Michalski writes

[John Onofrey]

to Attorney blasting Home Inspectors and slams newbies in process.

http://www.housedefects.com/blog/25/...Inspector.html

Way to go Ex NACHI member Joe Michalski!

[James H. Bushart]

Part of his psychosis requires that he publish long articles throughout the internet promoting the fact that he is a "lowballer" and that it is "okay". It's therapy....probably prescribed to him by Stuart Smalley, his alter ego.

[ekartal6]

What does being a member of the BBB have do to with being a good home inspector?

Reasonably prices home inspections...I equate that with marketing to real estate agents.

[Bob Elliott]

Anyone can join the BBB if thay pay the 450.

[Doug Edwards]

Does anyone else get the impression he is describing himself? Cotton candy marketing ploys, straddling the fence between kissing up to and all over the Realtors butts (starting at the ankles) and shining the customers on to give them the impression the higher priced inspectors are somehow being unnecessarily overpaid. This does a huge disservice to not only the customers by lulling them into believing a cheaper inspector is just as qualified and experienced as the higher priced guys, but to the inspectors as well. Just as a rising tide floats all boats a low tide will do the same only it will lower all boats while it exposes the scum and other debris on the bottom of the ocean. As long as there are guys out there willing to do inspections for low ball prices, the HI industry will never get out of the fringes of and being thought of as a Handyman business. This kind of mentality is what keeps Realtors and the public at large thinking that we are bargain basement professionals. They hurt the profession, the public and themselves in the long run.

[James H. Bushart]

Since he is no longer a member, I can share that this "lowballer" was often complaned about to the Ethics Committee and they continue to come in...

I am omitting the client's name since I do not have his permission to post this, but here is one that just came in today.

From: xxxxxxxxxx
To: fastreply@nachi.org
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 9:27 AM
Subject: complaint on NACHI member


Hi,

I would like to file a complaint against one of your members, Joseph Michalski. Last November I had Joe look at a property I was planning to buy. I paid him via Paypal and when I later decided to buy the property and secured financing, I asked him if he would agree to refund me and just be paid during closing. He agreed and gave an invoice to my closing company who sent him a check. Our agreement was that he would write me a check as soon as he receives the check from the closing company.

It's been more than a month now since closing, and I still haven't received the check. I have been trying to contact Joe thru phone calls and emails but he has not been answering any of them. Over the span of a month, I only received two email communications from him. In the first one, he said he hasn't received the check from the closing agent, and on the second one saying he had pneumonia so he couldn't answer the phone and that he would send the check that day.

It's been more than a week since his last email and he is still not answering my calls. When I asked my wife to call his number yesterday using her cellphone to pretend to be a client looking for an inspector, he immediately returned her call and told her he is available for an inspection. When I called his number after he talked with my wife, he did not answer again.

I have the Paypal receipt and settlement sheet as proof that I payed him twice. I also saved his email communications about our agreement and that he was going to send the check to me.

I hope as an organization, you can do something to discipline your member. His actions of screening out my calls and answering calls from possible prospective clients is very unprofessional and I believe violates your Code of Ethics. Please contact me thru email or by calling me at xxx-xx-xxxx about this matter.

What a douche bag. I hope Evin Dugas reads this before he embraces this guy too closely.

While there is nothing we, as an organization, can do to help this poor client who paid an inspector twice for the same inspection....we can certainly call upon this slimeball to do the right thing and refund the money owed to this man. He knows who he is.

[James H. Bushart]

Well, looky here.

Just a few minutes after my post, we hear from the consumer that Mr. Michalski has contacted him...TODAY.....and the check is in the mail (again).

Looks like somebody is still lurking and reading the message board.

[Doug Edwards]

He still shows himself as a member of Nachi on his Active Rain site as well. That would be misleading and false advertising. If he knows and Im sure he does, that the customer has paid him twice there is no excuse for not refunding one of the fees. That customer should turn him in to PayPal so they will freeze his account so he can't use it anymore to bilk others. As I said, these guys give all of us a bad name and leave the public with the impression HI are little more than Dutch Uncle professionals and shady. It is the same as a contractor who takes someones money never to be seen again without doing the work. I believe there is an exceptionally hot section in Hell for those people.

[James H. Bushart]

His state requires that he belong to either ASHI, NAHI or NACHI.

I guess he is lying to his state government like he does to the public. Perhaps one of you PA boys can check this out.

[Joseph Hagarty, CMI]

Originally Posted by jbushart

His state requires that he belong to either ASHI, NAHI or NACHI.

I guess he is lying to his state government like he does to the public. Perhaps one of you PA boys can check this out.

Correct.

The State of PA requires that an Inspector be a "Full Member in Good Standing" of a National Home Inspector Organization (having Members in 10 or more States).

If not a Full Member of NACHI, the requirement is there for Organizations such as ASHI and/or NAHI.

[Nick Gromicko]

InterNACHI's COE Committee... protecting consumers from non-members around the world and in your neighborhood.

Inspectors in PA who are not full members of a national trade association are committing a criminal act by doing inspections, stealing work from legitimate inspectors like Joe Hagarty, and don't qualify for discounts on the mandated state E&O that must be carried.

[James H. Bushart]

On his Active Rain blog, he is falsely advertising himself as a member of NACHI.

[Joseph Hagarty, CMI]

Originally Posted by jhagarty

Joe M.

I see on your website that you offer Radon Testing in PA. Your name however does not appear on the PA DEP Website as being Certified to offer Radon Testing.

Originally Posted by jmichalski

Joe H.
I sub it out and explain that to clients. It is one less trip to the home for me and easy enough to arrange.

He is also misrepresenting himself as a PA DEP Certified Radon Tester by offering Radon Testing (along with a pricing schedule) on his website. Offering a service that you are not duly Licensed / Certified to perform is investigated by the PA DEP.

Ironic that I was in a meeting with Auditors from the PA DEP this morning reviewing radon records.

[James H. Bushart]

At one time, about a year ago, he was falsely representing himself as licensed in New Jersey as was listing New Jersey counties on his site. I had him remove that information.

As for now, he is not our problem...but he does present a black mark on our industry.

Can you, Joe H., file the necessary complaint with the state to get him in compliance...or in another line of work?

[Joseph Hagarty, CMI]

Originally Posted by jbushart

At one time, about a year ago, he was falsely representing himself as licensed in New Jersey as was listing New Jersey counties on his site. I had him remove that information.

As for now, he is not our problem...but he does present a black mark on our industry.

Can you, Joe H., file the necessary complaint with the state to get him in compliance...or in another line of work?

Possibly...