Advice On Correct Report Wording

[Terence McCann]

From todays inspection:

The last owner of the unit removed the built-in dishwasher and took it with them as the home was being repossessed. Call a contractor to install a new dishwasher as needed.

Simple enough and to the point?

A home built in 2005 and people, with more money than brains, have managed to make a mess of it.

Too bad you can't shoot houses - some of them would thank you.

[Les]

Terry,

why do you care who removed it and for what reason? You really do not know and it does not matter. What is "as needed"? To fill the hole left by something missing, consider a nice Hotpoint dishwasher!

[Ben H]

consider a nice Hotpoint dishwasher!

Good stuff.[:-bonc01]

[Jim Katen]

From todays inspection:

The last owner of the unit removed the built-in dishwasher and took it with them as the home was being repossessed. Call a contractor to install a new dishwasher as needed.

Simple enough and to the point?

It contains speculation that might or might not be true. Maybe the previous dishwasher was infested with badgers and the owner removed it in order to bring them to a special, dedicated badger relocation preserve.

I tend to write:

The dishwasher is missing.

Replace the dishwasher.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[mgbinspect]

Well, Terence, looking on the bright side, AT LEAST Les beats YOU up... I'm apparently not worthy of it... [:-weepn] [:-jester]

[kurt]

"There's no dishwasher."

Most folks know what to do after that.

[charlieb]

"There's no dishwasher."

Most folks know what to do after that.

Amen!

I believe we fail to give people some credit for common sense.

[kurt]

Ain't it da troot........

Accompanying my teeny comment is a picture of the empty hole where a dishwasher should be.

Picture(s), an arrow, and as few words as feasible; that's my report nowadays. Sometimes that means an entire page of single spaced narrative, sometimes a couple words, but always a picture (or pictures) with arrows and circles pointing to the concern.

[kurt]

The dishwasher is missing.

Replace the dishwasher.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

Is that grammatically correct?

If something is missing, can you replace "it"? I know what you mean and it's understandable, but is it accurate to replace something that isn't there?

Yes, I'm being a wiener, sort of.........

[Terence McCann]

"There's no dishwasher."

Most folks know what to do after that.

Amen!

I believe we fail to give people some credit for common sense.

Tongue in cheek.

It was more about the fact that someone would actually take a built-in dishwasher than the fact that the dishwasher was missing. The customer knows that the dishwasher is missing and they need to install a new one.

Nevermind... nothing that a good shower won't cleanse.

[Terence McCann]

The dishwasher is missing.

Replace the dishwasher.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

Is that grammatically correct?

If something is missing, can you replace "it"? I know what you mean and it's understandable, but is it accurate to replace something that isn't there?

Yes, I'm being a wiener, sort of.........

Sure.

Some a$$hole stole my car and now it has gone missing. I shall need to replace it.

[mgbinspect]

"There's no dishwasher."

Most folks know what to do after that.

Amen!

I believe we fail to give people some credit for common sense.

Tongue in cheek.

It was more about the fact that someone would actually take a built-in dishwasher than the fact that the dishwasher was missing. The customer knows that the dishwasher is missing and they need to install a new one.

Nevermind... nothing that a good shower won't cleanse.

Here in Richmond, I've pulled up on some foreclosures where they took the condensing unit and all the copper pipes too. [:-bigeyes

[mgbinspect]

The dishwasher is missing.

Replace the dishwasher.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

Is that grammatically correct?

If something is missing, can you replace "it"? I know what you mean and it's understandable, but is it accurate to replace something that isn't there?

Yes, I'm being a wiener, sort of.........

"Licensed general contractor to cause the missing dishwasher to re-appear or install a new Hotpoint unit." [^]

[Terence McCann]

It's really bad in parts here Mike. You see homes that have all the aluminum siding stripped off - but only as high as they can reach without a ladder. Copper is another big favorite.

Sometimes you think pigs have more self respect.

Ya, I'm venting.

[kurt]

I've seen entire houses stripped of all the copper pipe, copper condensing coils, copper gutters and downspouts.........I see a few houses where there's no copper spouts below about 7'; that's how high the thugs can reach to cut the downspout.

Depending on the neighborhood, I've seen where folks have climbed on the roof to sledgehammer cast iron plumbing vents out of the roof for the scrap value, which is about 12 cents.

[mgbinspect]

It's really bad in parts here Mike. You see homes that have all the aluminum siding stripped off - but only as high as they can reach without a ladder. Copper is another big favorite.

Sometimes you think pigs have more self respect.

Ya, I'm venting.

Hm. OK, you win. I haven't seen aluminum siding stripped off a home yet. That's a new one.

[Terence McCann]

It's really bad in parts here Mike. You see homes that have all the aluminum siding stripped off - but only as high as they can reach without a ladder. Copper is another big favorite.

Sometimes you think pigs have more self respect.

Ya, I'm venting.

Hm. OK, you win. I haven't seen aluminum siding stripped off a home yet. That's a new one.

My son, who is an auto tech, has been seeing trucks with the catalytic converters cut out. Seems the scum bags can get under the truck with a sawzall and pop out the converter in no time. They then take it to the scrap yard. We have had man-hole covers stolen for scrap value too.

Sorry, doing one of these repos brings out the best in me.

[Chris Bernhardt]

The dishwasher is missing.

Replace the dishwasher.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

Is that grammatically correct?

If something is missing, can you replace "it"? I know what you mean and it's understandable, but is it accurate to replace something that isn't there?

Yes, I'm being a wiener, sort of.........

The Walter Jowers version:

The dishwasher is missing.

If you want a dishwasher, you'll need to install one.

I write it the same as Jim Katen. It makes total sense in these parts.

Chris, Oregon

[Marc]

Here in Richmond, I've pulled up on some foreclosures where they took the condensing unit and all the copper pipes too. [:-bigeyes

An average residential condenser unit brings about 30 bucks at the salvage yard. Might be different elsewhere.

Marc

[Jerry Simon]

I wouldn't say a thing about it. I also wouldn't report on the missing central vacuum, the missing whole house fan, the missing wine cooler, the missing warming tray, the missing trash compactor, the missing ice machine, the missing built-in countertop mixmaster, the missing combination microwave oven/exhaust fan, the missing built-in ironing board, the missing toaster oven, the missing refrigerator, etc.

I figure most of my clients with functional eyes would have already noticed the absence of any such. Perhaps if they were visually-challenged...

[inspector57]

Heard a story last week on the radio; seems a copper thief was killed while attempting to steal wire when the power pole broke. I don't know if he was electrocuted or hit by the pole. I shall not repeat my comment made to myself alone in the truck.

[Marc]

I figure most of my clients with functional eyes would have already noticed the absence of any such. Perhaps if they were visually-challenged...

'Visually challenged'....curious, has anyone ever have a blind client before? Did you give this client any special considerations such as cosmetic issues not normally reported because this particular client could not see?

Marc

[Ben H]

I figure most of my clients with functional eyes would have already noticed the absence of any such. Perhaps if they were visually-challenged...

'Visually challenged'....curious, has anyone ever have a blind client before? Did you give this client any special considerations such as cosmetic issues not normally reported because this particular client could not see?

Marc

I have not, but would certainly go that extra mile if they needed me to- (as in living alone).

[Bill Kibbel]

'Visually challenged'....curious, has anyone ever have a blind client before? Did you give this client any special considerations such as cosmetic issues not normally reported because this particular client could not see?

Marc

Sure - a few. There's all kinds of extra "hands on" stuff to go over at the inspection and I've started doing audio reports. One time I had brother and sister, both blind, buying a home together. I picked them up at the train station before and dropped them off after.

[mgbinspect]

Getting back to the subject at hand, actually, I have a line called "Significant Inspection Limitations". It is there that I would bring up that the dishwasher has been removed and was not tested. Similarly, things like gas logs that can't be tested because the tank's empty. A few times early in my career I'd get calls about alleged defective stuff that wasn't even present the day of the inspection.

So, in foreclosure homes, there's a lot that get's written in the "Significant Inspection Limitations" Section.