Code violations and vacant houses
Code violations, a vacant house, or an unsafe building order?
Open cases with the city can make a house hard to sell the usual way. Here are your options in Indianapolis, and when selling as-is makes sense.
- We buy houses with open city cases
- Vacant, boarded up or damaged is fine
- No repairs before closing
- We go over what the city is asking for with you
What the city can require
- Code enforcement cases. Indianapolis opens cases for things like high weeds, trash, and repairs a house needs to meet the city's standards.
- Vacant houses. The city has rules for buildings nobody lives in, and it can order an open vacant house to be boarded up and secured.
- Unsafe building orders. Under the city's Unsafe Building Program, a house in bad enough shape can get an order to repair it, and in serious cases, to tear it down.
- Deadlines and costs. Open cases come with inspections, deadlines and fines. They rarely get cheaper by waiting.
To find out what is open on your house, call the city's Department of Business and Neighborhood Services and ask what they need to close each case.
Your options
- Make the repairs and close the case. The best path if you plan to keep the house, or if the repairs are small.
- List it with an agent. Possible, but buyers will want to know about open cases, and many buyers using a loan cannot buy a house with serious problems.
- Sell it as-is to a cash buyer. The buyer takes on the repairs the city wants, and the price reflects that work.
When a cash sale makes sense
- The repairs the city wants are more than you can afford or manage.
- The house is vacant and you are paying taxes, insurance and fines on a house nobody uses.
- You live out of town and cannot keep up with inspections and deadlines.
When it does not
If the case is minor, like weeds or trash, and the house is otherwise in good shape, it usually pays to clean it up, close the case and list it. We will tell you if we think that is your situation.
How it works with us
We look at the house and the city's open cases with you, and we price the required work into a written offer. After closing, the new owner handles the repairs and works with the city. Amounts owed on the property that show up in the title search are usually paid from the sale at closing.
Questions people ask
Can I sell a house that has an unsafe building order?
Often, yes. The order does not simply go away with a sale: the new owner takes on the required work, and the city needs to know who the new owner is. If a demolition is already scheduled, tell us right away. For questions about your specific order, ask an attorney.
Do I have to pay the fines before I sell?
Not always. Many amounts owed on a property can be paid from the sale at closing. The title search shows what has to be paid.
The house is vacant and boarded. Do I need to meet you there?
Only if you want to. We can meet you at the house, or set up access another way that works for you.
More questions?
See our answers to common questions, or send us the address and we will call you.
Ready to be done with the city notices?
No pressure and no obligation. A real person here in Indianapolis will call you back.