IS BOOMING----AND THAT MEANS BIG
BUSINESS FOR HOME INSPECTORS.
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT
BUYERS FROM MAJOR ISSUES---BUT
WHO HOLDS THEM ACCOUNTABLE IF
THEY OVERLOOK PROBLEMS??
AS CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE
REPORTER ERIC ROSS LEARNED...THE
ANSWER DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU
LIVE.
ERIC--
OUR INVESTIGATION FOUND WHILE
THE MAJORITY OF STATES
REQUIRE HOME INSPECTORS GO
THROUGH A LICENSING
PROCESS----COLORADO IS NOT ONE
OF THEM.
THIS MEANS THE INSPECTOR YOU
HIRE MAY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HE OR
SHE IS DOING....AND IF THEY MISS
A KEY PROBLEM...THE BURDEN IS ON
YOU!
"I FEEL LIKE IN THIS CASE, IT
WAS ONE OF THOSE FLY BY NIGHT
INSPECTIONS."
CONNIE AND STEPHEN EARLS MOVED
IN TO THIS FLORENCE HOME IN
APRIL...
SOON AFTER....THEY STARTED
NOTICING PROBLEM....AFTER
PROBLEM THEY
BELIEVE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT
DURING THE INSPECTION
PROCESS.
"WE HAD A PIPE BURST IMMEDIATELY
IN THE HOUSE.
WE HAD OUR BOILER UNIT STOP
WORKING AND HAD NO HOT WATER."
THE INSPECTOR MAKES IT CLEAR
HIS INSPECTION IS "VERY LIMITED"
AND
"DISASSEMBLY IS BEYOND THE SCOPE
OF A HOME INSPECTION."
....ALTHOUGH WE CAN CONFIRM
THE INSPECTOR REMOVED THE BOILER
COVER FOR TESTING AND NO
PROBLEMS WERE NOTED AT THE
BOTTOM OF THE REPORT.
AFTER THE BOILER BROKE---EARLS
CALLED RIVER VALLEY PLUMBING
AND HEAT.
THE COMPANY FOUND "A BUNCH OF
FAILED VENTING CONNECTIONS" AND
PIPING THAT WAS "RECALLED DUE TO
EXCESSIVE FAILURE RATES." "RIVER
VALLEY" TECHNICIANS ULTIMATELY
SAID THE HEATING SYSTEM WAS
"HAZARDOUS".
"I WOULD LIKE TO SEE INSPECTORS
ACTUALLY DO THEIR JOB PROPERLY
AND NOT OVERLOOK THINGS THAT
COULD POTENTIALLY HARM FUTURE
HOMEOWNERS."
EARLS IS ALSO DEALING WITH BATS
IN HER ATTIC.
"WE STARTED SMELLING SOME URINE
IN THE BEDROOM UPSTAIRS AND THE
"RID-A-CRITTER" GUY SAID WHEN
YOU START SMELLING URINE, IT'S
PRE-
EXISTING."
EARLS BELIEVES THE BAT
INFESTATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN
DISCOVERED DURING
THE ROOF INSPECTION WHERE
VISIBLE CRACKS AND HOLES CAN BE
SEEN.
IN RID-A-CRITTER'S OFFICIAL
REPORT---THE OWNER OF THE
COMPANY SAID "IT APPEARS THE BAT
ISSUE HAS BEEN ON GOING WITH THE
AMOUNT OF PREVIOUSLY CONDUCTED
WORK THAT HAD BEEN
DONE PRIOR TO THIS YEAR IN AN
OBVIOUS ATTEMPT TO ADDRESS THE
BAT SITUATION."
THE TOTAL COST TO GET RID OF THE
BATS----$3,358.50....BUT IN THE
ORIGINAL
INSPECTOR'S REPORT---THE HOME
INSPECTOR SPECIFICALLY EXPLAINS
HE DOES NOT LOOK FOR PESTS.
EARLS ALSO SAYS THE WOOD LOGS ON
THEIR HOME ARE ROTTING AND HAVE
WATER DAMAGE.
"IT'S GOING TO COST US ANYWHERE
FROM $8,000-$10,000 TO GET NEW
SIDING ON THE HOUSE AND THEN
WHEN THEY TEAR OUT ALL THE WOOD,
WE'LL KNOW WHETHER THERE IS
STRUCTURAL DAMAGE."
"THERE'S NO ROT WHAT-SO-EVER.
I DID RE-VISIT THE PROPERTY.
THE WOOD NEEDS TO BE RE-STAINED.
THE WOOD IS NOT ROTTING IN ANY
WAY SHAPE OR
FORM."
NOT TRUE---ACCORDING TO THIS
REPSONSE FROM EARL'S INSURANCE
COMPANY---- RECEIVED JUST LAST
MONTH.
AN INDEPENDENT ADJUSTER FOUND
"ROT AND DETERIORATION
DAMAGE" TO THE SIDING OF THE
HOUSE.
WE CONFRONTED WEST WITH THAT
INFORMATION.
ERIC: IN THE REPORT YOU HAD
WRITTEN, IS THERE ANYTHING IN
THAT REPORT THAT YOU MISSED?
ANSWER: NO.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BOILER
HEATING TECHNICIANS SAID WAS
HAZARDOUS?
ERIC: IS THIS SOMETHING YOU
SHOULD HAVE NOTICED OR WOULD
HAVE NOTICED AT THE TIME OF
INSPECTION? ANSWER: HONESTLY
IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S NOT TRUE
AND I DON'T HAVE A WAY OF
REFERENCING THAT OTHER THAN THE
CONNECTIONS WERE FINE WHEN I DID
THE INSPECTION.
ERIC: HAVE YOU SEEN RIVER VALLEY
HEATINGS REPORT?
ANSWER: NO AND IT HONESTLY
DOESN'T INTEREST ME.I'M
PERSONALLY A PLUMBER AND I'VE
INSTALLED MANY BOILERS."
INTERESTING---BECAUSE WE FOUND
NO VALID PLUMBERS LICENSE WITH
THE COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF
REGULATORY AGENCIES.
WHICH GOT US THINKING ABOUT
LICENSING FOR HOME INSPECTORS.
"IN COLORADO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO
BE LICENSED SO PRINT OUT A
BUSINESS CARD AND CALL YOURSELF
AN INSPECTOR."
YOU HEARD RIGHT---OUR STATE HAS
SOME OF THE MOST LENIENT
REGULATIONS REGARDING HOME
INSPECTORS....LEAVING LITTLE
ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE INDUSTRY.
IN TEXAS--HOME INSPECTORS MUST
TAKE A 448-HOUR TRAINING COURSE
OR PERFORM 250 SUPERVISED HOME
INSPECTIONS PLUS PASS AN EXAM TO
BE LICENSED.
FLORIDA REQUIRES 120 HOURS OF
TRAINING AND A FINAL EXAM BEFORE
ISSUING AN INSPECTORS LICENSE.
BUT IN COLORADO----PAY
$695---COMPLETE AN ONLINE
TRAINING
COURSE IN AS LITTLE AS A
WEEK---AND YOU CAN BE A HOME
INSPECTOR---NO QUESTIONS ASKED!
"SOMEBODY DROPPED THE BALL AND
NOW IT'S EFFECTING US AND IT
SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN LIKE
THAT."
EARLS WOULD LIKE NEW REGULATIONS
TO OVERSEE THE INDUSTRY....WHILE
WEST PUTS PARTIAL BLAME ON EARLS
FOR THE PROBLEMS SHE'S HAVING
WITH HER HOME BECAUSE SHE WASN'T
PRESENT DURING THE INSPECTION
PROCESS.
AS A HOME BUYER, THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING IS TO BE THERE
BECAUSE IF YOU AREN'T THERE, YOU
DON'T SEE WHAT THE INSPECTOR IS
LOOKING AT.
NO ONE IS PERFECT.
IT DOES HAPPEN IN THE HOME
INSPECTION BUSINESS---YOU WILL
MISS THINGS."
==========
DIGGING DEEPER TONIGHT---
WE DISCOVERED LAWMAKERS DID
ATTEMPT TO IMPLEMENT
LICENSEING REQUIREMENTS FOR HOME
INSPECTORS IN 2014----BUT THE
BILL WAS REJECTED IN THE
LEGISLATURE...
IS THERE ANY RECOURSE HERE?
CAN THIS FAMILY GO AFTER THE
HOME
INSPECTOR OR PREVIOUS OWNER FOR
DAMAGES.
THEY COULD---BUT THE
QUESTION IS DID THE HOME
INSPECTOR LIVE UP TO THE TERMS
LAID OUT IN HIS AGREEMENT....BEC
AUSE THE INDUSTRY IS NOT
REGULATED...ANY HOME INSPECTOR
CAN CHOOSE WHAT THEY ARE AND ARE
NOT LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR...
THIS PARTICULAR HOME
INSPECTOR MADE IT VERY CLEAR IN
HIS REPORT THAT
IF YOU GO AFTER HIM---THE MOST
HE CAN BE ORDERED TO PAY IS
THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT OF THE
INSPECTION FEE...SO IN THIS
CASE---$840---AND OF
COURSE---THAT WOULD ONLY BE IF
WRONGDOING WAS FOUND.
IT'S ALWAYS BEST TO TRY AND
AVOID THESE TYPES OF
SITUATIONS....
AS WE WALK OVER TO THE
SMARTBOARD---WE'LL SHOW YOU THE
THREE THINGS THAT CAN SAVE YOU
LOTS OF MONEY IN THE LONG RUN.
ALWAYS GETTING A SECOND
OPINION....ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE
A FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER...
SECONDLY---IF YOU CAN---BE
PRESENT DURING THE
INSPECTION....
AND LAST---READ THE
LIABILITY LIMITATION TERMS IN
THE HOME
INSPECTION---WHILE INSPECTORS
ARE SUPPOSED TO CATCH CRITICAL
ISSUES---THEY OFTEN PUT WORDING
IN THEIR REPORTS THAT LIMITS
THEIR LIABILITY SHOULD SOMETHING
GO WRONG...
AS ALWAYS--IF YOU HAVE A
PROBLEM OR ISSUE YOU'D LIKE US
TO LOOK INTO---EMAIL US---NEWS
FIVE INVESTIGATES AT KOAA DOT
COM.
THANKS ERIC...
BY THE WAY...
IF YOU MISSED OUR OTHER
NEWS FIVE INVESTIGATION FROM
EARLIER TODAY...
ON COLORADO'S SECOND LARGEST
FRAUD BUST...
YOU CAN FIND THE ENTIRE