Can I sell a house in St. Petersburg that needs work?

Additional helpful resources

• Pinellas County Property Appraiser

  This is the official Pinellas parcel lookup. If you own a St. Petersburg house that needs work, search the address here first. The tax district tells you whether the city or the county owns the building file. The South County office is 2500 34th Street North, 2nd floor. The printed phone is (727) 464-3207.

  https://www.pcpao.gov/

• Appraiser Quick Search

  This is the fast address box on the Pinellas Property Appraiser. Use it tonight if you want the parcel without hunting the full site. You type the address and see what the county has on this house.

  https://www.pcpao.gov/quick-search

• Find my building department

  This is the Property Appraiser tool that names the building department for a parcel. Use it when you are not sure if the house is inside St. Petersburg city limits. You look up the tax district, then use the city or county permit search that matches.

  https://www.pcpao.gov/how-do-i/find-my-building-department

• City of St. Petersburg building permits

  This is the city building office behind the permit search. If the house is inside St. Petersburg city limits, start here when you need the department, not just the box. The office is One 4th Street North. The printed phone is (727) 893-7231.

  https://www.stpete.org/business/building_permitting/building_permits.php

• St. Petersburg permit search (Click2Gov)

  This is the live city search box for building records. If the house is inside St. Petersburg city limits, search here tonight. Type the address. The city is testing Tyler. There is no live Tyler search. Use Click2Gov.

  https://stpe-egov.aspgov.com/Click2GovBP/index.html

• City of St. Petersburg Codes Compliance

  This is the city codes office. If the city tagged the house, start here. The office is the Municipal Services Center, first floor. The printed phone is (727) 893-7373. An open codes case does not, by itself, stop a sale.

  https://www.stpete.org/residents/community/codes_compliance.php

• St. Petersburg codes case search

  This is the live city search for codes cases. It is not the same as the permit search. If you think the city opened a case on this house, look it up here tonight.

  https://stpe-egov.aspgov.com/Click2GovCE/casesearch.html

• Pinellas County permit search (Accela)

  This is the county permit search. Use it only if the appraiser says the house is not in the city. It is a different system than Click2Gov. Do not use it for a St. Petersburg city address.

  https://aca-prod.accela.com/pinellas/Default.aspx

• Pinellas Official Records Search

  This is the official Pinellas search for deeds, liens, and mortgages. If you are selling a house that needs work, look up this house here before you list or sell as-is. You search the official record, not a blog.

  https://officialrecords.mypinellasclerk.gov/

• Pinellas Clerk St. Petersburg branch, Room 153

  This is the clerk branch in the same St. Petersburg building for records and civil intake. If you need a record or a civil filing, start here. The desk is 545 First Avenue North, Room 153. The printed phone is (727) 464-7000. The clerk on the site is Ken Burke, CPA.

  https://www.mypinellasclerk.gov/

• Pinellas Clerk Self Help in St. Petersburg, Room 103

  This is the Pinellas clerk self-help desk in the same building. If people still live in the house and the case is unpaid rent on a residential place, you can start here. The desk is 545 First Avenue North, Room 103. The printed phone is (727) 582-7941. It is not a lawyer. It is unpaid-rent only.

  https://www.mypinellasclerk.gov/selfhelp

• Pinellas Construction Licensing Board contractor search

  This is the official Pinellas contractor license search. If you are about to pay someone to fix the house, look them up here first. Use this before you hire, not after a bad job.

  https://contractorsearch.pcclb.com/

• Bay Area Legal Services, St. Petersburg

  This is legal aid. Help is free if you qualify. They decide if they can take the case. The St. Petersburg office is 4948 Central Avenue. The printed phone is (727) 490-4040. Appointments only. Their rent help is written for tenants. Do not treat them as the seller eviction lawyer.

  https://bals.org/locations/st-petersburg

• Florida Courts Help, landlord eviction interview

  This is official statewide court help. If people still live in the house and you want the court form before you pay a lawyer, complete the landlord eviction interview, then file with the local clerk.

  https://www.flcourts.gov/Courts-System/florida-courts-help/diy-florida

• Florida Statutes Chapter 83

  This is the Florida rent law. Read it when you need the actual statute the clerk desk rests on. It is the statewide landlord-tenant law, not a blog summary.

  http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0083/0083.html

• Pinellas lawyer referral

  This is a screened lawyer referral for Pinellas County. It is not your lawyer. Call (727) 461-4880. The printed fee is $50 for 30 minutes. The list includes landlord and tenant. Use this when you need a lawyer and do not have one. This is not a Clearwater clerk desk.

  https://www.clearwaterbar.org/page/LRS