House report

5221 Knox St

3 bd2 ba2 stories1,468 sqftRSA5built 1910

Property at a glanceHouse

Owner-occupancy signal

2026 assessment
$254K OPA value, not a listing price
From above · selected parcel outlined; choose a neighboring polygon to open it — imagery © Esri, Maxar

Assessment and City record timeline

Published City assessments for this house against its block and ZIP. Dated City filings are marked on the same line. Select one to read it. Assessments are tax-roll values, not sale prices or appraisals.

$0$250K$500KZIP 19144 (Germantown) median$264K2004200820122016202020242027
Property assessmentBlock median & rangeZIP 19144 (Germantown) medianAssessmentDeed / saleL&I violationInspectionLicense

Scroll horizontally to move through the years. Each icon sits on its recorded date; records without a day are labeled and centered within their year. Select one to explain the filing.

Highlight
Every dated record41 events · exact dates, newest first
  1. InspectionL&I investigation
  2. LicenseVera S. Brown: Vacant Residential Property / Lot landlord or residential registration marked inactive
  3. Deed / saleDeed / sale $227K
  4. InspectionL&I investigation
  5. LicenseVera S. Brown: Vacant Residential Property / Lot landlord or residential registration initially issued
  6. Deed / saleDeed / sale $90K
  7. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  8. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  9. L&I violationVACANT STRUCTURE LICENSE
  10. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  11. L&I violationEXTERIOR AREA SANITATION
  12. L&I violationVACANT STRUCTURE AND LAND
  13. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  14. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  15. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  16. L&I violationVACANT STRUCTURE LICENSE
  17. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  18. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  19. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  20. L&I violationVACANT STRUCTURE LICENSE
  21. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  22. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  23. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  24. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  25. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  26. L&I violationLICENSE-VAC RES BLDG (vacant residential building license required)
  27. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  28. InspectionPRECOURT (likely: pre-court compliance inspection)
  29. InspectionPRECOURT (likely: pre-court compliance inspection)
  30. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  31. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  32. L&I violationLICENSE-VAC RES BLDG (vacant residential building license required)
  33. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  34. LicenseJAMES A BROWN: Rental landlord or residential registration marked inactive
  35. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  36. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  37. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  38. L&I violationEXT S-ROOF REPAIR (Repair the exterior roof)
  39. L&I violationVACANT PROP STANDARD (likely: vacant-property enforcement standard)
  40. InspectionHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)
  41. LicenseJAMES A BROWN: Rental landlord or residential registration initially issued

Flags: historical tax ledger through 2016 recorded $1K with a lien entry. Informational only. Not investment advice or a consumer report (FCRA).

Verify the public record

$2,153/year estimated property tax

2026 taxable assessment $153,800 × 1.3998%. This is an estimate, not a bill or account balance. The City maintains payments, credits, interest, and the current amount due.

OPA has published a 2027 assessment of $264,000. It is not the 2026 billed-year value.

Current City balanceCheck Tax Center

Payments, credits, interest, and the current amount due are maintained by the City.

OPA 123182200
Open Philadelphia Tax Center →Use “View period balance” to inspect each tax year.
Exemption classificationHomestead exemption

2026 OPA removes $100,000 from the taxable assessment through the owner-occupant exemption.

Historical delinquency sources Record found

This parcel did not match the June 2022 delinquency snapshot. That absence does not confirm the account is current today.

A separate historical parcel ledger ending in 2016 records $1,237.04 and a lien entry. It is shown as historical context only.

2016$1,237.04 total · $938.18 principal · $14.08 interest · $9.38 penalty

For a purchase, refinance, or closing, request the City’s official Property Payoff statement in Tax Center under “More options.”

The property, on paper

OPA physical field record.

Bedrooms
3
Bathrooms
2
Stories
2
Interior
1,468 sqft livable area
Lot
1,275 sqft
Basement
Full, finished city code A
Heat
Forced hot air city code A
Central air
Yes
Exterior condition
Above average city code 3
Interior condition
New / rehabbed city code 2
New / rehabbed
Quality grade
C assessor's grade
Zoning
RSA5 city zoning code

OPA field-assessment attributes. Condition and grade are the assessor's codes, not an inspection.

Block context

5200 block of Knox St. Compare parcels, ownership, and public-record history.

See the whole block →

Next door: 5219 Knox St  ·  5223 Knox St

Business licenses at this address Latest pull

What L&I has registered at this OPA parcel, newest initial license date first.

Open the City record ↗

No L&I business license is on record at this address in data through Jul 23, 2026.

Landlord and residential filings

These are property registrations or landlord filings, not businesses operating at this address.

Vera S. BrownInactive

Vacant Residential Property / Lot · Initial issue date May 22, 2020 · Terminal license date Jul 20, 2021

JAMES A BROWNInactive

Rental · Initial issue date Apr 28, 2004 · Terminal license date Dec 22, 2012

A license is an L&I registration, not proof that a business is open, operating today, or located at this storefront. Dates are license dates. Events are deduped by parcel, business identity, and license type, so a renewal is not shown as another opening. Other permit and filing types remain in the full source ledger.

Open every source row 41 dated rows
  1. InvestigationL&I investigation

    Case 583055 · PASSED

    The cited inspection visit was marked passed.

  2. License terminal eventVera S. Brown: Vacant Residential Property / Lot landlord or residential registration marked inactive

    License 842391 · Inactive

    License event. Registration does not prove present operation or storefront occupancy.

  3. Recorded transfer$227K transfer

    2021

  4. InvestigationL&I investigation

    Case 677942 · PASSED

    The cited inspection visit was marked passed.

  5. License issue eventVera S. Brown: Vacant Residential Property / Lot landlord or residential registration initially issued

    License 842391 · Inactive

    License event. Registration does not prove present operation or storefront occupancy.

  6. Recorded transfer$90K transfer

    2020

  7. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 677942 · CLOSED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. City marked the record closed; open the case for the closing reason.

  8. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 677942 · FAILED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. The cited inspection visit was marked failed; later rows may show follow-up or resolution.

  9. ViolationVACANT STRUCTURE LICENSE

    Case 677942 · Violation 211960541 · Code 9-3905 · COMPLIED

    Resolution: COMPLIED - OWNER REPAIR City marked this violation complied with; check the resolution date and live case for what was accepted.

  10. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 677942 · FAILED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. The cited inspection visit was marked failed; later rows may show follow-up or resolution.

  11. ViolationEXTERIOR AREA SANITATION

    Case 583055 · Violation 211937046 · Code PM15-302.1 · COMPLIED

    Resolution: COMPLIED - OWNER REPAIR City marked this violation complied with; check the resolution date and live case for what was accepted.

  12. ViolationVACANT STRUCTURE AND LAND

    Case 583055 · Violation 211937044 · Code PM15-301 · COMPLIED

    Resolution: COMPLIED - OWNER REPAIR City marked this violation complied with; check the resolution date and live case for what was accepted.

  13. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 583055 · FAILED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. The cited inspection visit was marked failed; later rows may show follow-up or resolution.

  14. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 558548 · FAILED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. The cited inspection visit was marked failed; later rows may show follow-up or resolution.

  15. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 558548 · CLOSED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. City marked the record closed; open the case for the closing reason.

  16. ViolationVACANT STRUCTURE LICENSE

    Case 558548 · Violation 4173995 · Code 9-3905 · CLOSEDCASE

    City marked the case closed; that does not mean the original condition never existed.

  17. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 558548 · FAILED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. The cited inspection visit was marked failed; later rows may show follow-up or resolution.

  18. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 514614 · PASSED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. The cited inspection visit was marked passed.

  19. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 514614 · FAILED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. The cited inspection visit was marked failed; later rows may show follow-up or resolution.

  20. ViolationVACANT STRUCTURE LICENSE

    Case 514614 · Violation 3849545 · Code 9-3905 · COMPLIED

    City marked this violation complied with; check the resolution date and live case for what was accepted.

  21. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 514614 · FAILED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. The cited inspection visit was marked failed; later rows may show follow-up or resolution.

  22. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 364327 · CLOSED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. City marked the record closed; open the case for the closing reason.

  23. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 420500 · CLOSED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. City marked the record closed; open the case for the closing reason.

  24. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 421534 · CLOSED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. City marked the record closed; open the case for the closing reason.

  25. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 421534 · FAILED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. The cited inspection visit was marked failed; later rows may show follow-up or resolution.

  26. ViolationLICENSE-VAC RES BLDG (vacant residential building license required)

    Case 421534 · Violation 3197870 · Code PM-102.4/2 · CLOSEDCASE

    This usually records a requirement to obtain a Vacant Structure License for an unoccupied residential building. Check later license and compliance rows because it does not establish present vacancy or an unresolved violation. City marked the case closed; that does not mean the original condition never existed.

  27. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 421534 · FAILED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. The cited inspection visit was marked failed; later rows may show follow-up or resolution.

  28. InvestigationPRECOURT (likely: pre-court compliance inspection)

    Case 364327 · CLOSED

    A follow-up before or during enforcement escalation; confirm the case sequence in the City file. City marked the record closed; open the case for the closing reason.

  29. InvestigationPRECOURT (likely: pre-court compliance inspection)

    Case 364327 · FAILED

    A follow-up before or during enforcement escalation; confirm the case sequence in the City file. The cited inspection visit was marked failed; later rows may show follow-up or resolution.

  30. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 364327 · CLOSED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. City marked the record closed; open the case for the closing reason.

  31. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 364327 · FAILED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. The cited inspection visit was marked failed; later rows may show follow-up or resolution.

  32. ViolationLICENSE-VAC RES BLDG (vacant residential building license required)

    Case 364327 · Violation 3099179 · Code PM-102.4/2 · CLOSED

    This usually records a requirement to obtain a Vacant Structure License for an unoccupied residential building. Check later license and compliance rows because it does not establish present vacancy or an unresolved violation. City marked the record closed; open the case for the closing reason.

  33. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 364327 · FAILED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. The cited inspection visit was marked failed; later rows may show follow-up or resolution.

  34. License terminal eventJAMES A BROWN: Rental landlord or residential registration marked inactive

    License 257154 · Inactive

    License event. Registration does not prove present operation or storefront occupancy.

  35. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 256978 · PASSED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. The cited inspection visit was marked passed.

  36. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 256978 · FAILED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. The cited inspection visit was marked failed; later rows may show follow-up or resolution.

  37. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 256978 · FAILED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. The cited inspection visit was marked failed; later rows may show follow-up or resolution.

  38. ViolationEXT S-ROOF REPAIR (Repair the exterior roof)

    Case 256978 · Violation 1955546 · Code PM-304.4/1 · COMPLIED

    City marked this violation complied with; check the resolution date and live case for what was accepted.

  39. ViolationVACANT PROP STANDARD (likely: vacant-property enforcement standard)

    Case 256978 · Violation 1955545 · Code PM-306.0/1 · COMPLIED

    A legacy L&I label associated with vacant-property requirements. It may concern licensing, securing, or maintaining a vacant structure; the notice and cited code control, and this row alone does not prove the property is vacant now. City marked this violation complied with; check the resolution date and live case for what was accepted.

  40. InvestigationHCEU INSP (Housing Code Enforcement Unit inspection)

    Case 256978 · FAILED

    A legacy L&I inspection label. The unit inspected housing for property-maintenance, fire-prevention, and related code compliance; the separate status says how that visit ended. The cited inspection visit was marked failed; later rows may show follow-up or resolution.

  41. License issue eventJAMES A BROWN: Rental landlord or residential registration initially issued

    License 257154 · Inactive

    License event. Registration does not prove present operation or storefront occupancy.

Where this comes from

Methodology & freshness

This report was assembled Jul 23, 2026, 5:43 PM ET. Available City datasets are queried from OpenDataPhilly (phl.carto.com) and the cited City ArcGIS feeds; record queries paginate rather than silently taking a first page. For this property: Permits: queried · Violations: queried · Investigations: queried · Appeals: queried · Licenses: queried · Building certifications: queried. “Unavailable” means the source query failed or was not supplied, not “no record.” Reports re-pull on view after seven days and on an overnight rolling schedule; citywide benchmarks recompute weekly. Source dates still govern: the parcel-level tax-delinquency snapshot is June 2022 and the separate detailed tax ledger ends in 2016, so neither establishes today’s balance. The live balance and date-effective payoff must be verified in Tax Center. AI-written passages are grounded in the assembled record and rejected if they state a number the record does not hold.

Official city record ↗  ·  L&I history ↗  ·  See the whole block  ·  Download this record (JSON)