How to reduce Alt 2 scope, get work inspected, when permit is expired?

Double whammy here. I posted a couple months back about my AWOL GC. Since then I’ve filed with the DCA but in the meantime have some questions I’d appreciate help with as I’m in hell. Our GC let our Alt 2 expire, has done minimal work since. But there’s unfinished electrical, inspected but unfinished plumbing, and walls are gypped but we’re far from finished in our basement. We no longer have the cash to pay someone else to do the work and we need to move on with our lives and want to get a final inspection for the work that has been done. But how? Does the Arch just file a PAA to reduce the scope? And if so how do we get what work we have done inspected without a valid permit? Do we need to find some GC who will pull a new permit, and if so what GC would bother doing so? And what about all the exposed electrical work unfinished walls etc. Would an inspector allow that to just sit? I’m sure this isn’t an uncommon problem so would love to hear what the official process is, and then what options we might have. We’re in a two family and were planning to convert the basement to an apartment, and it’s the basement that is hosed. Thanks in advance for your help.

Lurker

in Inspection 9 years and 4 months ago

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espeon | 9 years and 4 months ago

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Lurker, we can go around in circles here because there is only so much one can glean about specific conditions on a message board and I’m not sure if you’re looking for advice or just venting. If you are willing to let the basement remain as it is and inspect the completed floors, you can theoretically reduce scope with a PAA. Obviously the list of electrical work that’s part of the permit must correspond to this change as well. If any of the work is in the basement as is likely with panel upgrades etc. then it’s a moot effort. One way or another you have to work with the people you hired to see things through or hire replacements.

Lurker | 9 years and 4 months ago

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Xagor I need inspections for electric, and regardless don’t want to sit around with open permits for yeras on end. The basement was part of the upstairs Alt 2

espeon | 9 years and 4 months ago

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50% payment for 40% progress is not disconcerting as long as work is still being done regularly. If there are extended periods of time with no work being done, then you may have a problem. Lurker, do you need inspections for gas or electric service? If not, finish the basement yourself and rent it out. Without knowing the details I can’t say how to present a PAA to reduce area of work to the completed floors. Talk to your architect.

mario71 | 9 years and 4 months ago

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Hi Lurker, I’m sorry to hear what’s going on with your project. I’m in a situation that is not as bad but shares many similarities. I’m probably 40% done but have paid closer to 50% already because how can you not? You give the GC 20% just to start and then, even if you try to take back control, he wants to be paid weekly or bi-weekly and you think that keeping him happy is the only avenue for him to make better progress. The only thing I can think of is that if the GC treats his workers and subs as crappily as he’s treated you, they may be ready to defect. And maybe they are willing to continue to work on this directly for you until you reach a state where the work is inspectable. Then, if you contact the DOB saying that your GC has jumped ship, but the work is advanced enough, maybe that’s a way out… I have no experience whatsoever in this, so it’s just an idea, I hope it’s not another clever way of throwing good money after bad. Good luck with all this.

Lurker | 9 years and 4 months ago

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Thanks Xagor. But how do you “abandon” the alt 2\. We’ve done substantial work that is all finished and inspectable on 2 floors, and 75% or so of the work on the basement.

espeon | 9 years and 4 months ago

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You can’t inspect unfinished work, signing off w/o an active permit is a crap shoot depending on type of work. Reducing scope would require co-operation of the subs as well as PAA. Your options are to force the original GC and subs to finish, pay for new GC and subs or abandon the ALT-2, and finish the basement yourself. Basement conversion might have been too ambitious but that’s a different matter.