance. Mr and Mrs. Sp...

My guess is that code enforcement wants to do their job, and if the owner isn't cooperating, they will use the courts to permit them to inspect.

Justin Cooper had some great advice.

Without the cooperation of the COA and the former owner, in that case, you can't even do a short sale, you'd have to wait for the bank to foreclose.

You are absolutely correct @Tom Cooper.  

If the repairs are minimal, you may be able to get into the property pre-closing - with the seller's cooperation of course - and make the repairs.

Needs Seller cooperation and everyone understanding the pit falls

Liz Chen I agree with most of what Tom Cooper said.

Since working with someone is very much about building a trusting relationship, I suggest you attend local real estate meetings in person (if possible,) to engage with local investors.I work with students/investors who live abroad, but they come here once or twice a year for that reason: to connect with local investors and form cooperation relationships.