PREPARING TO BUY OR SELL A PROPERTY IN ELIZABETH TOWNSHIP
Buying or selling a home can be overwhelming, but we are here to help! Below is everything that is required to buy or sell a property in Elizabeth Township to ensure a smooth sale and an on-time closing.
REQUIREMENTS AND COSTS
RECEIVING DOCUMENTS
Municipal Lien – $40.00
Sewer Lien – $40.00
Dye Test – No payment to the township. The seller will pay a plumber for this.
Occupancy Inspection – $100.00
*ALL SEPARATE CHECKS PLEASE*
Once all documents have been received, processed, and approved by the Township, ALL documents detailed on this page will be sent out on the same day. You will not receive documentation related to any of these items until all documents have been approved.
For any questions, please call the Municipal Building, and we will be happy to assist you!
MUNICIPAL LIEN LETTER
A Municipal Lien Letter is required anytime a property is sold or refinanced. A $40.00 check made payable to "Elizabeth Township" should be mailed with a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Municipal Building at:
522 Rock Run Road
Elizabeth, PA 15037
You must have a Lien Letter with the official Township Seal at the time of closing.
The information required on the letter:
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The seller’s name
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The property address
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The lot and block number of the property
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The closing date
If there is a lien on the property, the closing company/property owner will be notified and a letter will not be issued until that lien has been satisfied with the Allegheny County Court. The Municipal Lien Letter is valid for thirty (30) days from the date of issue, after which a new letter must be requested.
SEWER LIEN LETTER AND DYE TEST
SEWER LIEN LETTERS:
A Sewer Lien request letter is sent to
Elizabeth Township Sanitation at:
522 Rock Run Road
Elizabeth, PA 15037
A $40.00 check made out to "Elizabeth Township Sanitation" is required. You may send a paid self addressed postage envelope if you require more than a faxed copy.
These letters are usually sent by the closing company, but you should check to make sure this is being handled. On rare occasions, the seller has had to handle this themselves.
Information that should appear on the request letter is:
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Whether the request is for a purchase or a refinance of the property
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Seller’s name
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Purchaser’s name
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Property address
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Parcel #
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Closing date
If the property has a septic system, please state on the municipal lien letter so your closing is not held up waiting for the dye test.
It is not necessary to do a dye test for a refinance but a lien letter must be completed. Sewer Lien letters and dye tests are not required for properties with a septic system. Lien letters are good for 1 month.
DYE TEST:
To order a dye test, the seller must contact a plumber that is licensed in Allegheny County. The plumber will arrange a time to meet an Elizabeth Township’s Sanitation personnel at the home. An Elizabeth Township Sanitation member must be present at the time of the dye test, or the dye test will be deemed null and void. To schedule the dye test with the sanitary plant, please call 412-751-8180 option 1. Someone must be present to let them into the house. When the dye test is completed, our sanitary crew will deliver the completed test to the Municipal Building; you do not need to bring the completed dye test to the municipal buildings. Dye tests are not required for properties with a septic system that are not connected to our sewer system.
Once the dye test is delivered by the sanitary department to the Municipal Building, an email will be sent to Legal Tax Service to see if there are any sewer liens on the property. When we hear back from Legal Tax Service, we will complete the process. A letter will be faxed (and mailed if you provide a paid postage envelope) along with the dye test certificate and print-outs of the sewage bills for the property. If any monies are owed, it states on the letter that the check(s) should be made payable and mailed to:
Legal Tax Service
P.O. Box 10020 Pittsburgh, PA 15236
No payment should be sent to Elizabeth Township.
Dye tests are good for 1 year, UNLESS the property changes hands within 1 year. If this is the case, a new dye test will need to be performed. If the home was sold less that 1 year ago, please indicate this on your Sewer Lien request letter.
CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY
A Certificate of Occupancy is required every time a property changes hands. A Certificate of Occupancy is earned by passing an Occupancy Inspection. The premise of the inspection is to ensure the property substantially conforms to the code and that it is safe to occupy.
Applications and payment must be received BEFORE the scheduling of an inspection. Checks should be made out to Elizabeth Township.
The fees are:
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$100.00 for Residential
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$50.00 for Apartments per unit
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$200.00 for Commercial
The first reinspection is included in the original payment, but any additional re-inspections require a fee of $35.00 per additional re-inspection.
Application and payments can either be:
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Mailed to: 522 Rock Run Road Elizabeth, PA 15037
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Dropped off in the box labeled "TOWNSHIP OFFICES" in front of the Municipal Building
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Dropped to the Administrative Assistants in the Municipal Building
Once both the application and payment are received, someone from the Municipal Building will call the contact person on the application to set up an inspection appointment. The inspection process will take about 30 mins.
Although it is preferred to have someone available at the house to escort our inspector(s), no one is required to be present at the time of inspection. If no one will be present during the inspection, please let the person scheduling know and give them information on how the inspector will be able to get into the home.
If a home is being sold "as-is", a Temporary Occupancy Certificate or a Temporary Access Certificate can be issued to allow closing.
A Temporary Occupancy Certificate means that the home does not substantially conform for code, but it is safe to occupy while the new owners make the corrections. Given the violations identified by the inspector, the inspector will determine a reasonable timeline for the corrections to be made. The Temporary Occupancy Certificate will expire on that date, and the buyer will be responsible to reach out to the Township on or before that date to schedule a reinspection. Once the reinspection passes, an Occupancy Certificate will be issued and no further action will be required at that time. If the buyer fails to reach out to the Township for a reinspection, a violation will occur and fines may follow.
A Temporary Access Certificate means that the home does not substantially conform for code, and it is NOT safe to occupy while the new owners make the corrections. Given the violations identified by the inspector, the inspector will determine a reasonable timeline for the corrections to be made. The Temporary Access Certificate will expire on that date, and the buyer will be responsible for reaching out to the Township on or before that date to schedule a reinspection. NO ONE SHOULD OCCUPY THE HOUSE BEFORE AN OCCUPANCY CERTIFICATE IS ISSUED. Once the reinspection passes, an Occupancy Certificate will be issued and no further action will be required at that time. If the buyer fails to reach out the the Township for a reinspection, or the house is occupied before the Occupancy Certificate is issued, a violation will occur and fines may follow.