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MONDAY MORNING MESSENGER |
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Message prepared especially for Members of the American Institute of Inspectors® as well as Home Inspectors abroad |
GOOOOOD MORNING, A.I.I.....
It's a great day here in Orem, Utah! At long last the month of August is drawing to a close. The Leavitt kids are settling into the daily routine of school and homework. Here is a photo of the family this past weekend posed in front of a 1956 Mercury Monterey with the Manti LDS temple in the background. We visited the Sanpete County Fair down near Jon Larson's center of inspecting operation. It was just a hundred miles south of Orem, but what a difference in lifestyles. Manti is small town America that features cowboy hats, wrangler jeans, and 4H winners. The fresh squeezed lemonade from the fair helped to wet the parched lips from the hot afternoon sun, while the crowd watched the local talent climb aboard the flatbed truck trailer to show off their talent clogging or playing karaoke country western star. What a great way to spend the weekend. It was great to get out as a family again.
My good friend Scott Merritt shared the following end of the busy season sentiment........
I enjoyed your carnival story - caught it tonight.
By the way, my little Palmax mini notebook is on the verge of retirement. I'm following Brent Foster's lead; picked up a Fujitsu Stylistic LS500 on e-bay. New, never been used. Then I bid on and got a second slightly used one for a reliable back-up. The investment for both totaled less than $1300. I should be good for another 5 years, if I can last that much longer in this business. Straw bale homes and new computers can give me an occasional lift, but I'm getting kinda weary of the chase, Michael. How 'bout you?
Happy inspecting; Scott Merritt - Grass Valley, CA
Wow! When you break it down that way it is no wonder we are a little weary. Do you ever find yourself spewing out cute one liners that you have polished and crafted over the years.
WEEDING OUT"PRICE SHOPPERS"In most cases, the price shoppers for me asked about availability, "price" and then hung up with "I'll call you back in awhile" comment. Even if I got a name and phone number, they would not call back. In all cases when I called them, they quietly stated they contracted someone else. I do not have on line application so my largest percentage of clients are secured on the phone the first time. Lucky, I guess. Jim Corbin, AII 2002 President - Bow, WA
REPORTING WINDOW A/C UNITSPHOTO CHALLENGE #117 RESPONSES |
Clearance is not good...assume this is a furnace vent. Not sure if the fur type item is animal, vegetable or mineral. It is either growing or got stuck trying to escape the room. Odd items come up during our inspections, don't they? Jim Corbin, AII 2002 President - Bow, WA
Be very careful, I thinks you got a "stunk" often called skunk. I just trapped my 11th one in the backyard and there are more coming through my place on a regular bases. Ron Cloyd - K. Falls OR
Ron: Are you serious??? We don't have them in our parts. I remember having them in southern California, and they would stink to high heaven. Do you report their presence or poop evidences viewed during inspections? Do they nest in your attics? How big of an issue are they? Michael Leavitt - Orem, Utah
Hi Michael, They were nesting under my lower deck, under the spa, until I hired a trapper to remove them. After paying for 4 of them, I decided I could do it myself. I purchased a "Have-a-Heart" trap and have trapped an additional 7 now. Paid for the trap after catching only 2. Making money now!
They weren't too bad under the deck, never caused any bad smells until they started venturing out of the yard and running into the neighbors dogs. Then, what a smell.
I think the young try to come back to the nesting area under the spa, or possibly to get away from the dogs, but I concreted in around the deck and they can't get under there anymore.
They are cute, but smelly.
I have never reported one on my inspections, and never seen one in an attic.
Was the picture really of one in an attic or possibly a raccoon?
Sure looked like a skunk's tail to me.
Michael, how's Shelly doing? I haven't heard recently and that disturbs me. Will she be in Portland in Nov? Sign me up for your class with the testing. Ron Cloyd - OR
Forget the hole. Water stains on sheetrock. This is a "redflag" for mold growth. Many molds are suspected of having adverse health effects. Recommend further investigation/review by a qualified, mold specialist. Russ Colliau, Mold Detectives, Inc. - Roseville, CA
Russ: Aren't you being over dramatic???.... These types of stains are found in every home and have been ever since man started cutting holes in the roof for exhaust flues and vent pipes. I'm not downplaying, but seeing stains like these and observing both sides of the drywall does not mean that there is killer mold....... If so, then bring on some more real life pictures. And if so, then is it more prevalent with cellulose, batts or blown fiberglass insulation above the area? ...... Bring on the real life evidences, and not just the one in a million example. How are we ever going to gain the proper perspective if we are always running around like Chicken Little?...... Just asking...... I'm not questioning your reason for existence. Michael Leavitt - Orem, Utah
Hey Michael: Great response. My answer was somewhat tongue in cheek, i.e. hire Mold Detectives, Inc. however, you do raise a valid point. Is liability protection language overdramatic. Yes, we need to keep out backsides out of court and at the same time don't want to be seen as Chicken Little.
It has been said by venerable others in the inspection industry that your diligence of inspecting and reporting and your liability protection language is directly opposite to your success/# of referrals from agents. More protection=less business . . .less liability protection and reporting=more business.
HOWEVER, I have found that the AII philosophy on communication, inspecting and diplomacy help to adjust that.
As for your water stain in the MMM my course of action as a "I don't want mold liability" guy would be the following:
Unfortunately, I have seen "typical water stains just like the one you see in this picture manifest on top of the rock as a 10+ sq.ft. Stachybotrus colony.
One other solution: Partner up with someone who has the background, education and experience with mold to initially train you and then continually consult and help. I believe that all experienced A.I.I. home inspectors have the brainpower to be sample collectors for another company and could offer this valuable service to their clients.
OK, what does this tell you?
THE 2/10 3/10 RULE EXPLAINEDThis is not a direct answer to the question about boilerplate but I wanted to address the 2/10 vs. the 3 foot rule. Some one stated that the chimney should be 3 feet taller than the roof and two feet taller than anything within a ten foot radius. That should be OR two feet taller than anything within a ten four radius. In other words, if the chimney is less than ten feet from the ridge it should be three feet above the ridge. If it is more than ten feet from the ridge the 2/10 rule applies. Jon Gudnason - Placerville, CA
HOUSEMASTER LAWSUIT You're all going to enjoy this one: http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/courts/appellate/a6252-99.opn.html Dave Bottoms - Scarborough, Ont.
Please visit the link above to read the full account. It will make you squirm in front of your monitor as you read the questions placed before Housemaster.
The trial revealed the following facts: The Herners were first time home buyers and possessed no experience in any construction trade. Stephen Herner was age 37 and a truck driver; Gina Herner was age 30, a high school graduate who held various clerical positions following her graduation. They conducted their search for a home through a real estate agent who happened to be Gina Herner's aunt. The couple wanted to spend about $100,000 and had garnered savings of $10,000 for a deposit. They found a home which suited their needs at 432 First Avenue in Bellmawr. In May 1995 they signed an agreement of sale to purchase this home for $102,000.
The realtor then gave the Herners three sales brochures of home inspection services. They reviewed the brochures, made a call or two and scheduled an appointment with HouseMaster who assigned one of their full time inspectors, Joseph J. Tangradi, to inspect the home. When Mr. Tangradi arrived, he presented a two-sided, preprinted single page contract consisting of nine compactly worded clauses to the Herners. Some of the printing was in bold type. Paragraph A read:
LIMITED-TIME GUARANTEED INSPECTION. In approximately 2-3 hours, for an average house, the Company will provide the Client with their professional opinion of the condition of the major elements of the house at the time of the inspection. The Company will provide the Client with a complimentary Guarantee against unexpected, major repair expense for a period of 90 days from the inspection date or 30 days from title transfer, whichever occurs first. This Guarantee, including its term and conditions, will be forwarded to the Client following the inspection.
The cost of this inspection and complimentary Guarantee is $335.
I encourage all of you to take the time and visit the actual transcript and see how the lawyer nails Housemaster to the wall for downplaying conditions, marketing to Realtors, being stricter on relocation inspections than typical resale inspections, as well as nitpicking during and inspection. CLICK HERE for the full account. While reading it I was continually soul searching while reading the way this lawyer was peeling the layers off the onion as he questioned the founder of Housemaster. It made me wonder how well I would fair under a similar pattern of questioning.
PHOTO CHALLENGE #118 Michael; Something for your "Unusual" file. The attached photos = The builder of this house built these decorative shutters into the interior wall, calling it the "Truth window" in case anyone doubted that there were straw bales behind the stucco.
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QUOTABLE QUOTE: "Tough times never last, but tough people do." Robert H. Schuller |
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