City inspectors should state observations but not tell buyers to get a lawyer to sue seller

Pacita...

And here in Georgia, he would be practicing law without a license.

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Pacitia, I don't believe I would have a problem with an inspector providing general information on an observed condition.  The information could be useful and preventative for future problems.   Sometimes the timing and content is not helpful to the closing process  but the transaction may ultimately be better for having the knowledge. 

That being said.  the inspector stating "the buyers should go after the sellers for not disclosing this situation. They should get a lawyer and make the sellers pay for the permits and fines, and to correct this." 

is way over the line and he needs some counseling on who, what, when, where and why to say things.   I hope this all works out.

Oh Boy! This could be a problem if the inspector insists on getting that item fixed also. Good luck!

Pacita, I can see why you and the sellers are annoyed with that inspector. Hope everything turns out OK.

What a bummer... inspector was definitely out of line.  Hope it all works out for you.

Pacita:

I think the building code inspector has an obligation to report what he or she finds as part of their job.  To whom they report their findings are a matter of how the building code office is administered and managed.  For example, the building inspector may have erred in stating his findings verbally to anyone within hearing distance.  But I believe the biggest error was in stating an opinion as to how the problem should be resolved.  You will probably find that opining on legal remedies is not part of the building code inspector's job description.

Interesting commentary ... I have been privy to conflicting reports in the past, which resulted in Buyer's walking away.

Good for the sellers...a note to their council person and the Mayor wouldn't hurt either...the inspector most probably is clueless and may be operating outside his are of expertise....when whatever work was done given the age of the house, it may well be that permits were not required.

Pacita, The inspector crossed the line … he was not there to give advice … he was there to sign off on permit work. I hope the sellers do complain and get clarity on exactly what the inspector’s role is and is not. Good lessons to be learned here.

Sally & David:

As a long-time local government employee and administrator I wouldn't recommend writing your Council Member or City Mayor as the first step, unless the building code department has a reputation of not following through on complaints.  The building code official or administrator who supervises the particular building inspector should been given the opportunity to straighten this problem out.  If the chain of command does not function properly, by all means follow up with a letter to your Council Member or City Mayor.  In your complaint to the building official or administer, tell then that you want to hear back from them about how the problem will be handled  within a specific period of time before you take further action, like writing your Council Member or City Mayor.