How to make sure if it's 2 fam or 3 fam???
Here is my situation. I bought a limestone townhouse lately. It’s 3 family townhouse that I still believe. One day before closing, our attoney told me ” it’s not sure if your townhouse is 3fam, maybe 2 fam. it’s not black and white because of pre-war townhouse.” Then our attorney said he can’t give the…
Here is my situation.
I bought a limestone townhouse lately. It’s 3 family townhouse that I still believe. One day before closing, our attoney told me ” it’s not sure if your townhouse is 3fam, maybe 2 fam. it’s not black and white because of pre-war townhouse.” Then our attorney said he can’t give the further information and he told us not to investigate, not to call city or BOD and not to bring up the topic now and just wait until I recieve multi house registration (not sure, something like that). He said that it’ll be okay if I recieve it, but if I don’t recieve, it’s a problem. It’s 3 story and 3 apartments.
Property shark says it’s 3 fam and all houses in same block are 3 fam. Our tax is for 3 fam. Electric meters are 3 and gas meters are 2. There are no official mailbox and just 2 non locked boxes used as mailbox. It’s clearly stated that 3 fam in the bank appraisal. All documents during the closing were not stated as 3 fam, but multi family or 2-3 fam category. Anyhow I love my townhouse so much no matter what, but I need to know! I hope this won’t cause me any problem. Anybody who have or had same experience? Please give more info and share your similar experience with me. Tnank you….
There area many different regulations surrounding a 2family or 3 family. It’s a very important distinction that you should get resolved. Even if the place doesn’t have a CO, it’s still important.
12:24, bad advice.
12:24, does that mean you can legally operate a 3 or 3+ family without fire escape/sprinklers if you don’t have a c of o? wow, that’s cool. I’m house hunting and have seen many multi-fam w/ one of these that I’d like to rip out. I haven’t been sure if it would be allowed. If you have a legal 3+ family that you only use as a 2 family, can you take out the sprinklers or take off a fire escape? Is there any other motivation to change a c of o from 3+ family to 2?
I will use as 3 fam, I live there and 2 tenants will move in. fire escape or sprinkler system for 3 fam? Thank you for your info.
It’s not a big problem. If there is no C of O (common for pre 1938 buildings), then just let things be. If it is taxed as a 3-family, even if you got a mortgage as a three family, as long as there is no C of O then you are not obliged to do things like put in sprinklers or a fire escape. The only problem would be if you tried to make it a legal 3 family (as opposed to a de facto three family), by paying a ton of money to have a 3 family C of O made for the building. I would suggest leaving well enough alone. It’s a very common status for multi-family pre-war houses in New York.
Thank you for your info.
Since before 1938, my house doesn’t have C fo O on DOB and no info on HPD as well. I guess there are many multi family houses that were built before 1938. Don’t those owners care of 2 or 3 fam? I am so curious still… Is this not big problem?
Are you going to use it as a 1, 2, or 3 family? I’m not sure it matters if you use it as only a 1-2. If you use it as a 3 and it is a 3, I think you need another means of egress (fire escape) or a sprinkler system. If you have one of those or only use it as a 1-2 family, what does it matter. Maybe someone here knows more.
Your house may NOT have a C of O. Many places built before 1938 and still used for the same purpose don’t. You can best check at the Department of Buildings web site to see if there’s a C of O.
Absent a C of O I’m not sure how to solve the 2/3 family question. Do 3 families get registered with HPD? If so, their link will tell you if it’s been registered.
Your attorney sounds like an idiot!
The legal profession in the united states has gone to the dogs.
You have my sympathy.