Can I sell a house with code violations in Chico, CA?

We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us.

That includes Chico houses with code notices or repair work to do. You can tell us what the notice says and what work the house needs; you do not have to finish repairs, cleaning, or a cleanout before asking us about an offer.

Selling as-is does not make an existing order or deadline disappear. Keep the notice available so the buyer and closing professional can review what applies to the house.

California’s State Housing Law lets a local enforcement agency order a substandard building repaired or demolished, generally after 30 days’ notice—or less when there is an immediate threat to health and safety. If the owner does not act in time, the agency may vacate, repair, or demolish the building itself. See California Health and Safety Code section 17980.

The agency records notice of a pending enforcement action with the county recorder, so it appears in the property’s title records. See California Health and Safety Code section 17985.

A city can recover abatement costs by recording a nuisance-abatement lien with the force of a judgment lien, or by adding the costs to the property-tax bill as a special assessment. See California Government Code section 38773.1 and section 38773.5.

Existing orders, liens, deadlines, and any City approval requirements still need to be addressed as part of the sale; an as-is agreement does not erase them. Send us the notice so we and the closing professional can work through the repairs, deadlines, and closing requirements. When you sell to us, we're the buyer, so the repairs become our job.

1. Tell us where the house is and what the notice says, including any deadline or follow-up letter you have. We can talk through the house and notice with you.
2. We’ll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
3. You have the written offer and terms before you commit. If you choose to sell, closing is through a title company; property-specific orders and requirements still need to be addressed.

For local code-enforcement information, contact the City of Chico Code Enforcement office. The City describes its work on code-enforcement complaints, including substandard housing and vacant-property matters.

For permits and inspection information, see the City’s Building Division inspection information. These pages are local information routes, not a determination about the requirements for a particular sale; check the notice and the City office handling it for current instructions.

When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including the county documentary transfer tax and any city transfer tax.

This does not pay your mortgage balance, liens, back taxes, or share of current property taxes; those remain separate. Use the Chico home-sale net proceeds calculator to compare estimates using your own assumptions about a listing or an as-is sale.

The notice, any deadline, and recorded items can change what must be resolved before closing. If you have a copy of the notice or follow-up letters, we can talk through them with you.