HOME INSPECTOR / CLIENT DISPUTES & LITIGATION SUPPORT

Are you an independent professional home inspector or a homebuyer and are "in disagreement" over (alleged) unreported defects on a property you inspected or purchased? If you are the former, typically your belief and reply to the unhappy homebuyer is that they have unrealistic expectations of a home inspection, and that you conducted a complete and thorough inspection of the home, meeting all industry standards of practice- But did you really? If you fit the latter description, typically your complaint about the inspector is that he/she missed defects that should have been reported- But do you know with certainty that reporting these defects falls within the scope of a professional home inspection? That is, was the inspector REQUIRED to report them?

I am advocating that before your disputes escalate any further (possibly to expensive and time-consuming litigation), consideration be given to having us evaluate the specific disagreement(s) serving as a professional, third party consultant, and assist you in reaching a "settlement" that is agreeable, equitable and amicable to both parties. We have successfully provided dispute resolution services for home inspectors and homebuyers, either separately (as a consultant) or jointly (as a mediator).

Disputes between home inspectors and homebuyers are (not surprisingly) quite common, unfortunate, and in many cases could have been easily avoided. There are various, specific (published) inspection industry- accepted (and court-referenced) "Standards of Practice" (SOPS) that prescribe in detail: 1) What a home inspector is REQUIRED to inspect and report on, as well as 2) What a home inspector is NOT REQUIRED to inspect and report on. It is important to note that the SOPS protect both the home inspector AND the homebuyer! Prudent and professional home inspectors should provide a copy of the SOPS with every inspection they conduct and explain them to their clients. Conversely, diligent and responsible homebuyers should ask for and read the SOPS in detail and ask questions if they are not clear. Our experiences have indicated that inspector/homebuyer disputes arise primarily for the following reasons:

1. Home inspectors and homebuyers unaware that home inspection SOPS even exist.
2. Home inspectors and homebuyers unaware of what the SOPS prescribe. (i.e., not
   reading or understanding them).
3. Unqualified home inspectors performing sub-standard inspections.
4. Homebuyers having unrealistic expectations of what a "home inspection" should
   Include.

If you are an attorney representing a home inspector (usually the "Defendant") or a homebuyer (usually the "Plaintiff"), our consultation, litigation support, and expert witness professional services can assist you in preparing for, carrying out, and completing your case to settlement. We provide documents review, site visit, deposition testimony, and jury trial testimony to assist you to representing your client in the most professional manner possible.

Please contact our office and request our current Curriculum Vitae, Case List, and Fee schedule and Contract so that you may retain our services with confidence.