Town Of Southampton Decides Not To Require Updated Certificates Of Occupancy For Property Transfers

May 01, 2017

The Town of Southampton recently held several public hearings to consider a local law requiring an updated certificate of occupancy prior to all property transfers. Specifically, the local law proposed amending Town Code §123-16, Certificate of Occupancy, to state that “upon any change in ownership of a property, an updated certificate of occupancy shall be obtained.” After consideration at several meetings, starting in December of 2016 and ending in March of 2017, the Town Board determined not to proceed with the amendment.

Many East End villages already require an updated certificate of occupancy prior to transfers of property, [1] however East Hampton, Southampton and Southold towns do not. During its public hearing process, the Town Board of the Town of Southampton waded through the many issues raised with regard to the impacts of requiring an updated certificate of occupancy upon both property owners and the Town Building Department. The Town considered allowing exceptions for those transfers conducted for estate purposes only and those transfers between individuals and corporations, limited liability companies, trusts or other entities where the majority shareholder would be the same as the prior fee title owners. Additionally, the Town was asked to consider those properties that cannot obtain an updated certificate of occupancy upon transfer due to over-clearing where compliance requires significant re-vegetation of the property and in certain circumstances Planning or Conservation Board approvals. Obviously re-vegetation cannot occur during the winter months and there is no temporary certificate of occupancy provision in the Town of Southampton’s code potentially putting property owners in a hurry to sell in a difficult situation.

The Appellate Division, Second Department, addressed an updated certificate of occupancy code provision in Lazy S Group I, v. Gomez, et al., 60 A.D. 3d 999, 876 N.Y.S.2d 473 (2d Dept. 2009). This case involved an action for specific performance of a contract for the sale of real property in the City of Peekskill where the contract required the seller to deliver a valid certificate of occupancy authorizing the use of the premises as a four-family dwelling. At closing, the parties learned that the certificate of occupancy for the premises permitted its use as a “three-plus” family dwelling but not as a four family dwelling and title did not close. Litigation followed and during that time period the City of Peekskill enacted a new provision of the Code of the City of Peekskill requiring that an updated certificate of occupancy be obtained before any improved real property that is transferred may be used or occupied. The code imposed the burden of obtaining the certificate of occupancy upon the seller “unless the parties agree otherwise in their contract of sale.” (Peekskill City Code §300-48A(3)). The Supreme Court granted the seller’s motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint and directing the delivery of the down payment to the seller as liquidated damages. The Appellate Division reversed noting that while the City Code imposed the burden of obtaining an updated certificate of occupancy on the Seller unless the contract stated otherwise, the contract in this case was silent with respect to which party must obtain the updated certificate of occupancy. Thus, the Court found that triable issues of fact existed as to whether the communications between the parties and conduct of the parties at closing constituted any agreement with regard to the updated certificate of occupancy and whether there was a breach and if so, which party was in breach of contract. This case illustrates issues that arise when updated certificates of occupancy are required by municipalities and further illustrates the benefit of addressing such matters with specificity in the contract of sale. Indeed, most real estate attorneys require updated certificates of occupancy in their riders to the contract and are successful in obtaining same unless the property is being sold “as is” or there are existing illegal structures that would take a significant amount of time and village/town approvals to cure (as in the case of those over-cleared properties that require costly re-vegetation and further town approvals).

Requiring updated certificates of occupancy for real property transfers burdens homeowners with legalizing all structures on their property and necessarily can delay real estate transactions to the chagrin of real estate brokers. However, the law would obviate any need for protracted and often difficult negotiations regarding properties that do not comply with the law or have existing, illegal structures and would therefore be welcomed by most attorneys. Regardless, for real property transfers in the East End towns, attorneys must continue to resolve such matters through contract negotiations.

[1] See Village of Quogue; Village of Sag Harbor Code §300-17.3(B); Village of Southampton Code §A119-8(A); Village of North Haven Code §55-7(A); Village of Westhampton Beach Code §197-64(C); & Village of East Hampton Code §104-11(A), among others.