hausdok Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 So, I get hired to do a pre-offer inspection on a quad-plex in the north city. I get there and it's a foreclosed property that's supposed to only be 10 years old; water all over the floors of three units and some mold growing in a closet that backs up to a utility room where the danged water heaters have burst. The deal is non-typical inspection to look at only: Roof Attic Panels Plumbing Structure I arrive and it looks newer. All vinyl siding, gable roof over trusses and architectural-grade comp roof and a new slab foundation. Still, once inside there's something about the building that tells me it's older - the doors are stile and rail with plywood panels typical of the 30's to 50's, there's an ironing board cupboard converted to a spice cupboard in one unit and there looks like there's too much paint for a 10-year old structure. Check out the roof - it's newer and fits the age the buyer says it is. Check out the slab foundation plumbing and electric downstairs and it all fits. Go upstairs and open a service panel and I'm suddenly going back in time with old tin-coated copper feeds, TC copper branch circuits, rag wrap that's been extended to reach the breakers (an obvious replacement of a fuse box), split-bus panels and a date of 3/68 in the corner of the three upstairs panel labels. Then I notice the edge of the wall around the panel enclosure - it's plaster over gypsum lath! What the hell! Stick my head up in the attics and I discover a one story tri-plex that's been jacked up in the air 10 ft., had a new slab foundation with garages and a fourth unit stuck underneath it; then a new trussed roof, OSB deck and arch-grade cover were plunked down on top. There was still knob-and-tube wiring in use! Told the client and realtor. They were a little skeptical until they peeked up in the attics. Some days I love the crap I find with this job. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTL_Inspet_Man Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 gotta see some pics of this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 Did you recommend a muni permit review? hee hee....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted July 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 Hi Joe, I don't take pics; I let the customers take pics and then email them to me and I paste 'em in. One of these days though; I just gotta get a handle on all this compustuff first. Yeah, I did recommend a permit review. I thought it pretty bizarre that the tax records listed it as built in 1999 and I was kind of disappointed to find a bunch of old sub-panels that had the grounded conductors and equipment-grounding conductors separated with bonding screws in place and lots of old K & T still in the building. Who knows what the heck they'll find. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Baird Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 Mike is that what they call lipstick on a pig? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Hockstein Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 Sound like a "Frankenstein House". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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