精华 这样的inspector不多见了

[基础墙]

最初由 小傻 发布

We heard story...this is a re-sale house, the inspector refused to climb the roof and said the roof was OK by doing the so called visual check...in the first winter, it turned out the roof was leaking...the inspector still refused to climb the roof after winter, but hired a roofer to check the roof....

He finally paid $1,500 to the guy who hired him, and this money was from his insurance...

挺好一个case：）。那个inspector做得有问题。他要真是从工程圈里爬出来的，不该如此大意。

其实，单凭他没有上房顶，要想告赢那个inspector并不容易。哪位ＰＥ要是看到这儿，准得偷着乐－－我这儿自己复习Law for Engineers呢：）

如果他的合同上注明了各种limitations，客户又有机会读完合同并签字，他在法庭上有很大的机会推掉赔偿责任－－只要证明１）爬上房顶不是他必须做的，２）他当时没有能力预见房顶漏水。

证明１）为的是证明他的contract没问题，他也没有犯breach of contract的毛病。这很容易，随便找些行业标准和保险合同就行。但证明２），即说明他已尽到了责任(duty of care)，要费些力气，他得证明当时屋里屋外确实没有什么肉眼观察可看得出的漏水迹象。但对原告也是一样，很难证明inspector应该能看出这个漏水……总之，打这种官司，很大程度上要看谁的律师更有经验。

可是，这个inspector若是对顾客负责的话，他首先该向顾客说明他为什么没有爬到房顶上去，若不上房顶，什么东西可以看到，什么东西看不到。

打保票说房顶没问题，那就是他的错了。即便他爬上房顶，单凭眼睛看，他也没法保证房顶没问题－－只能说在visual inspection中没发现问题。因为这个过错，法庭可以判这个inspector赔偿because he owns the client the duty of warning, and he failed to warn the client on the limitation of his visual inspection.

我的建议，做房检之前要做home work，知道验房师应该给你做些什么，有什么是他工作范围以外的。和别的professional行当一样，越有经验的验房师越会保护自己。你若自己没搞明白他的工作内容和limitation，很难发现他在哪儿偷工减料了：）

百分之百赞同小傻说的找inspector来做year end inspection。我还真没听说过谁的新房没毛病。有些毛病，比如水管工偷懒下水管排气管装得不合规矩等等，可能自己住了十年都没发现，但卖房的时候买方的inspector把毛病挑出来让你修－－到那时候一两千元根本不算钱。所以找个inspector还是值得的。

 

[小傻]

We were not happy with the inspector we hired...not only because he didnot climb the roof...

Our main bathroom had a big leaking on Christmas Eve..four days after the hosue's one year "anniversy"... and a few weeks after the inspection...

Of course, this was not the inspector's problem (not quite..he did not check it anyway)...we didnot find it ourselves after moving in for a whole year..actually we never had a full bath using that bathroom...only becasue during Christmas time we had a visitor from Thailand...It got fixed later on (I found out plumbing and electic stuff are waranttied for two years) after the plumbers came to our house three times and drywall worker (for the ceiling and a hole caused by plumber), painter to our house several times...My wife and me had to take leave in turn...

What really pxxxx me off is the side wall...the inspector did check it and listed a few minor caulking problems...he said the siding itself was OK...I trusted him and didnot put any issue about sidings on my year end report...

Later on, after talking with our nieghbor we realized the siding was wavy and bulked (the inspector agreed when he came to our house second time in spring)...it was too late, because the siding is only waranttied for a year and our year end was December 20th...

Then with the arguments with waranty supervisor (an honest guy), the builder finally agreed to fix the problem...it took them a whole afternoon to replace most part of the sidings...

 

[小傻]

最初由 基础墙 发布


....
我的建议，做房检之前要做home work，知道验房师应该给你做些什么，有什么是他工作范围以外的。和别的professional行当一样，越有经验的验房师越会保护自己。你若自己没搞明白他的工作内容和limitation，很难发现他在哪儿偷工减料了：）

So as an expert, could you please let us know how to prevent the inspector to cut the corners, i.e., 哪儿偷工减料?

 

[小傻]

基础墙, I have a case study for you...

I am arguing with the builder about a "di lou" 's position now. See the attached picture...the pipe from the furnace is a trap hazard as reported by the inspector (good job)...intially the builder rejected to fix the problem ...

Now after a few emails, they agreed to send their contractor to have a look...

I am sure this is an issue, but I just can't see how they fix it...

 

[oread]

What's a trap hazard? You mean it traps dirt? I remember during my closing inspection, the builder's inspector told us to *flush* that pipe at least once a year, or something like that. I've never done it yet.

p.s. You have a gorgeous looking washer & dryer!

 

[小傻]

最初由 渐渐 发布
What's a trap hazard? You mean it traps dirt? I remember during my closing inspection, the builder's inspector told us to *flush* that pipe at least once a year, or something like that. I've never done it yet.

p.s. You have a gorgeous looking washer & dryer!

Trap person

Look at the postion of the pipe, very easy to "ban dao" person...we cannot move the washer and dryer btw, that's the only position for them..don't argue me with that ...

We had very bad experieces when the builder fixed our hardwood floor and squeaking underneath the carpets...all got fixed, just too much mess...

so this time I want the builder to fix the "di lou" problem without doing too much construction work...

What's more shall fix? Gees, that's the experience you bought a brand new house from a 'so called reputed' builder :flaming:

 

[基础墙]

最初由 小傻 发布
基础墙, I have a case study for you...

I am arguing with the builder about a "di lou" 's position now. See the attached picture...the pipe from the furnace is a trap hazard as reported by the inspector (good job)...intially the builder rejected to fix the problem ...

Now after a few emails, they agreed to send their contractor to have a look...

I am sure this is an issue, but I just can't see how they fix it...

嘿，瞧这活儿干的！

不知道他们打算怎么修？地漏的位置没法改了，炉子不能动了，你的洗衣机烘干机也不能挪窝?

我出个馊主意试试：furnace的排水管，通常可以从炉子的左右任一侧引出来。从照片上看，也许可以把管子改到炉子的另一侧，拐个弯从ＳＩＮＫ下面走过去，能比现在好些－－起码是不挡路了：）

你那个ＦＵＲＮＡＣＥ的排水管挺粗，看着虽蠢了点儿，可是也许不会像我用的那种３／８吋的软塑料管子那么容易堵吧？说不定还更容易清理－－可以从上面用水冲？还有，外面甩着一根细的塑料管（线？看不大清），是加湿器的出水管吗？

 

[小傻]

谢谢回复，jw heating 的人明早就来。。看来也只有这个办法了。。外面甩的那根线说实话，

























我也不知道是干嘛用的明我一并问问

thanks again for the help!

 

[ndsids]

who paid for inspection?
buyer or seller?

 

[小傻]

最初由 ndsids 发布
who paid for inspection?
buyer or seller?

buyer, unfortunately

Looks to me, the inspectors more like an independent Auditing Corp...they are not QAs because the seller and/or builder could ignore their investigation results...They are responsible for the quality of the house...

As an "auditing corp", there must be some rules there to audit the quality of their works...I want to find it out becuase I know in my life I need to deal with them again and again...

My first experience with the inspector is not happy, but that's trival...I only lost a few hundred bucks without getting the results I expected...but soetimes it can be crucial...

 

[基础墙]

最初由 小傻 发布


As an "auditing corp", there must be some rules there to audit the quality of their works...I want to find it out becuase I know in my life I need to deal with them again and again...

ＯＡＨＩ的ＨＯＭＥＰＡＧＥ里面有ＯＡＨＩ会员的ＳＴＡＮＤＡＲＤ　ＯＦ　ＰＲＡＣＴＩＣＳ：

http://www.oahi.com/inspectors/m-standardspractice.asp

这算是验房师的行业标准吧。验房师可能不是某一方面的专家，若真发现大的问题，还得相关专业的contractor来查。比如怀疑房顶有问题，得请专修房顶的人来进一步检查、估价。好的验房师，能从一些细小的迹象发现可能存在的问题。

另外，好的验房师，除了看得仔细以外，还得肯说话，有能力把他发现的问题解释清楚，这样买家才好做决定。