Thread: Yikes.... Bats

Man buys Ore. house, discovers hundreds of bats inside | KATU.com - Portland, Oregon | Video

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"It turns out there was a pest and dry-rot inspection done by an inspector from Good News Home Inspections. That kind of inspection only looks under the house and does a walk-through."

How on earth can you do a pest inspection and NOT look in the attic?

Something smells batty there.

Me thinks, from the statements made, that the pest inspector ought to be paying for the bat removal, and all the associated droppings.

Unless things are done differently there than anywhere I've heard about.

Here in Oregon, we HIs are also trained and licensed as Pest/Dry Rot inspectors and, amazingly enough, a P/D inspection excludes the attic and roof.

Part III, letter C from the OPCA SoP:

Roofs, Gutters, and inside attic spaces:

Unless otherwise indicated on teh reprot, roofs, gutters and inside attic spaces are excluded from the scope of a wood-destroying organsims inspection. A wood-destroying organism inspector is not an expert in the roofing field. The inspecting firm shall not be held responsible or assume liability in any manner concerning the condition or any portion of the roof area, including outside coverings, soffits, gutters and inside attic areas, their soundness or estimated life. It is therefore recommended that if professional opinions or certifications are needed for these areas that the interested parties contact a qualified, licensed roofing contractor.

I love the fact that they claim we're not experts in the roofing field so we don't have to look at it. Supposedly, we're not framers or plumbers either but we sure better find leaking pipes and damaged framing that's visible.

For years there's been talk of revising these standards but I haven't seen anything yet.

There's every caviat in the world in them. I don't think you even have to get out of your car as long as you tell them that somewhere in the fineprint of the report. I think I have a copy of the SoP somewhere... I'll try and find them and post them.

There is noway the previous owner did not know about this.

Matt,

All I can say is ... WOW!

In Florida, the BEST PLACE to find what you are looking for as a WDO inspector IS IN THE ATTIC!

Criminey, you guys in Oregon have it made: Open the attic access? No way, Jose! Not my yob!

That inspector is from Oregon, so I guess I will have to retract my condemnation of not going in the attic.

I've always found that part of the standards odd. Truth be told, even on a Pest/Dry Rot inspection I will crack the attic access hatch and have a look. Mainly just to avoid something like this. I'm not saying the inspector should have or should be liable in anyway, though.

I don't know about Florida but in Oregon there is almost never any bug infestation in attics. Really, the only exceptions I've ever seen is where there's a leaking roof and the carpenters and termites are drawn to the moisture. We have pretty mild cases of WDOs here for the most part. The crawl space is where you find any activity and damage 99% of the time. If it's wet and particularly if it's older and there's no vapor barrier.... I can find the wood beetles with my eyes closed just by swinging an awl.

I don't think pest inspectors go in attics in TN either. I CAN understand how the previous owners may not have known about it. I try to imagine if my 87 year old Mother still lived on her own. She wouldn't have a clue what was going on in her guest room, let alone her attic, or for that matter the shed on her patio.

When people ask me if the owners could have known about something, I try to put my Mother in the situation, and gauge my response that way. That, of course is when I have no idea who the previous owners were.

If I roll up to a house, and the owner is a home inspector, then my answer would obviously be different.

Originally Posted by Jack Feldmann

I don't think pest inspectors go in attics in TN either. I CAN understand how the previous owners may not have known about it. I try to imagine if my 87 year old Mother still lived on her own. She wouldn't have a clue what was going on in her guest room, let alone her attic, or for that matter the shed on her patio.

When people ask me if the owners could have known about something, I try to put my Mother in the situation, and gauge my response that way. That, of course is when I have no idea who the previous owners were.

If I roll up to a house, and the owner is a home inspector, then my answer would obviously be different.

Jack,

It's a funny thing you touch on. I recently commented to a realtor that the world is so litigeous you can't even be ignorant in your own home anymore.

I'm all for full disclosure but what seems absolutely obvious to some (we HIs, for sure) isn't even close to being in focus for a lot of people out there.

Back in 72 an across the street neighbor wanted to redo a bathroom. There was attic space, but access was through a small closet ceiling and in order to use it the closet had to be totally emptied. Therefore no one could remember how long it had been since anyone went into the attic. Maybe 15 to 20 years? Owner was a lawyer.

The electrician figured he could put a can light over the sink by cutting a hole in the ceiling and feeding a wire down to an outlet on the wall by the sink. Got that picture?

He used a hole saw the size of the downlight frame kit, probably 4" or 5", and just as soon as the cut plug was pulled out of the ceiling bat **** started to pour into the bathroom and stopped only when the pile was about 36" high. No one could figure why the ceiling did not collapse. They took tons of **** out and chased the bats away. Of course, the bats had to go somewhere and ended up around my chimney on the exterior of the house.

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

"It turns out there was a pest and dry-rot inspection done by an inspector from Good News Home Inspections. That kind of inspection only looks under the house and does a walk-through."

How on earth can you do a pest inspection and NOT look in the attic?

Something smells batty there.

Me thinks, from the statements made, that the pest inspector ought to be paying for the bat removal, and all the associated droppings.

Unless things are done differently there than anywhere I've heard about.

His Org. lic only covers WOOD DESTROYING PEST AND ORGANISMS
not bats and other things. Any thing over that and is is working out side of his lic. The state can fine him for such action. Now he can make all the notes he wants in his report but thats up to him. As a Calif Structural Pest Inspector if i see open/Exposed 110 wire i don"t need to make a statement about it. its out side of the Calif lic. But i would make a note if its in my way. or limited my inspection.

I see bats, pigeons, Rats and other things under the homes. had a bob cat one time and a rattle snake. but they are not a WOOD DESTROYING PEST OR ORGANISMS

Best

Ron

I inspected a home recently that had a contract and a home inspection 40 days prior and I came along and found BATS that have lived there for years. The inspector hired by the previous buyer must have been asleep. You should have seen my clients eyes when they viewed the photos on my laptop.

Thats City folk for ya! Some people in my are have bat boxes attached to the side of there homes.

Best

Ron