I was asked to go to a home and see if it was accessible to go into the crawl space, they were told it was very tight.

I went by the home with the buyer agent and as soon as we entered the home there was a very strong smell of sewer gas. The agent said the sellers agent stated that it was from a pet turtle in the back bedroom causing the smell. We went to that bedroom and it smelled better in there than the rest of the home. I told here that it smelled like sewer gas and she agreed, the buyer father smelled the same thing. The access was not safe to enter and almost impossible due to it was a hole that was cut into the wall that was 4' above the floor and was 10" wide and 18" tall. A person would have to be very skinny and have two ladders on on the inside of the wall cavity and one on the outside then have to go in on their side without breaking something. Then there is another hatch in the floor to go through so I could not get to it at all. It was not safe or accessible.

When the 1st hatch was opened to look into the cavity the smell about knocked you over it was bad. The agent said the same thing and could not stand the smell.

I said that there should be a new access made and that the home owner not stay in the home until the smell is identified and repaired, and anyone who enters the space wear protective breathing gear until it is identified.

The seller is now stating that there was no sewer leak and the black nasty water is normal in the crawl space in that area. Yea right even if I could have opened the lower hatch I would have said the same thing.

She has filed a claim stating that I blew the deal and made unwarranted claims or statements.

If you smelled something that bad would you recommend that the person no mater who they were get it checked out and not stay there until they find out what was going on? I consider it hazardous and unhealthy and responsible on my part to point it out that there may be hazardous conditions.


Any opinions