Move barn or tear it down?

   / Move barn or tear it down? #1  

Lomillialor

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Feb 24, 2011
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I'm wanting to buy this property with a pole barn on it.

Problem is it was built too close to the property line and violates county setbacks. It's about 6 feet from the line and should be 25 ft.

Barn is 24x36 and pretty high with two horse stalls (each with exit outside), and two car like openings (no doors)

It has a dirt floor and the poles are set in concrete I am told.

Wood sidings.

Steel skeleton.

Probably a steel roof, sorry can't recall at moment.

Is it possible to move something like this about 20 feet?

I'm worried that once I buy the property, the appraiser or someone will come out and want us to abide by county setback rules. So I'd have to tear it down or move it.

It's a nice barn, just a few years old. Would hate to tear it down.

How much should I reduce purchase offer by so I can, A) tear it down and rebuilt a cheaper building big enough for my mower and class-D RV van, or B) move it, or C) have someone disassemble it and rebuilt it?

If I buy the property, I won't actually do anything to the barn unless the county ordered me to. But I'd need the purchase offer discount to pay for that project in case I am forced to.

help!!! thanks

The property and house are beautiful and the asking price already great, so I doubt they'd come down enough to pay for a demolition and then complete reconstruction of a really, really, really nice barn replacement. So I need realistic and moderate price reduction figures as well as the right course of action to take.
 
   / Move barn or tear it down? #2  
Before I did anything else I'd find out whether it needs to be moved at all. 25' behind a building isn't much more useful than 6'. If the building's already being taxed the county probably knows where it is. My barn is 10' from the property line( I got a variance from the 25' requirement) and the only time I see that land is to mow the grass. MikeD74T
 
   / Move barn or tear it down? #3  
The building is probably already grandfathered in. And, if its a 'farm' and zoned as such, there's even less chance 'they' can do anything about it.

However, you might be able to sell it, piece by piece or as a package deal.
 
   / Move barn or tear it down? #4  
Seems like someone posted about moving a post barn in the projects section a year or two ago.

I don't know how you'd estimate the cost except to call a house mover, but the problem is the poles are sunk in the ground. So they'd have to figure out how to deal with that if it can be dealt with. It's not like it's a framed structure that you can set on a trailer and move without tieing it together.

My question is if anybody is seeking to enforce the setback requirement and whether the barn was built before or after the requirement came into effect. Sometimes, there's no opposition until there's a new owner and then the new guy gets all the flack.
 
   / Move barn or tear it down? #5  
Be sure it isn't grandfathered in already, it would be a shame to tear it down or spend a bunch of money moving it if you didn't need to. If so, I would, I would make my offer on the house contingent upon the seller taking care of the problem before you closed on it, unless they offered a substantial price reduction.
 
   / Move barn or tear it down? #6  
Is there a lawyer involved? Check into the possibility of obtaining a variance if one does not currently exist. With the current cost of materials the building maybe hard to replace at a future date. If the building is in good shape I would do whatever you had to do to keep it.
 
   / Move barn or tear it down? #7  
As stated above Its grandfathered in. If its been taxed they know where it is.Even if you had to move it it would be no big deal.a house mover would do it easy with a few long "I" beams an cut the pols off at ground level an dig new holes an pour concrete an use a fixture to hold the pole on top of the new concrete .
Its always easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask alot of questions an stir the s---:)Just my thoughts.
Army Grunt
 
   / Move barn or tear it down? #8  
It's a nice barn, just a few years old. Would hate to tear it down.

Here's what would concern me - if it's just a few years old, and it doesn't follow setback rules, then they most likely did not go through the proper channels when building it (permits, inspections, code). When I went to build a small shed a few years ago, I was told by my local govt that anything above 100 sqft required a permit. So, I'd be wondering...

is the barn factored into the tax assessment now, and, if not, how much will your property tax increase when the local govt increases the assessment to include the barn?

Was this the only thing, or did they have a habit of doing things around the house without getting building permits/inspections?

In addition to the question about teardown/move due to setback, will the local govt require you to teardown/rebuild because there was no building permit or inspections?

Does it meet code, if not will you be required to make it so?

We had a home in Nags head where we converted a small ground level area into a small bedroom. It was originally a large utility closet and we put flooring in, wall covering in and added a door to connect it to an existing ground level floor. When we went to sell it, the real estate agent absolutely would not allow us to say it was a 3 bedroom. We could not include this new room in advertising and had to say it was a 2 bedroom, as that was what was on the tax assessment.

Keith
 
   / Move barn or tear it down?
  • Thread Starter
#9  
thanks all

keith raised some issues on my mind as well that I failed to mention earlier

I am 100% sure the building is not permitted or taxed. The county property records do not show the barn, though similar properties do show their accessory structures on their county property records.

I have no idea if it is "code".

I think the remainder of the property is fine so not worried there.

I am having a demolition guy coming out to estimate tearing it down and hauling away debris. So that figure will give me a base figure for reducing purchase offer by some minimum amount.

But two other questions are how much more in taxes do I pay if the barn gets a variance and how much to bring it to code.

Also, is it even possible to hire someone to dissassemble and rebuild in a new location? Reusing the same materials, which to me seem very good materials. Could they cut the poles and use new poles to rebuild? How much would all that cost minimum, just to dissassemble and rebuild? Or maybe I can have them dissassemble the barn and sell the materials as someone here suggested, though I doubt I'd get much (perhaps enough for a downpayment towards a cheap steel storage shed). I think they said there's $10000-12000 in materials in the barn as is.
 
   / Move barn or tear it down? #10  
Not sure where the OP lives but in Illinois if the property is zoned Ag and the building is for AG use the set backs are different that for houses etc. May want to quietly do some research. Typically one the building is complete and has been there for a year or two they can not force you to move it. You may or may not be able to add on to or make any modifications to it though if the rules have changed since it was built.

Go to your local zoning office and ask them nicely was the set backs are etc for Ag buildings.

Roy
 
 
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