In the News July 16, 2022

FOX 13: City of Tampa Cracks Down on Illegal Construction

The City of Tampa announced a new team Friday that will be focused on cracking down on illegal construction.

The city’s Construction Services Division’s Construction Activity Compliance Team officially launched this week after it was approved in November. The team will focus on illegal construction, particularly involving contractors who regularly break the law. The most common issues involve contractors doing work without permits.

Tampa Realtors, including Ali St Cyr with Tomlin St Cyr Real Estate Services, said it’s important for potential buyers to know whether construction on a home was done properly and with the correct permits.

“If someone’s purchasing a home and the current owner has done work on the home that was unpermitted, that required a permit, that could certainly cause an issue,” St Cyr said. And that’s why it’s so important to have your own independent inspection done.”

St Cyr said these regulations are in place for a reason.

“The reason those rules are in place are to keep everyone safe, including the homeowner,” she said. “Although some find that it is a bit of a pain to have to go through that process, the reason behind that process is very important.” “If you just choose to do the right thing from the get-go, there’s no decision to be made. If a permit needs to be pulled for work, you pull the permit for the work so that you transfer a home knowing full well that you did everything that you were supposed to make a safe environment for the new owner.”

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