Latest reinspection problem

Local Inspection Issues Florida and SUNachi Inspectors
1

Today I go to a guys house who was recommended to use me by his friend.

1961 hip roof house. I get in atticin garage and see all new trusses and such.

I ask if it were an addition. Yes he says.

I say do you have another attic access? he says yes I go there and see typical 1961 construction straps on every other truss or so.

He has one skylight with no documentation and one door with glass both protected by some un tested product. Looked like a little alum hip roof for the windows. I explained they do not count.

Garage doors he thinks should count and asked why I looked up the info in the dade county database when his house is in broward? Garage doors not impact tested look it up yourself and tell me.

The kicker is he is pissed as hell at me because the previous owner got a letter from citizens after their DMI reinspector came and gave him apparently every credit there was.

2 or 3 exterior old a s s doors with no markings and no documentation and he apparently had the best of the best rating.

I was apologetic with his situation on site and he claims I am in bed with the insurance agencies trying to make them more money. Is that not unbelievable? Me and the insurance companies.

I am almost sure he will try to cancel the check or something but the great thing is I know his insurance company.

The guy really thinks I am a jerk for giving him an honest report because of the inaccurate report DMI on a reinspection did for the previous owner.

Told me I charged him to much at $90 also. I spent 1 hour and 10 minutes with the guy “on a 30 min job” and gave him a ton of free advice on the home he is about to spend his money on. Just because I had nothing to do after him and was trying to give him as much info as possible explaining the whole system to him.

I really cannot stand what this business has become. It used to be great when you left a persons house you were the good guy now I am a prick because some fool reinspector did not do his job properly.

I practically begged him to get me the report so I could send it to Russ but I doubt I will ever see it.

I even suggested maybe he should look for a much less experienced inspector and not use my report.

The photos are just random photos from the inspection.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I really do believe I must go to a cash only system I am so pissed righ now I can’t stand it. I just know the guy is going to screw me. By the way it is on Intracoastal drive and he had a nice land rover.

I try to explain to the guy that if he gets into a house he can only afford with the insurance rates the last guy was paying then he sure as heck wants an accurate report regardless of what a reinspector says because once they figre it out his rates will skyrocket then he may not be able to stay in the house.

I see people forced from their homes on a daily basis due to the outrageous insurance prices that are skyrocketing.

As life is always different then the online world in real life I cannot stand to be made out to be the bad guy. Especially since I really do try my best to be honest and tell them how to fix things and give free advice and everything else I do and this guy thinks I am a prick and I like the insurance agencies because I am honest.

This business is really not good for ones well being. I am pissed all the time and cannot stand to feel that way.

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2

This is what the guy responded after I tried to get his reinspection report.

I truly feel bad for him but I am just the messenger.

So let me get this straight from your email below. You want me to help you raise the rates so hard working people like me, my friends , loved ones can pay more to the government and to Citizens so they can be more profitable by taking advantage of us. The report written by Citizen inspectors which lowered the premiums for the home owner and you want to fight it and raise the premiums of hard working people like me and the current home owner. That’s not the kind of difference I would like to make by screwing my neighbors, friends and loved one. You must of voted for Obama.

I responded and if he responds back I will post both letters.

3

Have him contact the previous company and see what happens

4

I’ll be lucky if he doesn’t cancel the check. He believes I am the Devil himself.

I believe he is the first to accuse me of being in bed with the insurance companies :frowning:

I tried to tell him I would give him other companies to call.

I do not Imagine I will get a response to this:

I cannot tell you how wrong you are about me. Do a little research and you will see I have never done anything but back homeowners and inspectors and am against the insurance companies and reinspections companies. I only wish you to know the truth of what will happen to your rates if the insurance company found out the true characteristics of your home. I have seen people lose their homes because of inaccurate inspections giving them credits the home did not deserve. When their insurance rates skyrocketed they lost their homes.

For me to do anything less than I have done and to report things not as they are would make me guilty of fraud and could jeopardize my license and my ability to earn a living for my family.

I am truly sorry that I had to be the bearer of the bad news but the truth is the truth and I cannot change that. Again I am sorry I could not help you get the reduction in premiums you desired I am confident if you take the additional steps I suggested you could save some more on your premiums. Remember advice is always free and if you are not sure if something will help you or not feel free to send it to me anytime and I will review it for you. Good luck in the future.

Thank You,

Mike Meeker
Meeker Industries, Inc.
954-922-0584

5

So are you saying that DM did ONE wrong?:smiley:
Damn caps:D

6

There is a first time for everything! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

7

yep. :slight_smile:

I do not think I have ever saw one done right.

8

Mike I keep telling you to advertise the fact that you can do a retrofit for his problem. He needs it, you can provide it, it does NOT violate the provisions of your state license or the INACHI SOP.

9

With retirees crying, poor/unfair required documentation, bad reinspections, yrs of file retention, free inspections for the poor and sick, it has taken its toll on me. I had to quit the mits.

I had many like the one you have expained. I just gladly returned the check marked void, told the ins rep not to use my report and move on.

10

Wrong way to handle it, dammit it may be they didn’t cause the problem but like all maintaintance problems with a home if not done now it costs more later. Fix it, install the damn straps, it’s less money than paying the extra premium for 4 years.

11

I have not run the numbers but I can hardly imagine it being cost effective.

First thing I would have to figure out what they would save.

Second how many years in the red are people willing to go to eventually be in the black even if it strengthens their homes.

Times are tough. I Don’t think anyone will go for it.

Has anyone else heard of anyone doing this type of stuff now days?

If so post a link I would love to see what they charge and what their plan of attack is to accomplish it.

Question is if I offer the service will YOU recommend me? :smiley:

12

Not going to happen with me.
My time is valuable and gas is not cheap.
You book me you pay :slight_smile:

13

Mike, as I said previously with regards to changing wood siding with stucco, here is another avenue of income.
All of those individuals who have toe nails, you upgrade them to double wraps. I seem to remember it was going to be 30% more of a roof replacement when that code came out in 2007. Problem now is, there are few homes valued over 300K.
You could hook up wit h a roofer to re-install the coverings and for that matter, do the tear off. All you come in and do is the wraps and sign off. After everything is opened up, it should take you lees than a day.
How much are materials? Could you make 1K profit on each job for 4-5 hours work?
Take it a step further, you can hire someone to do it and then just check their work.$800.00 per job for 20 minutes work.
And a free wind mit with every job.
If you could charge 3K for it, pay the contractors, and material costs and pocket 1K per job, it sounds like it is worth doing.
To sell it to the client, the 3K will be made up in premiums in 3-4 years and, most importantly, the house now has the best method of truss attachment.
I am sure, having been in business for over 20 years, you could get some financing in place for the clients. You get paid upfront and they pay the finance company.
If I were you, I would look into it.

14

Mike - Eric as a great idea. Think outside the box and you may make some money

15

There is no money…In this economy people are trying to figure if to buy medicine or food. Check the foreclosure numbers. Many homes in Miami-Dade have 1/4" thick straps with 2 16d nails thru Dade County Pine (which has never been tested) on every truss/girder, these homes have gone thru hurricanes for more than 40 yrs and now you suggest homeowners living on social security to find money to do a modification which is not needed because the lobbist did thier jobs well. The report that this form is based is over 10 yrs old. In college you can not use research from data that old for your research papers.

What needs to be fixed is the ins industry, homeowners, medical, auto, workers comp, etc…

16

I tend to agree.

I think those who need to do it cannot afford to.

The probably cannot even get a load to do it.

17

Some local people here had their initial inspections done under the “old” MyFLoridaSafeHome Program. Paid someone to have all the recommended updates done (thousands of dollars in many cases) only to have their insurance company send out another inspector within the past year or two and now find their upgrades are not “good enough” under new company/OIR guidelines. Tough to hit a moving target. The panhandle experienced two major hurricanes in a years time. Most of the old homes sustained little or no damage to their roofing components with the exception of fallen trees. I did many many inspections of homes right after, and did not even see a single home where the roof “popped off” from wind breaching the house envelope.

I was in Jax during Ivan, and afterwards, traveled the length across the top of the State mostly along Hwy 90 and not the I-10 interstate. This takes you through literally hundreds of little towns and communities. Again, I did not see one home where the roof popped off. Lots with trees through them but no homes missing their roofs.

18

I have not see it either nor have I seen a roof lifted off personally by a hurricane. I did see gables blown to hell right after Andrew.

Tornado’s during hurricanes are the real problem and there is not squat you can do to a typical home to help.

19

The gables I saw blown in was due to not being sheathed properly. I saw a lot with only vinyl siding nailed to the gable trusses which anybody knows is not enough attachments points. Still the gables held, just the siding got blown to Alabama and the interior of the attics were wet. Gable bracing is easy and inexpensive to upgrade but just the roof sheathing is a good shear component. OSB is what they use on the exterior walls for their shear wall components in most cases.