From the old board, Lightning Strikes

[Tim Moreira]

posted March 11, 2007 09:44 AM
One of the biggest liabilities we can have is two fold.;
1) A seller who refuses to protect their own home and family-- or tell buyers about them and...
2) Issues that are not readily visible and accessible
With that said, in my mind, there is no bigger issue with a home than that of a lightening strike that is not disclosed.
This home is being sold by a couple that are both doctors. You would think they would have some since of avoiding additional liabilities-- didn't seem to be the case.
I went into the attic and was doing the test of the mechanical vent fans which were a no-go (3x didn't work)-- which was kinda of peculliar in itself that all three did not function. I get to digging around and crawling on my knees and hands (doggie style) across the ceiling joists and all seems to be well with the structure and the building requirements. Now, being as I'm down close to the run of romex across the joists and rafters, I did a double take when I ran across some scorching of the insulation.
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So... I started diggging more and spent one hell of alot of time in the attic until, I started running into these;
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After doing a show and tell with the buyer, turns out that the home had been struck by lightening and was said to have only taken out the satellite dish and the intercom system-- so no insurance claim was filed, no electrician was ever called to come and do a circuit analysis...
What the hell are these folks thinking, not to call an electrician just because they knew which systems were not working doesen't mean that they are the only areas effected!!
Talk about liability!!! I can just see this home burning down later down the road due to faulty wiring issues. Then the question becomes--"Who inspected it?"
Yikes...

------------------
Richard Rushing
Duncanville, Tx.
Wondering "Why" today;
--Why is it a woman can jump off a chair and not split in two??

[Richard Rushing]

Tim,

Did another one today that had a lightening strike. Half of the roof structure had to be replaced-- took out the entire skylight-- it exploded into the neighbors yard. I didn't get to see this home until *AFTER* the repairs have been made. Sure would have been nice to have documented the explosion.

Talk about killing one's knees!!! Crawling across the ceiling joists and spending 1 1/2 hrs in the attic was no fun today.

By the way... this was a re-po that the bank owned. The neighbor told me about the lightening strike. Again, talking about liability without disclosure. I just have to wonder about how many I have inspected (lightening strikes) that had *NO* disclosure.

Rich

[Tim Moreira]

Yes that is the scary part. How do you know if your not told and you don't see signs of it.

Funny thing is, down the road, they will most likely try to hang you for not telling (your client) them about it. "Well, that's what we hired YOU for."

Can't win.