What to do?

[allspec33351]

On Friday I did an inspection on a 3500 sq.ft. two story stucco home. On Saturday and Sunday I went to one of those ITA seminars.

One of those seminars was given by a great instructor on hard coat stucco. One of the many problems with this product had to do with second story application.

I have some second thoughts about Fridays inspection. What would you do?

[hausdok]

Hi Mitchell,

What would I do about what? You've already done the inspection. Could you be a little more specific?

Thanks,

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[allspec33351]

Mike

I be sorry for not being clear.

Would you go back to the house you inspected on Friday because of the new information you obtained at class because you feel that you may have missed some important items. Or would you just forget about the inspection and go on with your life.

Captain

[hausdok]

Okay, now I'm tracking.

Hey, I tell folks all the time that I'm not a home inspecting God and that good inspectors are always learning. If it were me, and I thought the issues serious enough to warrant a good hard second look, I'd swing by between jobs, look at those issues I'm concerned with, and then, if it substantially changed my opinion of the job, and the house hasn't closed, I'd contact my client about it.

I'd say simply that at the time I did the first inspection I was basing my assessment on my background and the knowledge base I'd garnered to that point, but, subsequent to the inspection, I'd gone to a seminar where I'd learned much new information which had prompted me to return to look at the home again, at which point I'd become concerned enough to report what I'd seen to them.

If it's a serious enough issue and they haven't closed the deal yet, it's still not too late for your client to back out. They might lose some earnest money - or they might not. After all, if the issue is revealed to the seller through your client, the seller will be obligated to disclose it to subsequent buyers, so they still have some leverage.

If the deal has already closed, contact your attorney and seek his/her opinion. Just a swag here, but I'm betting an attorney will tell you to say nothing. After all, the inspection is your opinion based on your knowledge and experience at the time the inspection for the client was conducted - not after.

Your attorney is going to tell you that you can't be expected to, nor do you have any obligation to, contact every previous client every time your continuing education makes you smarter about issues you weren't aware of previously. In the end, it all comes down to you're own comfort level.

Me, I tell 'em regardless. I'd prefer to have 'em pissed at me, knowing that I at least cared enough to tell 'em about it even though they won't have any recourse to come after me, rather than take a chance they'd find out later on, when I began gigging other homes for issues similar to what's on their home, and thinking I had hidden something from them.

That attitude seems to serve me well. In more than 9 years in this business, I've never been sued and I've never even had to sit down at a table for arbitration. That record means a lot to me. Think I'll stick with it.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Steven Hockstein]

It is only Monday. If their inspection contengency period is not over, tell them what you learned and that you need to go back and possibly amend the report. The door may still be open to complete their inspections within the contract.

[Erby]

Yeah, what Mike said. You did the job Friday, you learned more over the weekend, Tomorrow you go back and see if its worth pursuing.

[allspec33351]

Thanks guys

I called my client and explained that I just finished a seminar and I was going back to the house to check on some items.

In my report I called the stucco application crappy and when I returned it was still crappy but I understood why it was crappy.

I called my client and let him know that there was no additional findings.

Captain

[mcramer]

Originally posted by allspec33351

Thanks guys

I called my client and explained that I just finished a seminar and I was going back to the house to check on some items.

In my report I called the stucco application crappy and when I returned it was still crappy but I understood why it was crappy.

I called my client and let him know that there was no additional findings.

Captain

So tell us more about that seminar. Was the instructor handsome and charming?

[allspec33351]

Informative

Captain

[:-thumbu]

[kurt]

Originally posted by mcramer

So tell us more about that seminar. Was the instructor handsome and charming?

He's fishing.....

[Terence McCann]

Originally posted by mcramer

Originally posted by allspec33351

Thanks guys

I called my client and explained that I just finished a seminar and I was going back to the house to check on some items.

In my report I called the stucco application crappy and when I returned it was still crappy but I understood why it was crappy.

I called my client and let him know that there was no additional findings.

Captain

So tell us more about that seminar. Was the instructor handsome and charming?

I think it's safe to say he was informative []

[Brian G]

Originally posted by mcramer

So tell us more about that seminar. Was the instructor handsome and charming?

Nah, he was probably some ornery, cigar-chomping curmudgeon who thinks he's an "expert" 'cause he's done a few of these things. [:-grumpy]

[][:-dev3][]

Brian G.

Met a Guy Like That Once or Twice... [:-hspin]