Converted Garage with Air Supply Ducts/Return

Since an attached garage cannot have supply air-ducts or return installed, unless they are from a separate system from the main dwelling: what if that garage has been converted into living area (with supply and return from the main dwelling) without a building permit.
I understand we are not the permit police, and I don’t see anything wrong with that scenario.
However, what if down the road it’s converted back into a garage, and the ducts are left in place. Can the inspector be liable?
I understand that the inspection is based on what the inspector sees on the date of the inspection, and not a future date.
I am not licensed yet (still studying), but would really appreciate feedback from all you experienced folks.
Thanks.

If it is still in a state where it can readily be converted back to a garage, why not simply tell them the implications if they should choose to do so?

I don’t verify permits and inspections. If I see work that makes me suspect, I advise my clients to research and verify permit and compliance inspection requirements and history for the work performed, before the expiration of their option period.

Thank you, Mark.
That helps.
I was a State Cert RE appraiser for many years and will need to unlearn a few things, and learn many new things as an inspector.
Raimo

Hey Raimo - Hate to say it, but you’re over thinking it. There’s no garage. It’s been converted to living space.
It’s sad, but the garage is gone. And we’re all going to have to get over it, and move on.

Thanks Chuck. I appreciate your insight. That helps.

I’m editing for no good reasons here. LOL

Gonna blame it on relentless study. Florida test in one day.

I do perform a permit search on every home I inspect. If I get to a property, and Renovations have been made, and I didn’t find a permit, I recommend that proper permitting be obtained prior to purchase.

In those situations, more often than not, there is something that was done improperly.

Then, there is always someone who says something to the effect of, well we could do this, or we could do this, or it doesn’t really matter.

My response to that is, if you would have pulled a permit in the first place, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

Thanks Eric.
Hearing different views on these grey areas of the business will help build the big picture.
Rk

I do a permit search because I have found numerous issues that need to be addressed, before anything else. I have found countless roof permits that were never closed out. Some, that were never pulled.
One home, I found a permit for “sinkhole remediation”. A little more digging and found out that the previous owner won a lawsuit from Citizens for $178K. Stopped paying the mortgage, and eventually, lost the home in foreclosure. One of the instant graduates of the quick flip schools you see on late night tv, bought the house, no inspections. He never knew about any of this.

My client cancelled the contract, and I gave her a discounted rate, as I just did a structural inspection, so she could get out of the contract. She referred me to 3 friends, and I inspected a different home for her.

I never found out what happened to the home…or the sinkhole…

Thanks Eric
Excellent.

The sinkhole ate the home.