AZHO

Hi Randy. I think we were a couple years apart in high school here. I finished in 1985. Does your Mom happen to be involved with the school district?

Thanks all. Jeff, I appreciate the links and advice you provided. I agree pictures may not tell the whole story, but I thought the almost footwide patch would be more compeling. But I would also be reluctant to base an opinion on a picture. No repair work has been completed to date as the cracking appears to be tied to a bad sewer line below the slab which will be a major repair (and has been repaired in the past - which wasn't disclosed). Do you service Yavapai? Basically, we are waiting on a response from the seller now. I hate to get the HI stressed out before we know if we will need to go to court. Is it normal fro HI's to get called as an expert witness? I assume we would want him on our side to show that this was an act of concealment that even a home inspector would miss. Court is not something I am hoping for, but I want to get my ducks in a row now.

Thanks. The seller was the original owner and builder so I'd assume he had to know. We know for sure we have a disclosure issue with the seller. I was wondering if the term "minor" is acceptable based on your experience. We were shocked when we saw the large extensive patching. Is that normal with minor cracks?

For what it's worth, I'm hoping that the HI's liability is very limited or nil as he is a good person with a great reputation. I'm of the opinion that the seller is the only bad apple due to the lack of disclosure. I just want to make sure that is the consensus as we move forward.

Hi, I have a question regarding cracks in a slab foundation. The cracks were hidden under the carpeting and heavy padding. Would a home inspector typically find these? We didn't really notice during the few times we went to the home duing the buying process. The homeowner disclosed "minor cracks - all concrete cracks" on the SPDS. We have also found a major repair to the sanitation line which was not disclosed. We are curious as to where the inspector will stand when this goes to court. He did note a crack near the fireplace and stated it was typical for a 20 year old home. It was not listed as a major concern. Should one crack have warranted more investigation by the inspector? What he didn't know was that the crack has already been patched and you could still feel it through the carpet. We felt the cracks immediately after moving in a removing our shoes. We hoped this was "typical settlement" but there has continued to be movement including cracking above doors which no longer close. This is all since the purchase in June 2007. We have no ill will toward the inspector but, obviously, this is a major problem. So, the two questions are: Is the inspector liable since it was hidden by carpeting? Would anyone (qualified or not) call these "minor" cracks? Thanks.