I am doing an inspection on a townhome tommorrow morning . Just wandering if the roof & exterior of home should be inspected like a normal inspection. Or is it the responsibility of the property administrator .

Inspect like you would any other home.

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Joseph P. Hagarty
Main Line Inspections, Inc.
http://www.householdinspector.com

Thanks joseph, The buyer said he wasnt to concerned with the outside of the home. So I began to wonder myself. Bill King

Jeff , Would you define that answer please. Bill KING

I've often wondered - if the homeowner's association "owns" the roof and is responsible for it, does the home inspector have permission to walk on that roof?

I have often wondered the same.

When you arrive at an Inspection location, do you clearly know who Owns responsibility of the roof if the Building has the appearance as being Communal Property?

Some Associations (Communal Ownership) lack adequate funding for maintenance of Communal Property resulting in assessments for the property owners

If you fail to inspect, and note the condition of presumed communal property, are you then responsible when the New Property Owner (Inspection Client) finds that they are now charged for "Special Assessments" (Roof Replacement Costs) because the Management Company did not adequately schedule and/or appropriate funding needed for repair/replacement needs?

If you have E&O Insurance, you know where this type of argument is heading....

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Joseph P. Hagarty
Main Line Inspections, Inc.
http://www.householdinspector.com

If it is a "townhouse", then the owner owns from the ground under it (and usually more) to the sky above it (including the roof).

The "association" may "maintain it", but the homeowner "owns it".

If it is a "condo" which is built like a townhouse (and I've seen many that are), then the homeowner is really a condo owner and only owns "the space" (think 'air') between the walls (typically either paint-to-paint or drywall-to-drywall).

With a condo, the condo owner then "owns a share" of *everything*.

If it is a townhouse, the owner owns the roof, you'd better be inspecting it, even if the association maintains the roof.

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

Jerry,

I inspect all areas as if the property Owner / Purchaser is ultimately responsible for all repairs needed to the structure and (presumed) common areas.

From an Inspection many years ago I learned how to delineate this type of inspection reporting process.

Documents (later discovered years after closing) indicated that the owner owned from the finished surfaces of the drywall into the unit.

Documents reflected that the exterior cladding (siding) outward including roof, common areas as well as areas under the property (Radon concern) were owned by the Association / Management company.

The final question (unanswered) was who owned the air space between the finished painted/papered surface of the drywall and the exterior cladding?

Any guesses as to determined Legal ownership of that 4-6 inch wall void?

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Joseph P. Hagarty
Main Line Inspections, Inc.
http://www.householdinspector.com

Townhouse, condo, mobile home in a park; I don't think it matters much who owns or is responsible for what. The roof, siding and grounds still effect the livability and integrity of the home. If the roof leaks who's furniture and carpet gets wet? Whether these components are commonly owned and maintained or owned and maintained by the association or the park, they still directly or indirectly effect the homeowner financially and otherwise.

I fail to see how a mobile home could possibly be lumped into this same group.

Jerry pretty much summed it up as to how the associations delineate the responsibilities.

• Condos are wall to wall on the inside
• Townhomes are owned by homeowner, but all of exterior is maintained by HOA.

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"If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?"
Richard Rushing, HCRI
Duncanville, Tx.