3200 Washington Blvd.
Bellwood, Illinois 60104-1984
708.547.3500
Office of the Building Commissioner
Memo DRK 10-702
Press Release
To: Homeowners, Investors, Real Estate Agents, and Attorneys
From: Robert Soto, Building Commissioner / DRK
Date: June 18, 2010
Ref: Amendments to Chapter 101 Pre-sale Inspection Requirements Village of Bellwood Municipal Code
Effective July 1, 2010 the Village of Bellwood has amended the requirements of the Pre-sale Inspection Program. No longer will a seller or purchaser be required to post an escrow amount to cover deficiencies with a structure discovered during the Pre-sale Inspection Program. Eliminating the escrow requirement puts the Village in line with many of the surrounding communities.
The establishment of an escrow fund requirement was designed to assure all parties of a real-estate transaction that code related deficiencies would be funded so as to allow it to be brought into compliance within 45 days after the change of possession on a property. The Village never has actually held the required escrow funds but depended upon a letter of direction that was drafted and became part of the transaction.
Replacing the escrow fund will be a “Purchaser’s Acknowledgment Letter”. All deficiencies not corrected prior to a real-estate transfer will be listed in this letter. The purchaser must sign this letter with the understanding that they will be responsible to bring the property into code compliance within 45 days after closing. Failure to accomplish this could lead to citations and resulting penalties of up to $500 per day for each day the violation is allowed to exist.
Additionally, it is the responsibility of the purchaser to ensure that the heating, cooling, electrical system and roofing system are functional. It is suggested that the purchaser obtain a private inspection of these kinds of items prior to closing on the real estate transaction.
The goal of the Pre-sale Inspection program has always been to assist the community in maintaining a reasonable standard of care for both the residential housing stock and commercial properties within the community. As a community ages it is critical to ensure that the standards the community as a whole desires is maintained. Although the escrow requirement has been eliminated the need to make the required corrections has not. The Village will and has always worked with all property owners to establish a realistic time frame for compliance. Nevertheless, if necessary, the Village will assume an aggressive posture to ensure these standards are maintained.
The fees charged by the Village for the inspection have been changed. Fees range from $125 to $200 for residential units and up to $250 for commercial, industrial properties.