The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors was founded in 1999 as
a non-profit association under Federal rules concerning Tax Exempt (501 c) associations.
Since its inception InterNACHI has evolved into the largest inspection association
within the State of Pennsylvania as well as North America.
As of Thursday, 27 July 2006 InterNACHI membership in North America is at 8,673.
InterNACHI membership in the Keystone State is at 678.
For an extended period of time now there has been a declaration being circulated
maliciously and with ill intent by a self proclaimed coalition group here in Pennsylvania.
That group being known as the Pennsylvania Home Inspectors Coalition or PHIC.
It is my intentions here and today to put this opinion declaration to rest.
To begin with we need to take a long hard look at the deceitfulness of this self-imposed
group. To do this, I will quote from their website: "InterNACHI: Responded with
only verbal communication and direction to their web site. Continued requests
have gone unanswered and formal complaint was submitted to the AG for further
action. It is PHIC's opinion, that due to a lack of verifiable responses, and
continued refusals, InterNACHI is not compliant."
Well, first of all the Pennsylvania State Attorney General's office has reviewed
all of PHIC's complaints and conjectures and has rejected all of them citing them
as being irrelevant and malicious in nature. You may have noticed that PHIC makes
no mention of this on their website and in fact have ignored the advice of the
Attorney General's office and continue with their barrage of malicious lies and
deceit.
Secondly, I would like to address to the specific and self -serving brash PHIC
statement that reads "Continued requests have gone unanswered".
Never a truer statement has been uttered by this group. Neither InterNACHI nor the
State of Pennsylvania recognizes PHIC as having any authority in PA. In fact
the State Attorney Generals offices have addressed PHIC about their questionable
ethics, and have strongly suggested that they cease and desist with their declaratory
judgments. As evidenced previously this has been intentionally ignored. In addition
the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors issued a statement to all Realtors in
Pennsylvania declaring it inappropriate for them or anyone to determine the compliancy
of any association. I quote from their letter, "While the law defines the criteria
to be a "national home inspection association," it is somewhat vague and doesn't
give any governmental agency the authority to determine the compliance status
of an association".
Again I ask. Where is the follow-up to this original letter? Why has PAR not
released the results of the Courts ruling on 13 June 2005, whereas Justice Thomas
G. Glavin ordered and decreed that the Default Judgment entered on May 6, 2004
is hereby STRICKEN? Is it PAR's intention to stifle and restrict the practicing
home inspection business's that are associated with InterNACHI?
Today I was made aware of a very disturbing letter that I will present to InterNACHI's
Board of Directors for further consideration. Within that letter a local Berks
County Real Estate Firm vehemently denied the Home Inspection report of a local
Franchise owner who is associated with InterNACHI only. In that letter they cited
and asserted the opinions of PHIC and the STRICKEN Default Judgment. In fact
they explicitly referred to the current PHIC website as a reference. It concerns
me that Pennsylvania Realtors have now established themselves as the governing
law. They are operating as Judge, Jury, and executioner of the Pennsylvania Laws
and Statutes based on the opinions of a unrecognized self-appointed "Consumer
Watch Group" calling themselves a coalition.
In conversations with both ASHI and NAHI executives it was further discovered
that neither organization submitted written compliance or statements. Both were
extended the "voluntary" compliant status based on the general knowledge of PHIC
ASHI/NAHI power based directors. Who, by the way have no authority to speak on
behalf of the ASHI or NAHI National Associations! In fact we are looking at
a self-centered, self-promoted, self-appointed select group of business's forming
a group geared towards the "cornering of the market".
PA Law title 68, § 7502 clearly defines what an association is. In fact, it
is quite simplistic. In part it reads:
" Is operated on a Not-For-Profit basis and is not operated as a franchise.
" Has members in more than ten states.
" Requires that a person may not become a full member unless the person has performed
or participated in more than 100 home inspections and has passed a recognized
or accredited examination testing knowledge of the proper procedures for conducting
a home inspection.
" Requires that its members comply with a code of conduct and attend continuing
education classes as an ongoing condition of membership.
To this I will respond that InterNACHI and its Pennsylvania contingent not only qualifies
under PA Act 114 but exceeds the requirements for membership in our Association
membership requirements.
Pennsylvania requires associations to operate as a Not-For-Profit basis and not
as a franchise. PHIC has openly stated in the past that InterNACHI in not non-profit.
They lied The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors is the largest
inspection association in Pennsylvania and North America. Formed in 1990 in Pennsylvania,
InterNACHI is both a non-profit organization as well as tax exempt. I can furnish
copies of our tax exempt non-profit status to those interested. From 1990 to
1998 InterNACHI did not have income or collect dues and as such remained a non-profit
corporation. It wasn't until 1998 when InterNACHI began collecting dues that it necessitated
the need for a bank account, etc. and that InterNACHI Incorporate as a Non-profit,
tax exempt 501 c. 6. Corporation. To this day InterNACHI accepts no outside funds
and so we're not owned by anyone figuratively. We don't even sell as much as
a banner ad on our 88 million hit/year website. InterNACHI does not issue stock and
so InterNACHI is not "owned" by anyone!
Pennsylvania requires associations to have members in more than ten states.
PHIC contends that InterNACHI does not have members in 10 states. This past statement
by PHIC representatives actually had me in a laughing frenzy. I almost don't
know how to respond to this ludicrous acquisition. InterNACHI is the largest home
inspection association in the great Keystone State, the U.S., and the world!
In fact InterNACHI is the only home inspection association that actually lists its
membership on an open website for all to see. Other associations use ambiguous
geographic searches so no one can ever see or verify their membership lists.
What could they possibly be hiding? InterNACHI has members in all 50 states, Canada,
D.C., the islands, and 30 countries abroad. A quick review by me of our 2001
membership when the PA law was enacted shows clearly that InterNACHI more than met
this requirement. To facilitate any concerns I also have available a quick listing
of members that were attached to InterNACHI during and before 2001. This is by no
means a complete listing, as I didn't have the time to extract the complete membership.
Pennsylvania requires that a person may not become a full member unless the person
has performed or participated in more than 100 home inspections and has passed
a recognized or accredited examination testing knowledge of the proper procedures
for conducting a home inspection. PHIC has never disputed InterNACHI on this requirement.
But I will expand and spell out in further detail just what InterNACHI requires that
other associations do not. InterNACHI requires all working members to submit a complete
listing of 100 inspections performed. Out of that listing 25% or 25 reports are
randomly chosen to be submitted to our Report Review Committee to review for substantial
compliance with InterNACHI's Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. No other association
even comes close to this. In fact another well known association that PHIC has
selectively approved only requires 2% report verification out of 250 reports.
You do the math.
Pennsylvania requires that its members comply with a code of conduct and attend
continuing education classes as an ongoing condition of membership. Again PHIC
has never disputed InterNACHI on this, and rightfully so. InterNACHI is the leader when
it comes to continuing education. Each of our members are required to complete
24 hours of continuing education per year as prescribed in their agreement that
they signed with InterNACHI. To that extent, InterNACHI strives to offer Continuing Education
to all of our members at reduced costs. InterNACHI has made it a basic membership
requirement that new members of our association fulfill the requirements by completing
designated courses. These courses include the InterNACHI Code of Ethics, InterNACHI Standards
of Practice, InterNACHI Electrical Course, InterNACHI Roofing Course, and soon to be released
and required a InterNACHI Plumbing Course. In addition all members of InterNACHI must take
and pass our Nationally recognized entrance exam and must further pass a annual
qualification exam for membership. All members must fill out and confirm their
understanding of these requirements. So you see there is much, much more to membership
in InterNACHI than a simple filing of an application, payment of dues and eventual
passing of a one time exam some time in the future. InterNACHI requires all of this
and more prior to anyone being accepted as a member.
Clearly PHIC has manipulated a monopoly to the detriment of consumers, REALTORS,
inspectors, and homebuyers by pointing local governments, PAR, REALTORS, and the
consuming public to their fake organization riddled with lies and deceit. These
lies and deceit clearly mark their intention to "Corner the Market" under the
consumer watch disguise.
InterNACHI will never recognize PHIC as any type of Pennsylvania authority or watch
group. They are a private concern, not a government office or a coalition that
represents the Home Inspection Industry within Pennsylvania. They at most represent
less than 1% of all inspectors in Pennsylvania. In conclusion I will simply reiterate
that it is definitely true that InterNACHI has refused and will continue to refuse
to provide this highly questionable bogus coalition with any information about
InterNACHI.
A copy of my remarks is being furnished to every REALTOR in the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania along with the Attorney Generals Office and PAR. It will also
be freely distributed amongst the media.
John Bowman
Executive Director
National Association of
Certified Home Inspectors
(303) 591-9896
