(08-14-2024, 02:08 PM)tikicarver Wrote: Does anyone know what the County does once they find you have a unpermit house on your property?
I take it as a given they will assess it and start taxing you on it.
But since it was built without permits, there were no inspections during the build process.
They can only inpsect what they cansee, so all the stuff in the walls and in the slab , etc, can not be inspected.
I read you can apply for an "as built" permit,, but what does that entail?
do they still come out an inspect it and if everyting they can see is code compliant, they sign it off?
Also, do they slap you with penalities?
It was explained to me that unless there is a health, safety, or public welfare component, other than being added to one's property tax bill, the enforcement currently ends with a strongly worded letter. If the construction is still ongoing, it may contain a cease and desist order. Since the letter specifies the potential for some form of sanction, the owner is responsible for disclosing it to any potential buyers. Even though the letter is probably going to be the end of it, it scares off buyers and puts downward pressure on the potential resale value the seller can expect, similarly to selling property when title insurance isn't available. There is already a lot of downward pressure on a price from being unpermitted, adding "and on the county's radar" and "subject to fines and other enforcement action" is probably going to scare most buyers off. Because it's unpermitted, the pool of buyers is already very limited because financing isn't available, nor is insurance, so it really has every possible knock against it.
The probable work-around is to only build unpermitted on AG land, under 600 feet, and market it as vacant land with an AG structure on it. If someone complains and an inspector shows up and finds someone living in it, or it has electricity or plumbing, they will determine its an unpermitted residence and not an AG structure.
"It would be 800 ft from the road , no way anyone could see it except from the air"
Yes, that's how they find the structures to tax.
"I don't mind paying taxes on a house, but the process of getting permits and inspections and dealing with trying to get electrians and plumbers to do work that you pay too much for, is what I'm trying to aviod. I figure it would add a year of time to the build to go the permit route."
Think of it as investment- the daughter will be able to sell the property for what it's worth someday and without the avoidable stress of dealing with property with an illegal building on it. Hopefully this is a long time in the future, and who knows what kind of draconian / dystopian world things will have devolved to. The government is always granting itself more power, more surveillance, and more enforcement ability, and taking freedoms and rights away from the people it's supposed to be working for. Puna is becoming more gentrified, not less. The Karens will find you. They will complain. They will speak to the inspector's manager.
I think the relevant section is here: https://www.dpw.hawaiicounty.gov/home/sh...5118570000