[FONT=Arial][size=3]To: Commerce and Labor Committee[/size][/FONT]
[size=3]
[FONT=Arial]I am President of Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings, a national grass roots not for profit (501c3) advocating for the safe and sound construction of new homes. A home is often the largest purchase a family will ever make. At this time, in the state of Kansas, there is no consumer protection for that purchase. Our organization would find it far more important to pass legislation that would hold a home builder accountable and responsible for shoddy construction than to license Home Inspectors who are the only neutral party working for the buyer in the purchase of a new or resale home. Every other person involved in the transaction has a vested interest in the sale.
In the 15 years that I have been dealing with homeowners in Kansas, and across the nation, I have never had a complaint against a Home Inspector. At the same time there have been tens of thousands of complaints about home builders cutting corners to add to the bottom line. The lack of window flashing, roofing felt, and improper grading, all of which allow water intrusion, and are issues that buyers count on Home Inspectors to find.
I might add that I have heard numerous complaints from Home Inspectors that some Realtors refuse to add their names to lists they give to prospective buyers if the Home Inspector has ever found issues that killed a deal. Honest Home Inspectors and honest Appraisers need protection from Realtors and Mortgage Brokers who only list professionals who do their bidding.
I am certain that the Attorney General’s consumer protection division would tell you that complaints against Home Inspectors are minimal as compared to other issues regarding home ownership like fraudulent appraisals, fraudulent lending, and shoddy construction.
Please do not pass HB 2260. At this time Home Inspections are affordable for purchasers. This legislation will certainly raise the cost and in my opinion will do nothing to protect the public since it seems to me that on this issue there is nothing to protect the public from.
Nancy Seats, President
Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings INC. (HADD INC](http://www.hadd.com/))
Member: National Alliance Against Construction Defects
Our states require no licensing for builders and no standards (codes) for themto build by.
People have actually died during their housewarming party as decks collapsed on them.
The push to license the inspector…and NOT to license the builder or contractor or to provide buidling codes…is driven by those hoping to make dollars from the law.
The letter you have posted is from the only consumer group to comment on it…and they oppose it.
Mike Pritchett has written a well thought out letter to the Kansas Legislative Committee regarding HB-2260 AND its requirement that DICTATES to a home inspector how much liability he or she can negotiate for with their clients. We’re told by several law firms this violates the basic legal right of 1 individual to contract with another for services.
This unneeded and unwanted piece of legislation was FORCED onto the states home inspection population by special interest groups OUTSIDE the home inspection profession who have nothing remotely like that RESTRICTION on their own profession. .
Mike is the President of the Kansas / Missouri - Heartland Chapter of NAHI (National Association of Home Inspectors and in the Kansas City area.
As you can well imagine, in this BITTER economic decline many of our seasoned home inspectors are only doing 1 or 2 inspections a week. Thats not even enough to pay their mortgage payments or buy food for their kids AND they’re are barely hanging on by their fingertips to their livlihood. The thought of becoming another professions “Cradle to Grave” insurance policy mainly to SHIFT LIABILITY off others is sending many of the states inspectors into a very angry frenzy.
[FONT=Times New Roman]What the real purpose of a LOL (limit of liability) Clause is AND what many SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS are trying to eliminate by language in licensing laws is a small business persons ability to deal with frivolous or unreasonable clients by negotiating the degree of risk we’ll take for our fees. HB-2260 is being touted by quitea few National Home Inspection leaders as possibly the worst home inspection law in the country.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]
[FONT=Verdana]We’re all hoping this economic trend turns soon OR there’s gonna be a lot of homeless seniors[/FONT][/FONT]
I truly believe that the rhetoric that failed to stop the law last year will fail again, this year, as well. Nancy’s letter, Pritchett’s letter…won’t get any more attention than they did before.
What is different now? What has changed? Why should the legislature see this law differently today than it did last year?
While your state is cutting health care for its elderly and shutting down prisons due to lack of revenue…why should it spend money to help realtors make bigger commissions to resell houses that their previous clients foreclosed on?l
This is not a legislative bill…it is a scandal. Identify your television reporters, radio talk shows and newspaper reporters who are now looking hard at the legislature and the decisions they are making…and feed them.
Watch your eveneing news, tonight. Identify the reporter who is doing the story on health care cuts, job cuts…etc. Tomorrow, call and ask for him or her. Giver them the scoop.