ComplaintsforLiberty Property Inspections, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  06/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Completely left off important electrical information on the 4-point inspection. The electrical in the home was not up to code and there is blatantly visible clothwiring present above electrical panel and blatant disregard to the electrical not meeting up-to-date code requirements. When brought to home inspector's attention, he stated, "there is no such thing as "cloth wiring." He chalked it up to homes have their issues. He said this, despite there being an area on 4-point inspection that is submitted to insurance, where clothwiring is supposed to be indicated. The only reason why I found out about the issue is when I was getting ceiling fans changed by an electrician. The electrician notified me of the clothwiring and the necessary upgrades that were needed on my home in order to bring everything up to code, which will now cost me $30k+ to fix. The electrician thought it odd that there was no mention of the updates needed for electrical on home recently purchased. Since the electrician brought this to my awareness, I had many quotes on the cost to fix this issue and all around the $30k. I am a first time homeowner and had no idea. If the electrician didn't bring this to my attention I would have been left in the dark. I feel like the home inspector took advantage of my inexperience. After more discovery, also found aluminum wiring in the home as well, which if the inspector properly informed me that the upgrades were needed before closing, then this issue could have been resolved as well or I could decided to not move forward.

  

  Business response

  06/09/2024

  To : Whom it may concern
  
  Ref: **********************
  **************************************************
  
  Case#: **********
  
  
      On June 19, 2023 I performed a Home Inspection at the above listed address for *********************, referred to here after as Client. Our Inspection on this property,as with all properties we inspect, were conducted per InterNachi Florida Standards.
  
  This home was constructed in 1957 and as such has had updates, upgrades, and various other changes over the life of the home.Some of the upgrades of this home include two different electrical panel upgrades/change outs. Both panels have 150 AMP main disconnects.
  One exterior panel and one interior panel in the laundry room. These updates were done at an unknown time and were not permitted.
  
  During our Inspection there were numerous issues identified and were documented in a full report, and there was a summary report completed to assist with the ease of reading by the Client. Once the inspection was completed, I spoke with the Client along with her Agent, and during this time I reviewed everything that I discovered during my inspection. I afforded time for the Client to ask questions and/or elaborate on items she wanted more explanations on. As with all my clients I instructed her to read the report and the summary, and then call our office to discuss any questions or concerns that she may have. She did not reach out.
  The next contact I had was from her Agent to do a re-inspection on items they had the seller repair. This was completed on July 13, 2023. During this time the Client did not bring up any concerns in reference to the electrical wiring.
  
  On September 26, 2023 at 6:56 P.M. the Agent conducted a 3-way call myself and the Client. During this call she said an electrician came out to install ceiling fans, and it was a representative from ************************** and Electrical who told her the home had cloth wiring and she needed to re-wire the home, or it could burn down. She said he told her what the cost would be and asked her how her credit was. She said she told him that was a personal question and she would have to get back to them after contacting her agent.
  The Client said she asked her agent to contact our office for further information. Her Agent then reached out to complete the 3-way phone call at the request of the Client. The Client did not give us a date of when electrician came out to her house, stating It was a few weeks ago, I dont know for sure, I have been working a lot.
  
  According to the Home Inspection Agreement that she completed June 19, 2023, at 1246 P.M. 2023, If any item a Client feels was not addressed by our company the Client must notify our office in writing within 7 days of discovery and allow us immediate access to view the issue.This was not done by the Client, and we had no way of knowing when the discovery occurred. Even so, I agreed to the phone call with the Client and Agent to address any concerns she may have. This phone call lasted for more than 30 minutes. During the call the Client asked me why I did not tell her she had cloth wiring in the home. I explained that her home had copper wire wrapped in thermal plastic coating, wrapped in a woven style outer carrier. The carrier was there to keep the wires together just like the plastic outer carrier of todays modern wiring. At the end of the call, I asked the client if she had any other questions. She stated she did not have any further questions, and I asked the same of the Agent to wit she replied no as well. I told the Client if she needed anything else feel free to contact our office and I would be happy to go over or address any other questions she may have. I asked her if she was satisfied,and she replied Yes.
  
  
  My next encounter with the Client was October 2, 2023 when her Agent asked if I could meet her and the Client at the listed address after 5 pm, which I did. Upon arrival I was met by the Client, her Agent, and a neighbor. The Client again asked about the electrical wiring and why I left out the fact that she had Cloth Wiring in the home. I pulled the Dead Front cover off of the electrical panel in the laundry room and showed her the copper wire and the thermal plastic covering and explained the difference between the outer carrier vs the actual wiring.
  I informed her the wiring she was asking about was a Romex wiring known as non-metallic cable (NM cable) This type of electrical wire was widely used for indoor electrical installations. It consists of two or more insulated conductors and a bare copper ground wire, all enclosed within a tough, moisture-resistant outer jacket. Pictures of this wiring were in her report both inside the panel photos showing the copper wire,and the with the panel cover on, where only the outer shell was visible.
  During this visit I called a Florida Licensed Electrician from ******* Electric, Lic#EC13005486, and asked him if he could further explain this type of wiring to the Client over speaker phone. He agreed and in the presence of the Client, Agent, and the neighbor explained the wiring, when it was commonly used, and informed her there was no recall on it and if it was already existing there was no code issue with this wiring.         
   Prior to the call I sent him our report at his request so he could review what we discovered.
  After the phone call, I asked the Client if she had any other concerns or questions. She again stated she did not. I then told her if she was not satisfied with the inspection that was performed for her that I would refund her inspection cost. She said she was satisfied, and a refund was not necessary. Again, this was in the presence of the Agent and the neighbor. The neighbor spoke up telling the Client he has the same wiring type and has had no issues with it. Neither me nor my office had any further contact with the Client.
  
  Then sometime in late January or early February 2024, the client left a one-star review on ****** and added three pictures from her electrical panel. In one of the photos you can clearly see the electrical wiring with the thermal plastic coating. We have a very similar picture in the report we completed for her. I answered the review in a polite and professional manner.
  
  We had not heard anything else from the Client until May 29, *********************************************************************************************************************************** ***** was not yet addressed. I informed the **** representative, *************************, I had not seen such an email. She then forwarded me the original email from ********************* sent ***** 8, 2024.
  
  On June 3, 2024 I received an email from BBB regarding a complaint made by the Client.
  In this complaint she states the issue of the Cloth Wiring and aluminum wiring that was allegedly discovered when a GFCI outlet was being installed. These listed complaints were the first time I have seen or heard anything about these issues. Since we do not remove outlets or other items, if there was aluminum wiring at the outlet it would not have been discovered.
  
  As per *** 3.7 Electrical Section 
  III : The Inspector shall report as in need of correction
         C:The presence of solid conductor aluminum branch-circuit wiring, if readily visible.
  In this case it was not readily visible.
  
  In addition,the Client alluded to Code.
  
  As per *** 2.2 Exclusions :
  1 : The Inspector is Not required to determine
              B: The condition of any component or system that is not readily accessible.
              C: *********** life expectancy of any component or system.
              H: Compliance with Codes or Regulations.
  
  
  Based on my experience in dealing with this Client and statements made by the Agent, it is my opinion and belief this Client did not follow the instructions and directions provided myself and her Agent. I also believe this Client is looking for someone to pay for upgrades to her home that she had been made aware of back in June 2023 prior to the expiration of her inspection period. Had she followed the direction given along with the findings, she could have resolved the issues prior to closing.
  
  The safety and satisfaction of our clients are always at the forefront of what we do. We take our jobs as Inspectors very seriously and do everything within the constraints of the *** to provide a thorough and complete inspection to our clients. We take as much time as the client feels necessary to review the findings, and we do all we can to get the clients read the report and summary, call the inspector with any questions or explanation, and then reach out to the appropriate trades people. 

  Customer response

  06/19/2024

   
  Complaint: 21793317
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I am disputing many of the comments listed by the inspector as untrue facts. I am not looking for monetary gain. I genuinely feel like Ive been wronged and the public should know so the pattern wont continue. As a client, I have a right to feel the work provided by the inspector was unsatisfactory. His subpar inspection and behavior has not been in the best interest for me as a client and he continues to marginalize my concern.
  
  I NEVER told the inspector the company the electrician came from that changed my ceiling fans. This is a lie. I dont know where he got the name ************************** because it was NOT **************************. I used an electrician from a different company and did not provide the information of the company because was unsure how the inspector would use the information. On top of the company I used, I had many other electrical companies stop by with quotes and they all asked the same thing, was there an inspection prior to home purchase?
  
  When the inspector and realtor came to my home, there was NEVER any phone call made to ******* Electric. He lied about this. He will never hold himself accountable for his mistakes, but instead finds others to assist him in misconstruing facts and covering up his wrongdoings. I never heard of ******* **************** until his response here to the BBB. 
  
  When I was made aware of the issue by the electrician who changed my ceiling fans (9/22/23), I contacted the inspector within 7 days. I reached out to my realtor about my disappointment. My realtor contacted the inspector to let him know of my dissatisfaction. The three-way phone call that was with the real estate agent, the inspector aggressively bullied me to believe that there was no electrical problems with the home, and there was no such thing as cloth wiring. I NEVER agreed that I was okay with his work! The only reason why I contacted him and had him come to revisit the home was because in his contract I had to make him aware within a 7 day time frame of when I was displeased with his service, NOT 7 days after the inspection.
  
  In the pictures provided, it was apparant there were issues with the electrical that I, and many electricians, believe should have been mentioned in the inspection report. However, the issues were disregarded. The inspection report neglected to indicate any major issues needing to be addressed.  There were many indicators that could have been checked off.
  
  In response to my BBB complaint submitted (6/10/24), the inspector admitted to visible unpermitted electrical work being completed on the home, so why wasnt I as the buyer informed? Unpermitted work displays itself in so many ways making the electrical unsafe because the work was apparantly not completed by a professional. This is why I believe his inspection is faulty. There were so many boxes he could have checked off to make me aware of the electrical issues. Instead he check off none. For starters, he could have checked off unsafe wiring. On the main report, nothing was mentioned as a significant problem either. When I reviewed the main report in June 2023 while I was at work, nothing in the report alerted me of something wrong. This information could have helped me to make a better decision in the home buying process in 2023! 
  
  An honest home inspector would have checked off something in the 4-point inspection report to alert me. Because if the wiring/electrical work was not completed by a professional, is it safe for me live in? Despite when the unpermitted work was completed by, I should have been informed the electrical should be looked into further. 
  
  This was my first time buying a home and not my line of work. That was the reason I thought professionals were hired to assist in bringing awareness to issues that someone like me would not know about. I did not know anything about electrical and was relying on the inspectors judgment to let me know of blatant issues with the home and the realtor to act as my fiduciary; however, that was not the case. 
  

  
  
  He failed in his duty as a trustworthy home inspector to help me as a client make the best decision during the due diligence period of purchasing a home. Whether there was visible cloth wiring (he calls this a misnomer), unpermitted work, or something evidently wrong with the electrical, he knew it, and could have disclosed something to me prior to the home purchase. However, nothing was disclosed to me as a client until 6/10/24, which is a major concern. 

  I am very concerned for future clients working with him. I am reporting this for anyone who may fall victim to his fraudulent inspection reports. The inspector lying in response to my complaint submitted to the BBB shows the kind of business he operates. He is not reputable, to say the least.

  **The DBPR was not as transparent and was unable to be present or hear his response. Now I see how he has manipulated the situation to his benefit through false information. 
  

  **I am also including the home inspection report of the previous owners where the electrical was considered hazardous. But the wiring to the panel was aluminum at the time, however my report indicated copper. So there was unpermitted changes within the time frame from when the previous homebuyers had the home until now. There were no electrical permits pulled on my home from when the previous owners were in the home. If the inspector would have revealed faulty electrical work in his report this would have helped me tremendously. 

  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  

  Business response

  06/25/2024

  This client has stated that we failed to check " cloth wiring " present in her home. We stand by the fact the wiring is a Romex copper wire with thermoplastic jacket, wrapped in a cardboard type of paper, and contained in a woven outer casing. The wire is copper, not cloth. K*** and Tube wire has a cloth wrap with no thermoplastic jacket. This home does not have this type of wire. This client has been lied to, but by the electrician and not our company. 

  Also, in the original response, first opening section we stated the electrical panel had been upgraded. Due to a typo error, we incorrectly stated while referring to the electrical update, " was not permitted ". This should have read " was permitted ". This fact is on the Four Point report that the client has referred to in her complaint. This information can be found in the additional information section of the ********** . along with the Permit Number. It can be reviewed in the copy the client herself provided. 

  We do feel for the client, but she was completely informed of what was found during her home inspection. She failed to follow advise given by us, her realtor, and did not follow up with questions in a timely manner. Furthermore, this client did not make any notification as set forth in the inspection agreement she agreed to. Had she done so we would not be at this point. This client, like all clients we serve received a professional home inspection performed to Inter-Nachi and State Standards.

  It is our view this client is trying to find someone to pay for upgrades to her home and wants to lay blame for her not following up and/or following the findings in the report. instead of taking responsibility for her lack of action.

  Customer response

  06/27/2024

   
  Complaint: 21793317
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I disagree and believe this case should be further evaluated. 

  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Customer response

  06/28/2024

  He did NOT make the typo that the work was unpermitted. The work is unpermitted on the home! The electricians that have came to view the home with me also agreed that the work in the electrical panel and elsewhere was unpermitted. I am attaching screenshots of permits pulled on the home from the county website. None of them were electrical permits within the time that the last homeowners owned the home, which means unpermitted work was completed. Previous homeowners owned the home from 2009-2023. The only permits pulled were roofing permit and one for a front door. How does the inspector consistently make errors on important paperwork like my 4-point inspection report AND a BBB response? You would think he would take a little more care of important documents such as those. 

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