Conference tallis::real_estate

4370.0. "Liability of home inspectors" by SHRMSG::DEVI (recycled stardust) Wed May 07 1997 12:39

    I have a question about the liability, if any, of the home inspector.
    
    I bought my house last November.  Last weekend, while cleaning the deck,
    I noticed that not only was the masonite siding rotted out where the
    deck meets the house, but so was the exterior plywood behind it, and it
    appears that's there's more rot behind that (can you say sill???)
    
    Seems to me that the inspector should have flagged this and I would
    have been able to use it as yet another bargaining chip during
    negotiations.  
    
    Now I'm faced with having to remove the deck, remove all the rotted
    siding and wood and replace it all.  Because the area isn't too large
    chances are good that I wouldn't have to raise the house to make sill
    repairs, but if I did, that's a major expense.
    
    Is there any way that I can hold the inspector liable to help defray
    the repair costs?   
    
    I carefully reviewed his inspection report and he basically stated that
    the sill and foundation were fine and did not report any type of rot
    along this part of the house.  I know that this degree of rot didn't
    occur since November, 1996.
    
    Gita

    This sill is probably o.k.. I made the mistake of placing a deck on my
    first house close to the masonite siding. Spaced approx. 1 1/2 inches
    away. The siding absorbed water like a sponge and destroyed the
    sheathing and band joist. I cut back the joist, sheathing and flashed
    a new deck header board (in order to divert water away from the house).
    In any case the sill was fine.
    
    Ross