Buying home with illegal renovations
A close friend of mine recently purchased a home in Vancouver with renovations that it turns out are without permit and are actually in contravention of City bylaws. My friend didn't know it at the time they made the purchase but have since learned of this.
What recourse, if any, does my friend have If the City discovers this? Can my friend explain to the City that he did not do the renovations but bought the house that way and keep the renovations as they are? It turns out that some of these renovations would never have been allowed because of the history of the structure so he is not sure if the City would actually make him remove them altogether (e.g. extra bathrooms) even though he wasn't the one who did the work. Also, does my friend have the ability to go after the seller upon discovering this?
What recourse, if any, does my friend have If the City discovers this? Can my friend explain to the City that he did not do the renovations but bought the house that way and keep the renovations as they are? It turns out that some of these renovations would never have been allowed because of the history of the structure so he is not sure if the City would actually make him remove them altogether (e.g. extra bathrooms) even though he wasn't the one who did the work. Also, does my friend have the ability to go after the seller upon discovering this?