Rick Bunzel
11-30-2010, 10:45 PM
Saw this come up on CNN
Couple's first home is a meth house - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/11/29/couple.buys.meth.house/)
Its about a Pennsylvania couple who inadvertently bought a METH house. They were stretching financially to get into it and with the cost of remediation cannot afford to live in it. Unfortunately no one is taking responsibility because in Pennsylvania sellers are not required to disclose it was a Meth house. The owners nor the seller's agent felt obligated to disclose this information which ethically unfathomable.
For some reason these folks have not sought legal remedies. You would think with all the shark lawyers, the E+O insurers would be running to the settlement table rather than risking a trial. For Inspectors there are a couple of lessons from this:
--I always go over what I will inspect and what I won't. It kinda like Miranda but it includes that I am doing a visual inspection and don't have x-ray glasses.
--The less information that available on the house the more I encourage my clients to get further inspections - scope the sewer line, get a chimney inspection, look for oil tanks etc. I don't try to be paranoid but informative.
--I also point to web sources of information such as on asbestos, lead, acoustic ceilings or whatever.
-- If the home has had renovations I encourage them to go to the city building department and get the permit history.
-- Police department - will give your the criminal activity in the neighborhood and information on sex offenders in the area
--Insurance history - a CLUE report can be run by any insurance agent. This will give the buyer the claim history.
-- Google the address - the buyer in the article did this and found out that the police had raided the home.
-- Last but not least I encourage the buyers to meet the neighbors. Most buyers don't want to be a bother but neighbors are a fantastic source of information and usually want a good neighbor also. If the buyer is met by a guy holding a rottweiler in one hand and a baseball bat in the other - that's a sign!
//Rick
Lopez Home Inspections; San Juan Island Home Inspections By Pacific Crest Inspections (http://www.paccrestinspections.com/lopez-island-home-inspection.htm)
Orcas Village and East Sound Home Inspections; Orcas Island Home Inspections By Pacific Crest Inspections (http://www.paccrestinspections.com/OrcasIsland-home-inspection.htm)
Couple's first home is a meth house - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/11/29/couple.buys.meth.house/)
Its about a Pennsylvania couple who inadvertently bought a METH house. They were stretching financially to get into it and with the cost of remediation cannot afford to live in it. Unfortunately no one is taking responsibility because in Pennsylvania sellers are not required to disclose it was a Meth house. The owners nor the seller's agent felt obligated to disclose this information which ethically unfathomable.
For some reason these folks have not sought legal remedies. You would think with all the shark lawyers, the E+O insurers would be running to the settlement table rather than risking a trial. For Inspectors there are a couple of lessons from this:
--I always go over what I will inspect and what I won't. It kinda like Miranda but it includes that I am doing a visual inspection and don't have x-ray glasses.
--The less information that available on the house the more I encourage my clients to get further inspections - scope the sewer line, get a chimney inspection, look for oil tanks etc. I don't try to be paranoid but informative.
--I also point to web sources of information such as on asbestos, lead, acoustic ceilings or whatever.
-- If the home has had renovations I encourage them to go to the city building department and get the permit history.
-- Police department - will give your the criminal activity in the neighborhood and information on sex offenders in the area
--Insurance history - a CLUE report can be run by any insurance agent. This will give the buyer the claim history.
-- Google the address - the buyer in the article did this and found out that the police had raided the home.
-- Last but not least I encourage the buyers to meet the neighbors. Most buyers don't want to be a bother but neighbors are a fantastic source of information and usually want a good neighbor also. If the buyer is met by a guy holding a rottweiler in one hand and a baseball bat in the other - that's a sign!
//Rick
Lopez Home Inspections; San Juan Island Home Inspections By Pacific Crest Inspections (http://www.paccrestinspections.com/lopez-island-home-inspection.htm)
Orcas Village and East Sound Home Inspections; Orcas Island Home Inspections By Pacific Crest Inspections (http://www.paccrestinspections.com/OrcasIsland-home-inspection.htm)