We have had a rash of call backs in the last week. They always come in 3s for some reason. 4 this time. One was because a client started having trouble with their AC and the contractor said the A-coil was not properly matched to the condenser and their home inspector should have caught it. So now they want my ars. The second was a house with a PB yard line that started leaking and the warranty co said pre-existing, your home inspector should have caught it. The third is a home that now has a roof leak and the insurance co said pre-existing, you should go after the home inspector. A fourth was due to a laundry room hose bib that drips now that there is not a washer hooked to it. The warranty co said pre-existing, you need to call your home inspector.

I am fit to be tied over all this blaming over things they don't know. How in the hell do they know when it started or what the conditions were at the time of inspection or thought about the fact that there was a washer hooked to the hose bib and we do not remove hoses, or that the compatability of the HVAC systems is not in our scope of inspection etc.

Have any of you ever taken any action against these pass the buck BS artists. I am wanting to do something to make these people think before they start running their ignorant heads about things like this.

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If it weren't for lawyers, we would never need them.

People really truly dont understand what we do! Any little problem after the fact and people want to blame us. I swear most folks think that we warranty our work when it clearly states that we do not and things break after the fact. The home warranty company is there to protect against the large things such as AC units. But just like in$urance companies, they will do whatever they can to avoid paying up. Including blaming inspectors!

Apparantly we can see thru the plenum to see the A coil and tons of grass and dirt to see if PB pipe exists. People never cease to amaze me.

This is America today, pass the buck, someone else is responsible! Get used to it.
We home inspectors have to be better at managing peoples expectations. I really like some of the plain English language pre-inspection agreements that I have seen which puts it in easy to digest term for clients, I may develop something like that. Something like: "I am not Superman and I don't have X-ray vision so I won't be able to look inside the walls or under the ground to find problems"
"Shingle manufacturers warranty their product for 15, 20 or 30 years, roofers for maybe a year or two; as for me, I don't warranty them at all."

"This inspection and report is simply a snapshot in time telling you the conditions of the house while I was looking at it, it is not a warranty."

There will always be the ignorant and uninformed that try to pass the buck to the home inspector, that is what they do. In some cases, they get paid to pass the buck, home warranty companies don't make money by approving claims. They make money by denying claims.

If you think about it, we home inspectors play the same game, we perform a service of finding problems, but only certain problems. A different problem, then pass the buck, it is not OUR problem, we could not see it, etc. We have to be better at playing the game, which means making our customers understand, before we take their money, what the limits and exclusions of the inspection.

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Jim Luttrall
Mr. Inspector.net, Inc.
Allen, Texas 75002

Bingo! We have a winner!

HIs need to start by dropping the phrase "comprehensive inspection" - with that, you've just told your client that you will do just exactly what you will NOT do, and then the HIs try to mitigate that phrase with "visual inspection".

"comprehensive visual inspection"? Huh? WTF does that mean?

It means you will get calls like that.

What Jim said deserves repeating:

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Jerry Peck, Construction / Litigation Consultant
Construction Litigation Consultants, LLC ( www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com )

I have found that most people are just looking for some help. I talk to them and give them the information. I have also called the warranty company to discuss.

The roof leak will probably need a look-see. Might have missed it. However, if preexisting, it should have been in the seller's disclosure. Also, most pest inspectors around here will comment on ceiling stains and roof stains, if visible from the hatch.

The PB will probably be denied by the home warranty company because it is outside of the building envelope.

The A/C; just call the service tech to find out what he really said and then call the new homeowner and/or the warranty company to discuss it.

The laundry is probably a neoprene washer. That is a maintenance item. Too bad.

Go to bat for your clients and they will love you.

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The apostrophe troll.

When I renewed with FREA in early August, they told me the number of home inspections was down but the number of lawsuits was up. Tough economic times and buyers want someone else to shoulder the responsibility of their unwise purchase. Also the crappy foreclosed homes. I have inspected a few lately that I could have spent weeks in and not found every problem. I just cross my fingers and go on.

I have had people not move into a home until 4 or 5 months after the inspection then ask how I missed the leak under the sink. So, has it been leaking since the house was built in 1975? No? Well it started leaking at some point then? Why would you assume it didn't start after the inspection?

It's odd, it does come in threes.

Like Gunnar says, follow up, take responsibility for what is yours, politely explain what is not yours and buy in$urance so you can sleep well.

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Frank,

Here's a start.

Well Sir / Madam,

Fax me a copy of their signed and dated opinion.

They didn't put it in writing?

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It Might have Choked Artie But it ain't gone'a choke Stymie!
Billy J. Stephens HI Service
Memphis TN.

"When I renewed with FREA in early August, they told me the number of home inspections was down but the number of lawsuits was up."

Well now, let's think about that statement.

Scott P, do you have an opinion on this???

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Darren
Succasunna, NJ
www.aboutthehouseinspections.com

I like Billy Stephens suggestion.

Me thinks inspectors are asking for trouble the minute they advertise they have insurance, and then imply its for the protection of the client when they do advertise it.

Its easy for some dweeb to pass the buck to placate an angry purchaser by blaming the inspector who is not part of the conversation to defend himself.

I can't imagine anybody calling up and complaining about a tap washer. That takes the cake.

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Could have been many thousands of dollars of water damage ( you pick a source ) busted pipe, ice maker line, stripped roofing & rained before repairs could be made ect.

Heard about a complaint concerning a water stop on a toilet that did not turn off Completely and why didn't the home inspector check and report that.

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It Might have Choked Artie But it ain't gone'a choke Stymie!
Billy J. Stephens HI Service
Memphis TN.

I think as Inspectors we forget to tell clients that they should expect things to fail or breakdown. When I get those type of calls, I tell them "Welcome to Homeownership".

The day they close on the house, the days are over for many who may have been renting or leasing to think they can call and complain about the smallest problem.

For example, I had a young girl call me this week complaining she moved into a home and first thing she had to start replacing a bunch of light bulbs that were out. Imagine that I said. She said she thought I should have told her the lights were out. I explained to her that they were on the day I inspected the house and they don't last forever or the Big Orange Box store wouldn't have a whole isle of them.

I'm sure you as I do feel sometimes all we do is pass out bad news to these buyers but they also need to be told, nothing last forever and as the old saying goes "Sh*t Happens"

rick

Rick

I think we know whose lights were out and it wasn't the inspectors'.

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Man am I pissed. I wrote one of my exhausting and boring post s to this and I guess I never hit submit.

Oh well.

I'l make this short

I do not warranty anything ever, never, will not and would never consider it. I do not offer a warranty from an outside source and will never. When I leave there is no doubt that the inspection ended at that point and did not continue on.

There has never been a client of mine that I did not drill into them that "When I leave here and come back ten minutes later and turn the air back on, run the hot water. turn on the garbage disposal, wind blow up and rip off a couple of shingles, etc. etc. etc.

There is no doubt on any ones mind what I inspected when I was there and what the concerns were when I was there. There is no doubt in any one of my client minds about plumbing backups or leaks, equipment failure blah blah blah.

I will add, PERIOD, NOT ONE OF MY CLIENTS ARE EVER UNDER ANY DILLUSION OF WHAT A HOME INSPECTION IS AND WHAT I LOOKED FOR AND WHAT I FOUND "AT THE TIME OF THE INSPECTION".

In well over 30 plus, plus years, no one has ever come back on me for anything that could stick.

Talk to your client. Be blunt to the point of arrogance if needed. They will appreciate it and understand and NOT COME BACK TO HAUNT YOU.

Do not be shy and for any reason, do not hold back. I have been called an arrogant pr*ck on occasion but with that remark I got a smile and an "I understand"

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Ted Menelly
"Castle"
Home Inspection Services

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Thanks.
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It Might have Choked Artie But it ain't gone'a choke Stymie!
Billy J. Stephens HI Service
Memphis TN.

Mr Billy

I thought you liked my long boring posts

Now you have gone and done it.

You have hurt my feelings

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Ted Menelly
"Castle"
Home Inspection Services

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But I said Thanks,
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It Might have Choked Artie But it ain't gone'a choke Stymie!
Billy J. Stephens HI Service
Memphis TN.

Sorry, can't respond, still crying

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Ted Menelly
"Castle"
Home Inspection Services