Originally Posted By: mhutnick
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Carla,
Please take my feedback with a grain of salt. After 2000 NH inspections and witnessing how three other states conduct home inspection regulations, I hope my opinions can be heard. I am very nervous about letting 'any government' branch dictate, drive, enact into law rules and legislation that will direct home inspections in the daily business practices to perform competent and valued home inspections. I have seen the mess that Mass. and N.C. licensing has created for the not just the home inspector but also for the common person. Don't get me wrong. I believe state registration and licensing is key to promoting the home inspection industry and protecting the customer. As long as it knows it is there is help and guide and not to rule and punish.
Comments submitted by referencing HB sections (as best as possible)
329-B:1 Should the purpose also be to protect the home inspector
from erroneous and unfounded claims by the sue-happy
public and legal professions? I'm all for consumerism, but
we must make sure that this effort isn't one sided and crazy.
B:2
section 1 - OK to the term Apprentice. Should be also state in this
section the term Full Inspector?
section 2 - OK
section 3 - "Visual Analysis" may be too commital for what we
can and not do. Analysis could give the customer the
impression that a 'detailed - all inclusive - absolute' effort is
provided. I would preferred that it read "General Visual
Inspection". Remember, it's all about setting expectations and
setting those expectations early.
section 4 -.......and receives a fee.(added?)
section 5 - OK (pretty standard)
section 6 - OK
B:3 through 12 OK, but it will need to be polished up and editted
as time goes on and the State matures with this process.
B:13 - May I suggest that another State's license may not meet all
of NH Requirements. This section may need to be better
worded. Also the valid license should also be 'current'. This
whole chapter might need further discussion. To kick -off NH
licensing, it might be best to simply state that reciprocity will
be decided on within the few 1-2 years. NH needs to
understand that reciprocity is more than "I'm OK with you,
and you are OK with me". It may take into account legal
issues across state boundaries,& seeing if the other state will
accept NH licensing in return.
Additional Comments:
Carla,
Is it noted anywhere in HB642, the mandatory requirement for E & O insurance? ( I hope that it isn't).
Also, somewhere, I read that HB 642 was being drawn up by
code enforcement officials. If that is the case, we might be getting ourselves in all kinds of hot water. Code enforcement officials have a completely different objective. I wouldn't want their goals and objectives to be crossed with the purpose of a home inspection. N.C. did this several years ago and the states inspection standards of practice can be very litigious for home inspectors
Thanks, Marcus.
Let me know if you want to discuss earlier. I wish I new about this sooner so I could have been more involved/helpful to the process.
p.s. I will also post this on the NACHI chat files.