Kansas Hose Job

I received this email from a past Board Member of the Kansas Home Inspectors Registration Board (KHIRB) today. Its almost a joke, if it wasn’t real.

Since the **Kansas Association of Real Estate Inspectors (KAREI) **was formed about 2008-2009, they’ve done nothing except help push legislation onto home inspectors; until the last 9 months the KHIRB was in force until the governor dropped HI licensure last July the Board was run mostly by ASHI members, etc. Jeff Barnes ran it with Kerry Parham out of Wichita as the non-visible puppet master.

The KAREI officers have been straight ASHI members. Either Kerry Parham or Jeff Barnes have run KAREI from day 1. No real elections; no meetings; no educational events; NO nothing AND now the Kansas Legislature has given the $62,000 remaining in the Kansas Home Inspectors Board Treasury to the KAREI group out of Wichita … due to apparently lobbying of the KAREI group and Legislative Bills known to NONE of the rest of us home inspectors in Kansas.

On top of that imagine WHAT that allows the KAREI group to do with those funds to ADVERTISE their OWN members OR to hire / pay for future lobbying effects for licensure attacks again. AMAZING …

_Here is what I got today _____________________________

Dan … READ this

This is UNBELIEVABLE

-----Original Message-----
From: KAREI Membership Admin <members@karei.org>
Sent: Sat, May 17, 2014 2:12 pm
Subject: State grants unused KHIRB funds to KAREI

            ~~**On Friday the  Governor signed the state budget that contains a $62,383 grant to the  KAREI association**.    These are the leftover funds from the KHIRB that  remained because of the excellent and austere management practices of  those home inspectors that ran the board, in no small part due to  the efforts of our past president and original KHIRB president Jeff  Barnes.    As unfair as it sounds, we initially were told by the  attorney general's office that this money would go into the state  general fund.  We complained loudly, and apparently some house members  agreed this was unfair.   Representative Pete Degraaf (Mulvane)  introduced a bill titled *The Home Inspector Closure Fund *where  they initially  proposed returning these funds  to the home inspectors  that had paid in.   We explained in our testimony to the committee that  since the original regulatory bill’s implementation, about 10-15% of the  registered home inspectors have left the business each year.   In fact,  the KAREI group found that when we used the most recent KHIRB  registration list last October, just 4 months after the expiration of  the legislation, we were unable to even locate about 10% of the  registered inspectors.   Therefore, it was impractical to equitably  return those funds to all the formally registered inspectors.   As the  only IRS registered non-profit Kansas home inspector group, we requested  that the funds be granted to the KAREI organization, and that is how  the House passed their bill.    Unfortunately, the Senate was heavily  lobbied by the Real Estate Commission and they were granted these funds  rather than the KAREI group.    We then retained the services of our  former lobbyist (Hein Law Firm) and worked with key committee members  and leaders in the Senate to encourage them to concede their position  and agree to the House's version of the bill.   We explained that home  inspectors have no representation on the Real Estate Commission board,  and granting these funds to real estate salesman is akin to taxing a car  wash and then giving the money to car salesmen because they sold the  cars.   Ultimately, a majority of the Senate saw it our way, however, it  was touch and go for some time.    **Your board will be meeting to  discuss how we might best  use these funds to support our members, and  likely will be lowering your already modest annual dues.     Certainly,  some of these funds will be applied directly to Realtor advertising with  the goal of making your phone ring.   **

       In the meantime, we have  extended everyone's listing on the  KAREI website (i.e., those who have not yet paid their dues) until at  least September 30.   The unique value and utilitarian advantage of the  KAREI website is its comprehensive and inclusive nature.   **No other home  inspector national member organization or web presence provides  prospective buyers and agents an all-inclusive list of Kansas home  inspectors in their area.    **We are truly a one-stop easy to use  location, that is increasingly utilized by those searching for a home  inspector.     If you haven't already, please do your part by updating  your member profile.   The website and dues payment is now fully  automated, however, If you have any problems or questions, just send me  an email and I'll be happy to walk you through the process. 

Thanks for your membership and past support,
**Kerry Parham, President
**

**

AMAZING … ONLY people in THEIR group show up / Lie #1

It is truly sad that the KAR and REA’s throughout Kansas put up with this.

First, KARHI told committees back in 2007 that there were I believe 460 home inspectors in Kansas, so laws where needed to regulate them. Now they say that they cannot contact even 10% of the home inspectors that are on their own list, or throughout Kansas?

Excellent management practices of board members? So, they complain loudly that it is their money? One-stop-shop? Heck, they must not have any members, at least that is what they stated, so whom are they going to market? Morons.

As Dan stated in post #2, an “all inclusive” list of home inspectors? This letter is a total lie.

I am glad I am not a member of this so-called organization. This board and it’s founders and members was corrupt from the get-go. Governor Brownback made the right decision, to abolish the board.

It is amazing that Barnes I bet still has those computers in his garage with the names and addresses of past members. I smell a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Gary …

They gave your past KS dues to KAREI, along with a bunch of inspectors that don’t belong to KAREI … I think we need to start calling media, AG, Gov’s office, etc

All of the people who promoted Kansas home inspection licensing, got it into play, who now snookered all of the Kansas lawmakers out of $63,000, got this money from the State by crying and manipulation, are all laughing all the way to their local bank in Wichita.

And some of it is mine. There has to be a local attorney or media person who wants publicity by telling the general public about these people.

Time to send the email to my media friends. I do not think the Governor of Kansas, or any other politician in Kansas, wants this kind of publicity.

They better think again.

Couple of guys have suggested suing KAREI

Now how much do you want to bet that those funds go to Gov. Brownbacks opponent in the next race, or to RE lobbyist to again push licensing

It is always about money. It is never about the good of the people of Kansas. It is all about relationships with lobbyists, and filling campaign coffers.

It is not about home buyers. Never will be. I will most likely never see my money returned to me. My contacts have been informed.

My response went to the Kansas Governor this morning. No response yet from the media.

This could, and I bet happens, in any state.