Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Pennsylvania

You want the seller to provide a valid Certificate of Occupancy with no conditions to be satisfied after settlement. In some new construction, a temporary C/O will be issued when the house is mostly completed but some work remains to be done. You don't want to accept the house with a temporary C/O, because there is no assurance that the seller will ever get around to finish the work and get a permanent C/O, and you don't want to be stuck with having to pay to get the necessary work completed.

Check with your county and township to see what the requirements are.

If a Realtor is involved, the Realtor should be looking into some of these issues, including other state, county and township requirements. But Realtors are not always able to cover all of the bases.

It is too late to ask for these things once settlement is completed.

This is why buyers, especially, should have a lawyer representing them when they are buying homes. Buying a house is probably the largest investment most people make in their lifetimes, and it is foolish to save some money and risk the problems and risks that may occur in the purchase.

This response is not legal advice, since I do not have all of the information that would be required, and I do not have a representation agreement with you.

* If the answers to your question confirm that you have a valid issue or worthwhile claim, your next step should almost always be to establish a dialog with a lawyer who can provide specific advice to you. Contact a lawyer in your county or township.

* Another reason for contacting a lawyer is that it is often impossible to give a good answer in the Internet Q&A format without having more information. The unique circumstances of your situation and things that you may not have thought to mention in your question may completely change the answer. If you want to be sure that you have a complete answer to your question and an understanding of what that answer means, establish a connection with a lawyer who practices in the area of your concern.