Mike Lamb Posted November 24, 2013 Report Share Posted November 24, 2013 This young lady in her 40s is selling her house and is recently widowed. She is likely emotionally fragile and did not want to have the buyer do an inspection at all but then relented. I did the inspection yesterday and there was some guy there with her for a while and then he left. He came back a couple hours later and went berserk literally. He couldn't believe that I had been there for 3 1/2 hours and still wasn't finished. In a profanity laced rage he kept screaming for me and the buyer to get out. He had never heard of an inspection taking three and a half hours, it was unprofessional, the house is as is, the deal is dead, DO YOU HEAR ME? DEAD!!, etc. etc. He basically wanted to strangle me and the buyer. The seller was in another part of the house when this all went down. I grabbed my tools and ladder as quick as I could to avoid a physical confrontation which seemed very possible. The buyer grabbed my jacket. I didn't get to finish the inspection. I probably had about an hour left. I got a text a couple hours later from the seller's agent saying the seller had no idea this guy was going to go off like this, that she was embarrassed and apologize profusely. This was the weirdest things that has ever happened to me or close to it. Of course, my report will say I was told to leave the house before I could finish the inspection. I am wondering if I should go into more detail as to how dangerously crazy this guy was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted November 24, 2013 Report Share Posted November 24, 2013 No, Just state that you were told to leave. If you put into writing anything that could be potentially defamatory or damage the nut case's reputation, and he finds out, he's liable to sue you just for the hell of it. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kogel Posted November 24, 2013 Report Share Posted November 24, 2013 Mike, you might want to add a helmet and body armor to your list of tools. [] It helps if the realtor gives you a heads up, could be trouble, hostile occupant. If someone greets me at the door, and they are not planning to leave, and they are obviously uptight, like an old timer that's going to need a nap, I will sometimes go in and get the interior done and leave the exterior for last. My thoughts are to get the important info quick, utilities, attic, bathrooms, kitchen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNations Posted November 24, 2013 Report Share Posted November 24, 2013 I think you should say more than simply that you were told to leave. If you had simply and nicely been told to leave by somebody other than the seller, would you have left? I wouldn't. I'm not sure I'd leave even if the seller nicely told me to, at least not the first time. You need to indicate that this guy seemed unstable and you feared a physical outburst. Maybe you should be diplomatic about it, but you need to document what happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lamb Posted November 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2013 I noted that I was angrily told to leave and left it at that. This is very polite. The buyer and his agent were with me and we all fled together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted November 24, 2013 Report Share Posted November 24, 2013 You did precisely the right thing. Get the hell out, now. Write a simple explanation of why you didn't finish the inspection. It all goes away, it's defensible, and not actionable. Not to mention, we all know there's crazy people out there and they're not wearing signs indicating they're *not insane*. I've heard there's some folks in this country that have guns..... with an itch and desire to use them...something to ponder before one pushes buttons on a crazy person. Why would anyone take a chance of further inflaming a crazy person? All risk, no reward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric B Posted November 24, 2013 Report Share Posted November 24, 2013 I agree with Mike - All I would say is that I was asked to stop the inspection and leave. Also, I only need to be told once to vamoose and I do so immediately with no further discussion or debate. Unless I've driven some distance I do not charge the client. Seeing people fly off the handle is kind of a nice change of pace from the usual routine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted November 25, 2013 Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 I'd explain why I didn't finish in such a way that if I were to completely loose all recollection the following day, the write up alone would adequately defend why I left...but no more. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Baird Posted November 25, 2013 Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 I visited a friend's new house under construction, just framed. The builder was there, and the windows were stacked for install. When I told the builder his bedroom windows would not pass AHJ, he launched into a foul tirade and basically cussed me out of there. Owners, of course, were horrified. They let him keep building, but the windows got changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Lozier Posted November 25, 2013 Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 My inspections also usually take longer that what is considered 'the norm' for this area. (We've got a couple 0ne hour specialists, with walmart prices...) If owner is there (which I wish they weren't) I inform them of about how long my onsite will take. Most are shocked, usually mumble under their breath, but have never had a tirade like this idiot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNations Posted November 25, 2013 Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 I think it's important to note that as Mike describes the situation he doesn't even know for sure the relationship to the seller of the guy who yelled at him. So just saying that he was asked to leave doesn't protect Mike enough. If you're asked/told to leave by somebody who doesn't have a legal interest in the property then you should indicate why you complied with the request. In this case, because the guy was a whole lot crazy and maybe even violent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted November 26, 2013 Report Share Posted November 26, 2013 I would have spin-kicked him in the face, booted him out of the way, told the woman to keep quiet or she would be given the same, and gone on about my business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted November 26, 2013 Report Share Posted November 26, 2013 You da man, Bruce Lee Bain! OT - OF!!! M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kibbel Posted November 27, 2013 Report Share Posted November 27, 2013 Of the 4 attempts at throwing me out, two were successful. After one middle aged woman called the police and told them I killed all her children, she went ballistic at the buyer and me. She never had any kids. A tenant on a farm wasn't notified about the inspection and he was pissed. I explained that it was either the agent or landlords fault and expressed that I was pissed too. He warmed up to me and allowed us to proceed. We were in the second-to-last building when the tenant appeared with a rifle, butt-on-hip, and told us to leave. I told him if he begins to point at us, I'd shove it up him. You know - the "if you pull a gun, you'd better intend use it immediately". He went back to the house, but the client and I thought it was best to end the inspection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted November 27, 2013 Report Share Posted November 27, 2013 Bill, man, you should have spin-kicked that rifle out of his hands and whacked him square on the noggin with it. Really, you dudes tend to overthink things at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lamb Posted November 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2013 Bain, finally the voice of reason. I spin-kicked my ass out of that house as fast as I can spin-kick my ass out of a house. I think I kicked the real estate lady in the arm but I was in a hurry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lamb Posted March 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Sad epilogue: I went back to finish the inspection about a week later and made it clear if this guy was there I was leaving. Everyone agreed he would not be there. The house was vacant. I started the inspection and he showed up so I went outside next to my car. I heard screaming so I just drove away. I got a call today from the agent telling me this guy is in jail for killing somebody in a drunk driving incident a few days ago. They are supposed to close tomorrow. Heartbreaking. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 9070.story Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjr6550 Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 I had a similar situation a couple years ago. The buyer, agent and I were in a condo when the tenant came home from a business trip. He flipped out that we were there without his knowledge. Apparently the owner left a message for him about the inspection and he did not receive it. He threatened us and we got out fast. He followed us out and grabbed the key out of the agent's hand so hard that it sliced his hand open. We went back several days later (I charged extra) and the listing agent met us. She assured us we would not have a problem with him since the police told time he was not be be around during the inspection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allseason Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 The most memorable event I had was in Jersey City, NJ. It was a wood frame early 20th century three family. The two buyers where present along with the female real estate agent and her probably 3 year old son. When we wanted to get into the first apartment the female tenant came out screaming, "No one told us you was comin!! F****g this and F*****g that!!", etc. She was actually foaming at the mouth. Then the agent started going off on the tenant with a fusillade of profanity the likes of which is rarely heard outside of a seedy bar room while her son calmly took it all in. I and the buyers made the decision to abandon the inspection as we would have had about 2 minutes inside each apartment. It also reminds me of another inspection in the same town that I performed for two J City police officers who where buying a similar house. When we got to the third floor it looked to be a day care center with a powerful scent. As I went through the front door of the apartment the two buyers remained in the hallway. When I asked them if they were coming in the said "No, we don't go into places like that, we wait for them to come out". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNations Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 A couple of days ago I was climbing some rickety pull-down attic stairs and my client said something about a dangerous job. I didn't say it out loud, but I thought to myself that sometimes the most dangerous thing I do is enter what we all think is an empty apartment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BADAIR Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 instant karma y?all know the drill?recent divorcee w/3 kids in tow i pulled up to find agent, buyer, 3 kids and irate nosy neighbor shouting profanities at them got out of my truck when he went off on me about how he?d already called the police a reported me for being a deal killin? trespasser and stealing money for the deceased owner?s kids John-law pulled up and he went off on them only to be taken into custody after he threatened to kill me and them if they tried to stop him client handed me a $20 for gas and said i just divorced a nut job i surely don?t want to have my kids exposed to or live next to another, thanks for exposing his true colors she wound up buying in another hood and still sends referrals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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