Originally Posted By: gromicko
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
N.J. Panel: Inspections Don’t Protect Homebuyers
(November 21) -- According to a yearlong study by New Jersey's Commission of Investigation, the Garden State's building inspection system is so mired in corruption and general incompetence that homebuyers are afforded minimal protection from costly construction errors.
The government's findings suggest that municipal inspectors charged with examining new residences were often poorly qualified, overworked, or biased toward politically influential builders who outright bribed them with everything from golf trips to tickets to major sporting events. Consequently, commission investigators have determined that slipshod residential construction is far more widespread than initially believed. Attorney General Peter Harvey expects his office to take an active role in helping state lawmakers shore up the regulatory process with harsher criminal penalties.
Source: New York Times (11/20/03); Kocieniewski, David