On a side note, any reason why we are losing our Avatars? I lost mine a few weeks ago like the two above.
A lot of stuff changed when Chris performed that huge upgrade a few weeks ago. I went in and changed mine when I first noticed it. No problems since.
Thanks
This was very common language for a long time and inspectors all know what it means. The problem is that it leaves the beginning open to interpretation:
I *Recommend contractor review with repair / replacements made at this time…
*You should *Recommend contractor review with repair / replacements made at this time…
*Possibly Recommend contractor review with repair / replacements made at this time…
MaybeRecommend contractor review with repair / replacements made at this time…
Why let them try to put their spin on it? I know it sounds far-fetched, but you can’t ever really trust what will happen in court. It’s common to see decisions made that look pretty crazy. The less wiggle room you provide with narratives the better.
So reading everyone’s comments it appears the proper wordage would be:
Recommend contractor review with repair / replacements made at this time
and leave out the I, we, etc. I didn’t even think about this until I started looking at some of my reports and found that I do not use the I, me, we, etc… so I have to agree with Kenton…
My original post #7 referenced the* proper use of English* in this situation, thus the entire reason for my post.
This is similar to what I do.
I see many that don’t recommend anything or anyone, just the window lock was damaged or broken, there was a missing bushing at the main electric panel, etc.
If you don’t make a recommendation, you don’t pass on the liability and you are more likely to get sued.
When my friend bought his hotel the inspector failed to make a recommendation about the improper flashing at the 2nd floor wood walkways. My friend didn’t realize how serious it was, and 4 or 5 years later had to spend $100,000 to replace all the 2nd floor walkways.
I saw the report. If I’d been him I’d have sued that inspector. That was a hundred thousand dollar mistake. His mistakes were not making it clear how serious the problem was and not making a recommendation.
I, we, etc. is not that crucial, but making a recommendation is.
I think it is a better practice to speak in the third person. First person is more informal.
Agreed.
I just converted a library/template today from Texas that used ‘I’ throughout. Once again, it depends on the inspector and their unique style…
Typically I leave out the “I” and my statements read something along the lines of. Further consultation with a licensed/qualified plumber is recommended to determine cause of low pressure on the cold water supply at the kitchen sink. But I do sometimes go with the - Recommend contacting qualified contractor to repair damaged deck boards as needed.
My name is on the report as the inspector of record. I’m not a lawyer, but can’t imagine that not including, I, at the beginning of each recommendation could have any legal ramifications?
It probably also derives from some of the legal aspects and ramifications of what a person says and how they say it. When I used to write monthly notes in the mental health world, you were told to write in past tense (because everything happened prior to you writing your report), and to not use I, me, my, we and so forth. It was professionally understood that the agency was the team and you were writing in that manner.
It protected you legally as you were not taking or showing ownership for an issue, condition or problem. You would be coming close to that here by saying “I recommend”. What if the recommended approach was wrong or caused secondary damage? Therefore, why not state it in one of these ways: A recommended approach would be or Recommendations would include the following. That way, there is no ownership of the issue or recommendation. Since we are getting many of our recommendations from our education and training, have people sign a release basically and follow an SOP that your company has adopted (which was created by someone else, say Nachi or your lawyer). Do you really want to say I, Me, My, We? Or be perceived as taking ownership of the issue or recommendation if something goes wrong? It is also one of the reasons that you probably formed an LLC. It all ties together. No? I agree that it looks lazy and could be stated/written better. But I would wager that these are some of the reasons it evolved into this.
No, my point is the opposite.
I use “The Inspector recommends…” but you can use “I recommend…” or “We recommend…”, just as well, but use one of the three. Don’t start a sentence with the word “Recommend”.
I like Jeff’s post just below and agree with Juan.
I write “the inspector recommends” instead of “i recommend.” An attorney told me that it would be better to write my reports like that because it disassociates me (the inspector) and the client from the house to keep any emotional attachments from the house. I have had a few agents actually complement me on writing it that way.
We recommend or just Recommend.
I always put “it is recommended that…”
I use “Commission qualified, licensed (insert whomever) for repairs”.
When I was training, the trainer, who used to be an English teacher, always said that if you put “recommend without saying “I or We or Inspector” is telling the reader to recommend someone to do repairs, not directing them to hire someone to do the repairs.
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