Another ASHI Chapter Biting the Dust

General Inspection Topics Legislation, Licensing, Ethics & Legal Issues
1

What is a problem that licensing solves? It eventually destroys the association that pushes it on us, as is graphically described in this email sent to ASHI members in North Carolina.

The dwindling membership since licensing came into effect (Who in the heck wants or needs to pay ASHI AND the state for ‘credentials’?) has forced them to eliminate a valued paid position - their Executive Director.

Subject: Letter From NC-ASHI President

Date: Sun, 1 Jul 2007

Letter to the NC-ASHI Membership

Subject: Executive Director

The Board of Directors has voted to dissolve the position of Executive Director.

The position of Executive Director was created approximately 3 ½ years ago during our second year as the newly reformed NC-ASHI chapter. The need for a part-time employee for the chapter was there and the position was certainly fundable with ongoing participation at the educational conferences and renewed memberships. Every chapter leader has enjoyed the lessened burden of their office duties adopted by Nicole. Nicole’s eagerness to take on the daily burden of “the NC-ASHI office” allowed each of us the opportunity to spend more time on our individual businesses. Unfortunately, budgets have changed.

Over the next month, Nicole will be transferring her duties, chapter’s records and equipment to the individual board members. Most of your member needs regarding membership or CE credits will be answered by either Larry Conway as Treasurer or Marion Peeples as Secretary.

This action was taken due to budget shortfalls that resulted from a lack of adequate attendance at the 2006 Fall Educational Conference at Shell Island Resort and due to our shrinking membership numbers.

Our efforts to defray the unwanted actions of the real estate industry at the legislature have come at a cost as well. Without help from any other sector or professional home inspector association we have spent over $6000 in lobbyist fees this year. This action has protected all the licensees in this state. As I’ve stated before, not belonging to NC-ASHI, especially if you are an ASHI member, is an irresponsible act** in view of the fact that this chapter is always at the head of any activity affecting home inspector legislation. **No other professional home inspector association can claim the same. As a member of NC-ASHI you deserve the thanks from every licensee in this state. Please don’t forget that.

Nicole has served our chapter well during her tenure. In addition to all the duties she accepted she made every effort to attend meetings of the NCHILB to keep the board members informed and was always present for every educational conference and project where her help was needed. Spending days, sometimes weekends, on chapter business was far and beyond her expected duties. I know the chapter will miss her help; however, I will be more than glad to have her spend more time in our home inspection office.

You will soon see a new email contact address on the chapter’s web site and a new mailing address. The chapter’s phone will be moved to Larry Conway’s home in the next few weeks as well.

This chapter depends a great deal on you, the member, for its future. If having a regional chapter of ASHI in North Carolina is important to you as a vigilant guardian at the NCHILB and against attacks by the real estate industry you must support this chapter.

If you are just a “what’s in it for me” individual, as many are today, you don’t belong in the same company with the many who have invested their time and money to raise the level of professionalism in this industry. The choice is yours. I challenge you to continue your support, invest your time and money as many of us have done and get involved.

Tom Edwards

NC-ASHI

President

It’s sad, yet comical, to read how the same people who pushed for a law now are demanding money from their membership to protect them from it.

We encourage the rank and file ASHI members to abandon the agendas of their leaders seeking favor (and jobs) with ITA and help us to fight the licensing efforts designed to “equalize” all home inspectors and help the real estate salespeople find the $175 home inspector for his client.

2

Minimum standard licensing… the knife ASHI uses to cut their own throat.

3

As you know… it is my opinion that NACHI does not benefit from ASHI’s demise. I’ll be straight up here… it is best that ASHI remain in existence, but weak (the state they are in now). It is NOT to our advantage to have them go under completely. It is not a zero sum game.

4

Hi Nick!

Don’t worry ASHI is alive and well in New Hampshire/New England. We are constantly fighting “ASHI northern New England” which takes up five New England states.

They are constantly trying to stab us in the back and shove legislation down our throats that will cause all of us to be “trained” by the people who wrote the ASHIFIED Senate Bill.

They have started a fake “independent coalition” so that the uninitiated will not be aware that the authors of the Senate Bill are Joseph Bates founder of ASHI northern New England, his business partner Robert McDonald who is the current president of ASHI northern New England, and David Roth who is the current vice president of ASHI northern New England.
David Roth is also the so-called president of the fake coalition!

They have a fake coalition, plus two full-time paid lobbyists and we have a nothing. I am using my personal funds to fight this coalition and their lobbyist!

So ASHI is alive and well in New Hampshire! There is no reason to “pass the hat” and take up a collection for ASHI!

5

The ASHI model legislation is totally killing ASHI, state by state, even in states where the licensing is ASHI-friendly. Their own lobbyist said as much. ASHI has to recognize that they are not a post-licensing, member benefit trade association like NACHI is.

6

The authors of the bill have set themselves up to be on the licensing board and to be “trainers” for those who do not qualify under of their obfuscating language.

They should clear from $10,000.00-$15,000.00 per inspector who does not fall under their unique criteria. This will include duly certified inspectors, engineers, and code compliance inspectors.

If the ASHIFIED Senate Bill passes we are all screwed!

We are still fighting a very strong ASHI lobby in the ASHI coalition! So don’t feel too sorry for ASHI they are not dead yet!

7

This is my point, Frank.

Certain people in leadership positions are using ASHI dollars to advance their own personal gain at the expense of their members and organization.

Licensing kills ASHI.

They sell themselves as the “credential” to everyone. They sell themselves to the real estate salespeople and potential recruits as the “must belong to in order to be considered qualified” organization.

Then, when a licensing bill is passed, they are obsolete. With a licensing law, all I have to do is meet these new minimum standards of the State and I am qualified. Why in the world would I want to pay the state AND an association for the same credential?

More and more are seeing it…and more and more can see how their leaders are selling them out…and the whole ASHI organization…for their own personal gain.

It’s sad. Like Nick said, a weak ASHI is good. Here in St. Louis, it is a marketing tool. Their branding is working against them as more people begin to seek a home inspector who is NOT in bed with real estate salesmen - yet they go a long way to help convince the public of a need for home inspectors.

I hope their rank-and-file members will see what is happening to them before it is too late to do anything to stop it.

8

I believe that ASHI does its best to promote their “position” statement, unfortunately what regularly gets adopted into law is normally far below this standard.

The net-net result is a licensing law far below any association’s standard which tends to equalizes all home inspectors at the Associate skill level set nullifying the sacrifice ASHI and other association members make to become full members. Ridiculous if you ask me, but what do I know?

9

How do we benefit from A$HI’s existence?

10

What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.

11

Competition creates improvement.
Provides an incentive to do better.
Provides an example of what we do not want to become.
Opportunity to learn from their mistakes.

Just a few reasons that come to mind.
I’m sure there are many more reasons.

12

Nick Wagner writes

IMHO, ethics is the most important issue affecting our industry. ASHI, the nation’s second largest inspection association, has a Code of Ethics that is every bit as good as NACHI’s. As long as the top 2 associations hang tough and maintain their COE’s, NAHI and their unholly preferred vendor scheme has less of a chance of taking hold and destroying our industry.

13

Nick, IMHO, ethics is #1 professionalism, # 2…

14

Agreed.

15

I would respectfully disagree that ALL of ASHI supports state licensing. Fl-ASHI (the at large chapter for the State of Florida) was on record as being opposed to the licensing that was signed by our Gov. I believe that Sun Coast ASHI was also opposed to this poor legislation. We worked very hard (unsuccessfully) to defeat this poorly written bill.

Steve Taylor
Board of Directors- Florida ASHI

16

With that said,
I hope to work with Jay and any others to protect the interests of our profession while the details of this poor legislation are formulated.

Steve Taylor
Board of Directors- Fl-ASHI

17

It is correct to state that SunCoast ASHI was also firmly opposed to the Home Inspector Licensing Bill. Unfortunately this Governor was bound & determined to sign anything the legislature sent to him, truly a sad day for our profession

Joe Burkeson
Board of Directors - SunCoast ASHI

18

It has been my personal observation that, in those cases where legislation has received ASHI support, it has not been the rank-in-file ASHI members supporting it.

In fact, in the St. Louis ASHI Chapter, the membership opposed the licensing efforts of the legislature while its president secretly and covertly worked behind the scenes to help draft it.

Since the bill simply created a licensing board that would make all of the rules, it was unusual that the one and only rule governing home inspectors in the entire bill was the standard ITA language for a 60 hour mandatory home inspection course. It is reasonable to conclude that the ASHI presidents (at the objection of their membership) included this with the hope of financial reward should the measure pass.

Hopefully, ASHI members in such instances will rise and retake control over their chapters.

19

When it was not written the way you wanted it. If it had anti-NACHI you would have been all over it. The old saying be careful what you wish for. It bit ASHI in the rear.

20

The cure to the fee depression caused by licensing, is marketing.