No fees. Whose home?

The following email was received early this morning.

Notice the date on it - June 7, 2012, when it was sent to the "Tips" line at the Northwest Herald. I don't recall seeing any story in the Northwest Herald. Do you?

This home was originally a seven-room home, with two bedrooms and two baths, according to the permit application in the property file at Woodstock City Hall. This home was listed for sale in 2012 as a ten-room home with four bedrooms and three baths, and a finished basement.

I'm having a hard time figuring out why, as of July 20, there wasn't an application for a Permit in the City's file for this property that reflected these additions, along with calculation of the Permit Fees and the Impact Fees, and the required Certificate of Occupancy after the necessary inspections of electrical and plumbing work. The fees could total $8,000 or more.

On Friday, July 27, I emailed Mayor Sager about this problem. In three business days he has not replied.

How many City employees knew about these improvements? Were some of those employees required to act, but didn't?

The property went under contract on June 7 and sold on July 16, 2012. Who gets stuck with the fees now? The new owner? And who gets stuck for the plumbing and electrical inspections? Will walls have to be opened to inspect the installations of wiring and piping? Was a contractor involved? Did the contractor do work, knowing no permits had been issued? If a contractor was involved, who was it?

The following email is quoted in its entirety:

Subject:     Woodstock City Manager Home on market with extra 1300 square feet
Date:     Thu, 07 Jun 2012 02:53:20 -0700
From:     Gov Watch <woodstockgovwatch@gmail.com>
To:     tips@nwherald.com

What has the City Manager of Woodstock been able to enjoy that you may
not? A finished basement.

What reasons might a person not put in a finished basement? Perhaps it
is the permit fees or the increase in taxes, but Tim Clifton need not
worry about that! He doesn't need permits like the regular folks of
Woodstock.  He can have his former head of Community Development, Derik
Morefield, over for their annual directors dinner and not worry about
questions about how his basement added two rooms to his home. Perhaps
the building inspectors has stopped by, but does he dare ask who
performed the plumbing work in the new bathroom?

What could you do with an additional 1300 square feet of finished basement?

Here is his home listing:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1341-Winslow-Cir_Woodstock_IL_60098_M83097-61141

Attached are the building permits for this same property:

This is a ridiculous oversight by a City Manager that had money thrown
at him to stay in Woodstock and makes a salary on par with the Governor
of the State.

Sources:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-08-25/news/0208250439_1_crystal-lake-city-manager-pay

http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Illinois_state_government_salary#cite_note-4

http://www.woodstockil.gov/
END