StevenT Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 I do not turn on water mains or gas valves, I do not light pilot lights, nor do I turn on circuit breakers. If the client, agent or owner is present, I let them know that I am "not allowed" to do so, and I let them know that if they wish to turn something on and they can... but I can't. If the owner is not present, I include "it may be off for a reason" If something is not on, I report it as such. For instance, if I turn on a bathroom light and it does not go on, I report it as "did not light". If the owner or agent is present, I let them know... verbally, that it could simply be a blown bulb and if they wish to change it and it works, I will not have to include it in my report. Imagine turning on a water main, only to find out it was shut for a reason... like a leaking pipe. You could end up with one hell of a mess to clean up, or pay for. If a heating system (or whatever) is shut down, I still inspect as much as I can, but include the limitation in my report. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisprickett Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 I am now knee deep in the REO (bank owned) market. I did 5 BPO (broker price opinion) visits, just yesterday. Former homeowners, vandals, thieves, etc, are doing many interesting things to these houses. I see fixures AND outlets removed, gas ranges taken with no regard to the formerly attached piping, and even water heaters stolen. The banks just can't keep up! I'm not sure what the solution is, as it relates to inspectors, but I think you really need to start coming up with something. Its only going to get worse. Safety, as well as liability, are at stake. It won't be long before there will be some real-life examples hitting the the press. For you association guys, it might be time to rattle the cages of your keepers and come to some consensus, before some ignorant inspector gets hurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul burrell Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 What do we do with Realtors that tell our buyer it is the inspectors responsibility to turn on the utilities? Have had it happen to me many times and have lost several jobs because of these lies and irresponsible business practices. There are flunkies in this area that take their own power generator to job for electricity, turn on utilities take a superficial look around and declare the home satisfactory. I am not sure who they work for but I know it is not the buyer. How do I know this happens because Realtors have asked me if I have a generator, I say no and I do not get the job. Excuses could be made for these flunkies maybe they have a family to support but I can't bring myself to do it. They could do like the rest of us and learn the right way to do a job if they wanted to. Anyway down here we call it the basacards way of doing it. Paul B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 Originally posted by paul burrell What do we do with Realtors that tell our buyer it is the inspectors responsibility to turn on the utilities? Have had it happen to me many times and have lost several jobs because of these lies and irresponsible business practices. There are flunkies in this area that take their own power generator to job for electricity, turn on utilities take a superficial look around and declare the home satisfactory. I am not sure who they work for but I know it is not the buyer. How do I know this happens because Realtors have asked me if I have a generator, I say no and I do not get the job. Excuses could be made for these flunkies maybe they have a family to support but I can't bring myself to do it. They could do like the rest of us and learn the right way to do a job if they wanted to. Anyway down here we call it the basacards way of doing it. Paul B. Well, if you want it to stop you have to try and do something about it. Every time that a client tells you that the agent said that it's your responsibility, you should get on the phone to the agent, and especially to the agent's broker, and tell them in no uncertain terms that it is not the responsibility of a home inspector to prepare the property for the inspection. Got a local paper with a real estate section? If so, shoot off an email to the real estate reporter and ask him/her to say something about it in an article in the Sunday real estate section of the paper so that it will be common knowledge among those who still know how to read a newspaper. What the heck is a "basacard" OT - OF!!! M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 Hi, Expounding a little bit about what Chris said and I said in an earlier post - I think that if all of the inspectors in a given area got together and agreed on a single procedure that it would have some influence upon how banks and reel-tours deal with this issue. You can only be a doormat if you allow yourself to become one. As for these foreclosed properties, why not send a letter on behalf of every company in the area to the local banks and real estate brokerages, as well as to the local paper's real estate reporter, that explains that a home inspection can't be done properly, and won't be done, unless/until the owner of the home - bank, etc. - has had a plumber and/or an electrician out to the home to cap off cut sections of pipe where fixtures have been removed, replace missing fixtures or cap off wires and junction boxes, and put heating systems in order prior to putting the house up for sale. They are the "owners" after all and should be responsible for preparing the property for the inspection. If they're faced with unified resolve on the part of inspectors not to do it, and they know that's going to jam up the sale, they'll get off their duffs and take care of it. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 Hi, I just found this. Perhaps in the end laws like this are what will be needed to ensure that banks make sure that foreclosed properties are properly prepared before a home is placed on the market. OT - OF!!! M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluewolf Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 For AHIS, I hope you have VERY GOOD Insurance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottpat Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Originally posted by Bluewolf For AHIS, I hope you have VERY GOOD Insurance. OK, I have to ask. What is AHIS and why should you have VERY GOOD Insurance? Next, what is considered to be very good insurance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark P Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Originally posted by Bluewolf For AHIS, I hope you have VERY GOOD Insurance. Thanks for your concern Bluewolf, but it really is not necessary. Good to see someone from my own back yard here on TIJ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottpat Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Originally posted by AHIS Originally posted by Bluewolf For AHIS, I hope you have VERY GOOD Insurance. Thanks for your concern Bluewolf, but it really is not necessary. Good to see someone from my own back yard here on TIJ. Ahhh, I see AHIS be you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Chew Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Originally posted by Scottpat Originally posted by Bluewolf For AHIS, I hope you have VERY GOOD Insurance. OK, I have to ask. What is AHIS and why should you have VERY GOOD Insurance? Next, what is considered to be very good insurance? Mark (AHIS) had posted that in certain situations he will turn on water and electric breakers that are off, and that he will light pilot lights. I took the comment to be referring to general liability insurance for any damage to the home or injuries to other people, and medical, disability, and life insurance to cover any damage to himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mthomas1 Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 I quit lighting pilots on dormant equipment unless I absolutely have to years before I started inspecting, when an access panel of a boiler at one of my rentals went half-way through the panel of an exterior wood door on the other side of the basement . (Missed me however, though my hand and arm had a pretty good "sunburn".) There was NO gas smell, or I would have discovered why before lighting anything. So. To keep the heat on if one of my own buildings if it's below freezing? Yes... VERY carefully. To satisfy a real estate agent or client? No way! It's like Kurt's story about sticking his hand in wet sumps 'till he finally got a shock - IMO, as it is we already unthinkingly do enough hazardous stuff that sooner or later it occasionally catches up with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCINSPTR Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 Here in the sunny Okanagan Valley we explain to buyers and reelturds that : "We are inspectors invited on to private property for the purpose of doing an inspection, as is where is". The key is private property, which prevents us from taking liberties not accorded to us by the owner of the property. This position has worked well, and has not led to any backlash . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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