open permit

Hi all I was notified by my building that there was an open electrical permit leftover from 5 years before I bought the apartment 9 years ago. Of course, the company that did the work is no longer in business, and the company the building is working with to close all of its own remaining open permits quoted me $2,500 right off the bat just to file the paperwork to get it going to start closing it,... [more]

Hi all I was notified by my building that there was an open electrical permit leftover from 5 years before I bought the apartment 9 years ago. Of course, the company that did the work is no longer in business, and the company the building is working with to close all of its own remaining open permits quoted me $2,500 right off the bat just to file the paperwork to get it going to start closing it, then listed a number of other costs which would come afterward. And of course my insurance company doesn't offer title insurance. I hired an attorney to close the deal- shouldn't she have picked this up? I mean this is why I hire someone- to go through all this things. I'm reading all kinds of articles like "Open permits- A Homeowners Nightmares" and yes, I can see why. So far the seller is off the hook, the original company that did the work is off the hook, the insurance company is off the hook, and my attorney might be off the hook, and I'm getting quoted back-breaking costs. I can not afford this menace, especially not of my own making and for something I could never foresee. I have a tiny apartment so it can't have been a sprawling job, but then, the way things are going... If for some reason I have no recourse with my attorney (because again, way things are going...) How can I find a company who would be able to do this at a reasonable price, or how can I at least file myself? What with Covid, I don't even know if anyone picks up the phone anymore, or the DOB has people not working from home only. -Desperate [less]