I'm concerned about this home inspector?

[Russell Spriggs]

My issue with this is 'way back in the beginning of the story, as I do not turn any utilities on. My call would have been to have the owner / utility co turn on the (gas, water, electric); I can inspect everything else, or come back and do it all at once.

No Snap, Crackle, Flood for me, thanks . . .

[gporter]

Or light pilot lights

[RAY THOROMAN]

Hi Dean,


A few things to consider IMO.

You said the inspector was ASHI/BOCA/CBI - FYI BOCA is no longer, they merged into ICC http://www.iccsafe.org/help/redirect-bocai.html

Not Sure what CBI is? The reason I am bringing this up is this stuff happens all the time around here Builders/Agents asking are you BOCA or CABO certified, it's like there in a time warp or their clocks are about 7 years behind.

Lot's of good advice here to consider. For me I would call the inspector direct to take up these issues with him, anything other is a waste of time or will cause more frustration for all involved.

You mentioned you had permits from the city, meaning all work was approved I take it? Well to most of us InterNACHI inspectors IMO, it doesn't mean much I say that cause I find issues or items missed by county/city inspectors every single week.

Not all inspectors are great ones, it's like any other profession. Name one profession that doesn't have flawed individuals. It boils down to the inspector not titles or associations like ASHI, INACHI, ICC, or any other.

In the end I hope you work this out and use the mishap as a learning tool and keep gaining that perspective.

[Michael Bazzo, CMI]

I'm concerned about...5/3/08 7:13 PMyour are such an *** kisser. Call me
I could have sworn I belonged to an association that tried to improve our profession by helping the public understand our industry through education. So by offering my help to Dean, so that he may have a better understanding of the HI and therefore becoming better educated, this willingness to help is labeled as ***kissing. The only call I can make is that the person who left this reputation is less than willing to be helpful and educational then me when it come to improving our profession.

[whandley]

Originally Posted by Dean Dolce

Ok guys,
Thanks for the reply's. I'm not really good at confronting people.
But I will try to contact him on monday to go over my concerns.
He was nice enough to leave his card on my countertop.
But shortly afterward will start contacting his credentials to report my
concerns with them also.
I just wanted some other opinions here first. I'm not good at being the mean
guy, but this one really pissed me off. I always expect a list from the buyers after a H.I. half of the time they never ask for anything and the other half
it is only minor things. I am not a perfect rehabber, but would never put a house up for sale with these potentially dangerous defects.

Thanks
Dean

Have you considered having the subject property inspected by an independent licensed inspector of your choosing. If the property conditions from the first report are inaccurate or have changed, you could provide that new information to the existing buyer and or any subsequent purchasers. You're under no legal obligation to disclose inaccurate information regarding property condition to anyone.

I'm also wondering if the inspectors written report stated in detail the exact same information you received verbally from the realtor. I've had many ocassions where after pointing out a couple of plumbing leaks to the buyers agent, I hear them call the listing agent and report something along the lines of "You've got big problems out here, we're finding plumbing leaks all over the place".

Have you seen the finished report?

[Dean Dolce]

Ok Here it goes.
I did call the inspector this morning. Introduced myself as the owner of the house he inspected last week. At first stated he cannot talk about the property per legal issues, but I assured him I was just concerned about the potentialy dangerous concerns and wanted to hear from him and not through 2 realtors. He said to ask any question and he will do his best to answer.

1st Question:
We start with the gas leak in the basement. I tell him I was informed of multiple leaks near the meter and immediatly called michcon. Within 2 hours of his call myself and 3 field techs on site no one was able to confirm any gas leak. Could he please explain to me how he came to this conclusion. Was I in the wrong location of the leak?
His answer: Your house was full of gas. We smelled it as soon as we walked down into the basement. Yes there were 5 leaks at the meter. I can't tell you how many times I have to come back and show michcon where the leaks are at. He said he uses a methane sniffer? If you have any concerns you should call a qualified prof.

2nd Question:
I was told my whole house is ungrounded and electrical box not up to code.
His answer: That is wrong, In my report I stated that the garage is not grounded properly.
My reply , was that this concern that was not explained to me correctly and I will look into that.
3rd Question:
The roof is 2-4 years old. I just had a new roof installed 33 days ago?
His answer: I look into the gutter to see how much shingle debris is there.
( Also I'm not shure exactly) some sort of test on the shingle? He said 3d shingles are hard to acurately tell there age. He also noted the vents were not new.
My reply: You are correct the roofer did not use new vents? But they function fine. We also replaced many boards underneath the shingles.
Again he said: If you have any concerns please call in a qualified prof.
I thanked him for taking the time to answer my questions.

At this point the buyer is moving forward with the sale. I don't feel like pursuing any more issues with this H.I. I know his name and will be on the lookout for him in the future. I do feel he is a subpar H.I. but that is my opinion. I'm glad I took everyones advice and called him. He did say a few good things.
If you have any concerns please call a qualified prof. Yes, you are right about that.

Thanks for all the advice
Dean

[whandley]

Good job Dean;

I wish I bumped into more sellers like yourself. You seemed to handle the issues professionally and in a calm and collected maner. It sounds as though the sale will go forward and you can move on to your next project and or home.

Good luck in the future and thanks for sharing your experience with us....

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

You didn't say that you actually viewed the report. Strange that the buyer didn't relay that to you. I would certainly ask for a copy. I don't know which state you are in, but if you are in a state that requires licensing, you may want to speak with the licensing board after you view the report. In NC, for instance, ANYONE can file a complaint against a home inspector with the licensing board (Realtor, seller, buyer, home builder, etc.).

[LYLE R. HAYDEN]

Dean
I am new to the post but not new to Michigan. The state of Michigan does not have any licensing and so the industry in our state is not regulated; more self-monitored. The fact that you will avoid this inspector in the future and probably get others to do as well works faster to clean out the bad one's than waiting for the state to do it. You handled yourself very well and that is why the buyers are going ahead with the sale. If he used a methane sniffer but smelled gas "as soon as we walked into the basement", than that smell does not go away with as many leaks as you said he described, and you would have detected it. Keep up the rehabs...not all inspectors in the state are like that.

[Shane Aldworth]

Dean
Another way that you can possibly address this situation and avoid any problems like this is to hire a HI yourself that you are confident in and have him perform a pre-listing inspection for you. By doing this you will have access to the report, as well as any recommendations or concerns that came up during the inspection process and can address them accordingly before the property gets listed. Also what some HI's do is create a "summary" report of the property that has been inspected, and you can also advertise that the property has a current home inspection already performed. What I do is also offer a "walk around" with any potential serious buyers for a fee, and go through the inspection report with them

[klott]

Mike B. i believe you have an enemy here who is trying to discourage you with all of these reds, why don't you see if Chris can find out who it is.

[Michael Bazzo, CMI]

Ken,

I agree someone likes to hand reds out to me. It really doesnt bother me because I view it as childish. Little ones must play there games ya know.

[Russel Ray]

The best thing to do is to turn the system off. I can't believe so many people here put so much stock into little green and red boxes. Yes, talk about childish. Seems like if one were to get busy doing some persistent and consistent marketing, one could buy green and red boxes at the store with all the money one makes.