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This shouldn't be an effective strategy. In many municipalities, the code enforcement bureau can record abatement liens, which must be paid before title to the
by hncommenter13 15y ago
This shouldn't be an effective strategy. In many municipalities, the code enforcement bureau can record abatement liens, which must be paid before title to the building can transfer.
In some cases, civil penalties enforceable in a court of law may also be applied to the property, which the current owner may disclaim if they existed at the time of purchase (so the prior owner must pay).
See, for example, the FAQ from Sonoma County (outside of SF).
http://www.sonoma-county.org/prmd/faq/code-enf.htm http://www.sonoma-county.org/prmd/faq/code-enf.htm
- brudgers 15y agoAs a practical matter, municipalities often hesitate to encumber problematic properties with large liens because they make transfer of property to a new owner with better promises less economically viable. The theory that the prior owner must pay, is simply not the case. First because liens run with the land regardless of ownership, and secondly, because a new owner's name cannot be recorded on the deed until the lien is cleared (and thirdly because everything in a real-estate transaction is negotiable).
- hncommenter13 15y agoIf you read the link, it says that in the case of a civil penalty (not a lien), the prior owner can be excused from paying under some circumstances.