I have a client that wants me to do an inspection on a house that is a pier and beam [concrete center blocks] and he says the insurance company that came out did not see that the house has shifted to one side. My question is on the report do i mention anything about how the hurricane effected the house. Or do i just report what i see.
Thanks
Jason Schmidt
Both…
Especially the information that was passed on to you and who told you.
Thank you very much.
Jason
Jason, I have to disagree with David…you must report only what you see. Personally, I wouldn’t quote something I had simply heard. If it were in writing then I might make reference to it but only if it was in writing. What is it that you think you should report that you didn’t see? The fact that the insurance guy didn’t report something? If you see the home has shifted then you report it, otherwise don’t…what am I missing here? Remember, by the TREC SOP you must provide an opinion as to the performance of the foundation and you can only base that opinion on what you see, right?
I’m not in Texas and I have no idea what your standards are there, but if I were doing an inspection here and a tenant appeared and told me that there are major cockroach infestations in the unit, it get’s written down. I don’t need documentation to prove this. I’m simply protecting my client with information I’m hearing.
So you’re telling us that if you heard pertinent information regarding a home you are inspecting (past termite infestations, past fire, etc.), you would need documentation before you would inform your client? If so, I think you are doing a disservice to your client.
I report everything about a property, no matter how minor it is.
David, I don’t have a hard and fast rule but I would be very hesitant about this scenario I think. If I understand it correctly, Jason has a buyer that has told him that an insurance inspector did not see or report any foundation damage. What if the buyer is simply looking for leverage to reduce the offer price? Personally, I would not want to play a part in that. Now, if I have misunderstood the scenario then things might change but I’m not going to document hear-say in my report without some physical, visible evidence at the time of the inspection.
Ohhh, the insurance company did not see the shifted house. I read it wrong and I apologize. I had thought the Jason’s client had stated that the insurance company had seen that the house has shifted and he wanted to know if he should report what his client told him. My Bad…
If the insurance company missed something that is obvious to you, then simply report what you see and not what they didn’t see.
Damn, I’ve got to slow down a bit and comprehend the posts before I start flapping. Sorry.
OK, I think we are on the same page now…
I think the client would be better served to consult with a independent adjuster. That person would be in a better position to negotiate with the insurance company.
If I were hired to do the inspection, and the client told me of a defect, I would examine it. If it was then appropriate to include it in my report, I would. I get all kinds of clues and hints from many sources. If I see the defect, then I see it. Nothing else is necessary. If I were told of something that I can not see, then I would likely tell my client that information, and the source, but would not include it in my report. (I would also be sure to state any limits to my inspection that point to what I was told, in case it comes back later.)
This sounds like something you can see, so I don’t understand the issue. You don’t know that the hurricane cause this, you just know what it is…
The house has shifted from it’s foundation. Major Structural Concern. Recommend evaluation by a structural engineer and a general contractor for an estimate of repairs.
Thank you for all your input. just got done with the inspection. And the insurance adjuster said that he needed to bring a home inspector in for the foundation. The house itself was not to great of a shape anyways. And it was hard to tell what was recent and what was old as cracks are concerned. But the outside perimeter concrete blocks looked as if it did shift. And windows and doors do not shut properly as i would suspect that the house had moved. Considering the client told me that they had 100 mph winds.
jason
Your client needs to file a Supplement Claim concerning this issue and request an engineers evaluation. He will receive his yes/no according to the Adjusters/Engineers report not the Home Inspectors report.