Threaten by seller

[Steven Hockstein]

Anyone else ever been threatened by a seller? I listened to my messages today and an irate owner demanded that I call him and tell him what the "F**K" I told the poteential buyer about his house. He said I better call him tomorrow and tell him what I toild the buyer. It sounded like a threat.

FYI- The house had some crappy do-it yourself work done and I called it out. I recommended that my client check with the local building department to make sure that the work was done with proper permits and inspections.

I can only imagine that my client had second thoughts and the deal fell through.

[Ben H]

Yeah, several times actually. Flippers hate my guts. I stopped some poor soldier that just got home & married from buying a POS flip. The flipper didn't like my report too much. Called me everything buy a white man.

Another was a Realtor who had both sides of the house, and it was his house. He threatened me too. Wonder why....

I have had a few clients come from me inspecting the house they sold. I usually hear, "once I stopped hating you, I knew I needed you." []

[kurt]

A couple times. Spent about as much time thinking about it as it took to type this message.

[palmettoinspect]

O yeah one that stands out. The seller was the "builder" that was loosing money in this down market on this house and had to sell beacuse of a divorce. Cursed me out on the phone and started coming up with some bull crap stuff like I did not reset some of the ceiling fans back to the proper speed and left some of the interior doors open. I was just as nice a could be during our phone call. The reinspection was fun! Best thing about sellers is you should not have to deal with them. If you do just kill em with kindness.

[Marc]

O yeah one that stands out. The seller was the "builder" that was loosing money in this down market on this house and had to sell beacuse of a divorce. Cursed me out on the phone and started coming up with some bull crap stuff like I did not reset some of the ceiling fans back to the proper speed and left some of the interior doors open. I was just as nice a could be during our phone call. The reinspection was fun! Best thing about sellers is you should not have to deal with them. If you do just kill em with kindness.

I got one of those too. Builder called my secretary, got her crying, saying if I knew what was good for me, I'd call him quickly. I got annoyed enough to send him an Email, cc'd to the lender, saying that the call wasn't going to happen, that I didn't answer to him and that I'd be exploring my legal and civil options if I perceived even the slightest hint of a threat from him.

I had to go back to the house to inspect some errors the electrician did. Builder was there and I looked him straight in the eye, facing him directly, hand extended but not the slightest smile on my face. We shook and he never said a word.

I calm my clients with a joke sometimes when they're worried about an aggressive builder. I tell them don't worry, even if he's 7' tall, because I've a stepladder in my truck.

Marc

[hspinnler]

To Steven: Save the message and call the police.

[John Kogel]

Yeah, he is not your client. Ignore him at least until he simmers down.

I had a guy threaten to sic his lawyer on me. I said "You can do that. I have lawyers, too. You are not my client and the report is confidential". There was nothing major wrong with that house. My client was using the inspection as a way out of a buyer's remorse situation.

All the more reason to keep the details confidential, I think, until the smoke clears. Find out what your client wants you to do.

[Jim Baird]

Sorry to hear it, Steve.

None of us need that cr*p.

I have been treated rudely, dismissively, and condescendingly, but have never gotten a real threat.

Sign of desperate times?

My condolences, friend.

[John Dirks Jr]

I've never been threatened by sellers of existing homes. The only push back I've gotten is from builders of new homes. They always claim the AHJ approved everything so it must be good. I'm sure most of you know the general path of these things. Builders really push back when the issue I call out is the same as the other two dozen houses on the street.

I'm good at making sure my positions are defensible from the beginning. If I ever get a real threat, I'll stand my ground and let the chips fall where they may.

I don't like confrontations but I'm willing to face them when they pop up. The way I see it, as soon as you give in somewhere, your soul begins to dwindle.

[John Kogel]

I've never been threatened by sellers of existing homes. The only push back I've gotten is from builders of new homes. They always claim the AHJ approved everything so it must be good.

Yes, I had one guy tell my client, 5 foot tall Filipino lady, that the AHJ had approved a one foot drop from the sliding door to the patio. He couldn't just build her a wooden step?

Something I tell my clients sometimes. "It's his pride and joy and he doesn't like me picking it apart. But in the end it's your money and this will be your house, not his".

[Chad Fabry]

Yes, I had one guy tell my client, 5 foot tall Filipino lady, that the AHJ had approved a one foot drop from the sliding door to the patio. He couldn't just build her a wooden step?

I just issued a c/o for a house like that- I'm torn between insisting on a proper step with footings, allowing a crappy (maybe more dangerous than no step) temporary step and no step. In a month there will be a deck there.

Anyway, Steven- I've had a few of those calls. Step 1 is to ignore it. Step two is get on with your life.

[John Kogel]

Yes, I had one guy tell my client, 5 foot tall Filipino lady, that the AHJ had approved a one foot drop from the sliding door to the patio. He couldn't just build her a wooden step?

I just issued a c/o for a house like that- I'm torn between insisting on a proper step with footings, allowing a crappy (maybe more dangerous than no step) temporary step and no step. In a month there will be a deck there.

Right, a small landing and a step down is what she wanted. Builder says sure, but it will cost you. What a dickhead.

I understand your position - the house is nearly complete but there are a few details unfinished. People need to move in. Sometimes those little details get pushed aside or forgotten until the place goes up for sale again. That's ok, it keeps the HI wheels turning. []

[Steven Hockstein]

Update: Ignored the message.

If he calls again I will contact my client and his attorney for an update. If he continues to threaten me I will call the police.

Since he called me on Friday evening I am thinking maybe it was the Friday night "Happy Hour" talking.

[Nolan Kienitz]

~two years ago a seller took a long-term, well-respected inspector to task for writing an honest report on a home and the buyer walked when the seller refused to negotiate on anything presented by the buyer and buyer's agent.

Property was on tax rolls (Houston, TX ... Harris County) for ~$175,000 and the seller sued for well over a million.

The legal went on for almost a year and ended up being settled out of court and thus no one knows for sure what the result was.

The seller happened to be a litigating attorney who spends his life suing people (his wife also had multiple suits against her employer ... a major school district in Harris County).

What is frustrating is that a local judge agreed to the suit and allowed it to proceed. Goes without saying that the judge and the litigating attorney are in each others pockets.

Regardless of how much the inspector had to pay to settle the suit there are also the legal fees he also incurred.

We all just have to be as careful as we can.

[John Dirks Jr]

Sometimes a single sentence can kill you. Something like, "you probably should not buy this house" Say that and you could be in trouble.

Now, write up 100 issues, explain why they are problems, tell 'em to get a qualified contractor to fix them. As long as the concerns can be validated, nothing wrong with that.

[hausdok]

Sometimes a single sentence can kill you. Something like, "you probably should not buy this house" Say that and you could be in trouble.

I don't get it. Why?

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Jim Katen]

I debated responding, but I figure enough time has passed . . .

I had a crazy seller once who stalked me for over two years. He was upset about my whole report but, for some reason, particularly upset because I noted that his French doors had fogged glass that needed to be replaced. I returned home from work the next day to find that the French doors in my own living room had been smashed. He was somehow able to hack his way into the ASHI Forum, gather what he considered incriminating evidence against me in the form of screen shots, and proceeded to smear me in messages to everyone on his contact list, which was quite extensive.

For a long time, I figured the best way to deal with him was to ignore him. Then I realized that he had been trespassing on my property on a pretty regular basis, though he never caused any damage after the initial French door incident. I really didn't want to have him out there channeling Robert Mitchum, so I tried the sheriff's office. They wanted evidence, which I didn't have. "Aside from that," they said, "just call us if you see him. But bear in mind that on most nights we have one deputy who's on call to cover 726 square miles."

Eventually, I decided to make my yard a very dangerous place to be in the dark. After suffering a few mild lacerations and contusions, he lost interest in me. Last I heard he had left the state.

And just in case you're still out there, Michael, my yard is still a very dangerous place. . .

[kurt]

Sometimes a single sentence can kill you. Something like, "you probably should not buy this house" Say that and you could be in trouble.

I don't get it. Why?

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

Tortious Interference. It's an established concept allowing litigation against anyone interfering in anyone else's business.

In Illinois, we're specifically prohibited from "commenting on advisability of purchase".

Just don't put it in writing......

[Jim Baird]

"...And just in case you're still out there, Michael, my yard is still a very dangerous place. . ."

Sorry to hear about it Jim. I guess now you are an expert on Malayan mantrap installation.

[Steven Hockstein]

Another update-

Spoke to my client yesterday. He told me that the seller is a wack job (as if I did not already know). So far he has threatened his own lawyer, his real estate agent, my client, and my client's lawyer.

Apparently he has even dashed out into his front yard, ripped out the real estate sign and started to stomp on it.

It started me thinking about how he will be able to sign the closing papers while wearing restraints!

[Jim Baird]

"...how he will be able to sign the closing papers while wearing restraints..."

By holding the pen in his teeth. An "x" is all that is needed any, right?

[Jim Baird]

My brother was housepainting for a couple who were going thru a nasty divorce. Man hired painter, wife came out and told painter he was fired...then man came back and said he was rehired, then wife....not sure if he stayed there very long.

[Mark P]

I had another inspector sub-contract me to do a radon test for him. I arrive and the inspector and buyer are in the garage, he tells me the owner is inside. I go in to set up the equipment and the owner starts freaking out screaming, cussing (F-this & f-that) - I tried to reason with him and explain what I was doing and why I was doing it. He finally said "show me exactly where you put that machine so I can piss all over it". I took my equipment and left. Why anyone, especially the seller, would act that way is beside me.

[AHI in AR]

I had another inspector sub-contract me to do a radon test for him. I arrive and the inspector and buyer are in the garage, he tells me the owner is inside. I go in to set up the equipment and the owner starts freaking out screaming, cussing (F-this & f-that) - I tried to reason with him and explain what I was doing and why I was doing it. He finally said "show me exactly where you put that machine so I can piss all over it". I took my equipment and left. Why anyone, especially the seller, would act that way is beside me.

Geez, guys...haven't ya'll figured out yet that some people are just [:-censore nuts?