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I'm Being Reported

By
Home Inspector with Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC 3380-000723

I have to say, when I first heard that I was being reported, it worried me because I did not know what I had done.  And I really didn't know what it meant.  The phone call started by telling me that I'm being reported.

When I found out why, I laughed out loud!  It made my day!

Report me?  To whom?  Toward what end?

I should back up.  Do you want to see what the hub bub is about?

This very cute staircase!

And I use the word "staircase" loosely.

It seems I upset the seller of this fine staircase.  Yes, the seller is indeed selling this staircase as it appertains to the house.  And the seller desires to sell the house.

On my report I identified the many problems with this staircase.

1.  It is not attached to the house.
2.  As such it wobbles dramatically.
3.  What's holding it up is the house itself.  Do you see it leaning to the right?  Leaning to the left, with enough pressure, I think it would fall over.
4.  One side is sinking.
5.  The stair treads are loosely nailed, are cracked and move.
6.  The stair treads are resting on the ground.
7.  The very stable support columns onto which the stair treads are attached are not sunk very deep into the ground.  They move easily.  They should be 24" deep.
8.  It has crushed the bath vent coming out of the wall.
9.  There is no guard/hand rail.

You get the idea.  I may have forgotten something.

After laughing, I asked the agent why I'm being reported.  The seller objected to my "editorializing" according to the agent, and that's why he was "reporting" me.  Apparently I was being "inflammatory," and had no right to editorialize on the report.  Hmmm...  you sure? 

So why the objection?  Apparently the seller was upset because at the end of one of my comments in the report I said the staircase was "wobbly, unsound and dangerous." 

You create a dangerous safety issue and I should not identify it as dangerous?

Go ahead and report me!  To whom!?  The County?  You sure you want the County showing up about this, buddy?  My home inspection associations?  They would publish this nationwide and use you as a poster boy!  The state?  Your congressman?  Who!!

AND PLEASE DO!  I want to show up at the same time as some committee of Harumphers with a couple of hula hoops.  And I am going to ask that the seller and the oldest, fattest, most vulnerable Harumpher stand on the third step and do the hula hoop dance together! 

LET'S WATCH... 

My recommendation:  when sellers object in ways that are a bit out there and over the top about a home inspection report, confront it head on!  And have them call me so I can enjoy another laugh!  We don't laugh enough.

 

Posted by

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC  

Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia.

Office (703) 330-6388   Cell (703) 585-7560

www.jaymarinspect.com


Comments(299)

Eric Robbins
New Rulez Marketing, LLC - Orinda, CA

Jay, the seller's agent shoulda known better than to interfere with inspection results, period. If the agent continues to harrass you, bring it up to his/her broker first - who should appreciate you bringing it to their attention. If that doesn't work, I'm sure the local Realtor association would frown on this type of behavior. The seller's agent oughta be thanking you for making her job easier...now she has ammunition to get her client to bring those stairs into compliance. What a neanderthal!

Aug 26, 2011 09:07 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Dave - this was a lot of energy for little benefit!

S&D - cobbler's kids syndrome?  It's all repairable though!

Dorte - this was a pretty fun experience!  It may never happen again though.

Eric - I agree about the last words!  But I didn't expect this to go very far and it didn't.  Just bluster.

Aug 26, 2011 12:38 PM
Lynn B. Friedman CRS Atlanta, GA 404-617-6375
Atlanta Homes ODAT Realty - Love our Great City - Love our Clients! Buckhead - Midtown - Westside - Atlanta, GA
Concierge Service for Our Atlanta Sellers & Buyers

Dear Jay -
The issue is not the stairs but personal responsibility. The Seller can report anything he wants but that won't solve the danger there. The Seller should have fixed the danger spots BEFORE he put the house up for sale. In fact, I bet it would be funny to hear the Seller try to explain to the Judge why you are at fault! 
Have a happy day,
Lynn

Aug 26, 2011 06:31 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Thanks Lynn.  That's why I laughed.  It wasn't out of arrogance or anything, just the silliness of it all.  Report me?  To whom?  And I really want to be present!

Aug 26, 2011 10:33 PM
Carla Freund
Keller Williams Preferred Realty - Raleigh, NC
NC Real Estate Transition & Relocation 919-602-848

Jay - Guess someone needs something more to do with their time.

Aug 27, 2011 02:11 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Carla - it seems they got over it real quick, but what a waste of time all that was!

Aug 27, 2011 08:58 PM
Mark Geis
Coldwell Banker, Mulleady, Inc. Realtors - Eagle River, WI

Uh, Uh, Uh...    

Really?

 

 

Aug 28, 2011 01:05 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

That's what I thought at the beginning of the phone call Mark!  Then I started laughing...

Aug 28, 2011 01:52 PM
Shannon Thomas
Selling Indy Metro, LLC - Avon, IN
Managing Broker, E-Pro, ABR,SRS, SFR

The seller should say to himself, wow if  I repair this asap, I might have a sell.  Also buyers usually think if this is in such bad shape, what else is.  He got defensive for nothing. 

Aug 31, 2011 03:03 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia
Shannon - there were a few other things on this house! For the seller to focus on this was a bit odd. But I thought it was a bunch of bluster and it seems to have been!
Aug 31, 2011 11:54 AM
Pam Graham
All Real Estate Options - Jacksonville, FL
Jacksonville, Clay & St Johns Counties

So, were you ever reported? Those stairs look like the moment someone walks on them the person will go flying into the wall. :)

Jan 19, 2012 08:16 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

No Pam.  Who would they report me to?!  They were just trying to intimidate me.  Didn't work.

Got a hula hoop though, should we need one?

Jan 19, 2012 09:46 AM
Brian Block
RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President - McLean, VA
Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate

Jay,

Looks fairly similar to another staircase that we both saw pretty recently!

Jan 19, 2012 01:29 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Remember it well Brian!  Blogged about it also.  Loooove staircases!  Bummer I didn't have any hula hoops for our inspection.  I should keep a stock of them.

Interesting, your phone call yesterday.  Right after it was a phone call from the daughter of a previous client for whom I also indicated had CSST gas tubing.  This daughter's house was struck by lightening 2 days later!  I have an inspection this morning to examine the repairs done to the house (pre-drywall).  I am VERY interested to see this!  I will probably follow this was a blog also.

Jan 19, 2012 07:58 PM
Liane Thomas, Top Listing Agent
Professional Realty Services® - Corona, CA
Bringing you Home!

that looks so unsafe! What are you being reported for? Being honest?

Jan 20, 2012 05:47 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Oh, they flew off the handle Liane with an immediate thought to "report" me.  To whom?  Who knows!  But no, it never happened.  I was really hoping they would though!

Jan 20, 2012 06:22 AM
Bob Miller
Keller Williams Cornerstone Realty - Ocala, FL
The Ocala Dream Team

Hi Jay, great post and I hope all went well in the end.  Some people are amazing.

Jan 22, 2012 10:01 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Thanks Bob.  The end is that nothing happened.  What could they have done to me really?

Jan 22, 2012 10:08 PM
Wayne B. Pruner
Oregon First - Tigard, OR
Tigard Oregon Homes for Sale, Realtor, GRI

Oh it couid be worse. I thought the title said you were being deported!

Oct 04, 2012 02:50 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

I wasn't born in any state Wayne.  I was born in Washington DC.  They would have to deport me back to there.

NOOOOO!

Oct 04, 2012 08:09 PM