Let the Ontario Government know your feelings

An email address that home inspectors can use to contact the government has been identified.
homeinspectors@ontario.ca

Please, if you have any thoughts or suggestions or resistance to the process now being put into place regarding the regulation or licencing of home inspectors in Ontario send them a message.
James Bushart has suggested that if enough of us voice our concerns we may be able to make a difference.
It is certainly worth a try

Cheers

Agreed Douglas as the only way to educate is with e-mails.
When CSA was forming the plan to work on standards for Home Inspectors they were over whelmed with phone calls. Phone calls should not be recorded and what better way to compile info then a huge file on the main frame computer of the coordinators.
As Roy pointed out Keep it short, polite and to the point.

I sent the following this morning and I did get a response

I am a home inspector conducting my business in the Provence of Ontario.
I understand that your Ministry is initiating a process with a view to regulating/licencing Home
Inspectors in Ontario by appointing a group to study the industry and make suggestions on how to accomplish that goal.

Please keep in mind that a vast majority of home Inspection companies are “one-man operations”. We are small business owners trying to make a living.
Consumers are not, for the most part being taken for a ride or being treated poorly. Sure some mistakes and errors occur but I seen no wide spread abuse that would justify this action.

There is, in my respectful opinion, no reason or justification for moving forward with this process.

In the event that this process does move forward I think that Home Inspectors who know what the industry is all about should make up the MAJORITY of members on that panel. Not some other so called"stakeholders" who are only there to increase their own income on the backs of the poor
one-man operator.

I understand that the Ministry wants some type of financial recourse for consumers in the event of negligence. I would suggest a bond, in a reasonable amount, as opposed to unreasonably expensive E&O insurance, and include a regulation that requires disputes be settled by binding arbitration. Keep the process out of the courts and avoid litigation that is expensive for consumers and inspectors.

Respectfully submitted,

Here is another way to approach this, too …

Dear Minister of Ontario,

I am a home inspector who is among the majority of home inspectors who are NOT represented by any of the special interest groups who are jockeying for position to benefit by some unnecessary law that might be seriously considered by you to govern home inspectors.

Several millions of home inspections in Ontario over a number of years have resulted in an extremely low number of complaints that are fewer, already, than in any state or province that is presently regulated. To disguise an incompetent inspector with a government license would result in more … not fewer … incidents of consumer harm.

I oppose the laws that the special interest groups at your table, who are misrepresenting themselves as being my representative to you, advocate.

Please do not harm Ontario home buyers by allowing incompetent home inspectors to blend in with the rest of us with a state issued credential that provides false assurances to unsuspecting home buyers. Those who want to enrich themselves by a law that will mandate students for their classrooms and other revenue feel differently about this, but they do not represent anyone other than themselves. I assure you, they do not represent me or home inspectors like me.

Instead of a law that enriches special interest groups, consider the possibility of a simple “registration fee” to collect money from home inspectors and use that money to educate consumers on how to properly identify a competent inspector and how to use his report.

Love,

Ontario Home Inspector

Doug

Care to share what the reply from the government was?

Thanks

Both those comments are very good but this has already been done. Including outlining who should not be at the table.Thing is the deeper they dig in the more problems they find in self interest groups.
Even the amount of pull with existing connections becomes a point of interest. IE linked Home Inspection Associations.
At some point they will be exhausted with hearing the same thing and fallow through anyways. So if we are pushed into a License we need to make sure they set the bar high.
The consulting firm they choose cannot have a vested interest in any other Home Inspection Association or Home Inspectors, Real Estate Board, Insurance Company ect and must remain a third party. The Individuals to regulate will need to abandon the position they hold within the Home Inspection Association and clearly work for all Home Inspectors Interest not just those that qualify.
Media will need to be squashed and no advertizing should be allowed to use that position as a means to increase your business profile.
You become a volunteer and are paid just like any consultant out of the funds collected for licensing and the rest is put towards the advancement of Home Inspectors along with maintenance.
If you use your position in an inappropriate way to bring attention to your Home Inspection Association or business you are removed by the Watch Dog.

Kevin, Can you please tell all InterNACHI inspectors who this Watch Dog is?

Nope!!! But Nick might.

Once again Nick has no idea what you are talking about. More BS from you

Oh yes he does but why would he tell you!

As an InterNACHI member i have the same rights as you. You are no one special

Rights as to what!!! private e-mails sent around about Associations, Government, Watch Dog conversations plans ect. Are you sniffing too much glue.
This is the main reason the Watch Dog remains nameless.
You have been given direction what to do but have a hearing problem I think.

I remember when I was a kid, my mother used to tell me she had eyes in the back of her head. That she was able to see everything I did. It was a very effective scare tactic.

Kevin i do not appreciate being accused of doing drugs. You have in the past used Nick as your proof and when contacted Nick has no idea what you are talking about. Since i already know who the Watch Dog is i am going to forward these comments to him. I wanted to see if you were willing to give out info to all InterNACI inspectors but like usual you have your secret society. You have a great day as i am done with your BS.

Just did a google search and looks like there is nothing new on home inspector
law suits ,

http://www.google.ca/webhp#sclient=psy-ab&q=Home+Inspector+lawsuits&oq=Home+Inspector+lawsuits&gs_l=hp.12...2318.25356.0.28393.25.19.0.6.6.0.325.2529.0j18j0j1.19.0…0…1c.1.19.psy-ab.6puibpJKoX0&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.48705608,d.aWM&fp=94b1e1d77c02f09a&biw=1548&bih=709

Sorry Jim it was in reference to what you do as your other job.
I would never accuse you of being an intentional glue sniffer. LOL

This is the response I got

Hello Mr. Cossar,

Thank you for your email. As you know, we are currently in the process of making arrangements to consult with consumers, home inspectors and their associations, the real estate sector and other stakeholders on this important initiative. Establishing mandatory qualifications would facilitate homebuyers receiving a reliable assessment of the condition of a home. Our goals are to explore minimum qualification standards, improve consistency in home inspections, and how best those qualification standards can be administered.

We look forward to these consultations and to receiving the input of the sector and the public to determine the most effective and efficient approach to establishing standards that meet the needs of Ontario homebuyers and sellers. The input you have provided in your email will be taken into consideration as we move forward with our consultation process.

Thank you again for sharing your perspective.

Aimée Skelton
Sr. Policy Adviser, Consumer Policy & Liaison Branch
Ministry of Consumer Services

Excellent JB can we use it?
Cheers

Thanks Doug for sharing. And good for you for writing.

That sure is a canned response. She must have a rubber stamp with that reply on it. :wink:

My daughter cried when I said that statement because she looked as I was driving
and said with a loud voice. “You don’t have eyes in the back of your head.” I had to pull over to gain my composure.:mrgreen: