ComplaintsforRudolph the Home Buyer

• Initial Complaint

  01/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Home at ***************************************************** is for sale. Seller disclosure notice reported previous foundation repairs, previous roof and structural repairs but no current defects or malfunctions. listing states complete top-to-bottom remodel. offer was accepted 12/30/23. Inspection done by home inspection company, licensed plumber and termite inspector. lnspection report will be attached but issues include holes in roof, beginnings roof water damage, unstable framing and structural support, foundation problems that could risk collapsed, wood to grind contact, and significant plumbing issues. there was no plumbing from kitchen sink/garbage disposal and one bathtub and a leak under a sink already noted. Drainage was directed to under home, which has a pier and beam foundation. There were many more concerns. i spoke with Wacos permit office and it was noted that final inspection by the city has not been done and despite noting on listing a full renovation only a electrical permit had been pulled. From my review of the online report, it appears there was inspection of the framing that failed inspection 3 times prior to passing, which is not consistent with findings of framing on home inspection. This home is unsafe and place no it on the market is deceitful. We has lost significant money from this deceit: $100 paid to seller to allow time to withdraw offer without penalty, $410.60 for home inspection, $200.00 for plumbing inspection, and $$96.34 for termite inspection, not including time and travel from out of state. Unable to upload inspection report do to size

  Business response

  02/04/2024

  Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention regarding the recent transaction involving the contract on the property. We take all feedback seriously and strive to address any issues promptly and professionally.
  
  First and foremost, I want to express my sincere apologies for any frustration or inconvenience you experienced throughout this process. It is certainly not our intention to cause any undue stress or dissatisfaction for our clients. We entered into a contract on Saturday 12/30/23 and the contract was terminated officially on Thursday 1/4/24.On 1/4/2024, upon being told the news that the contract was being terminated, which I can respect because the house was absolutely not up to our standard, I asked my realtor to purchase the report from your realtor your realtor simply gave us the report I specifically told my realtor to purchase it as that is customary and would be valuable to us and further buyers. We did receive a copy on 1/4/2024 and now that is apart of the house. We are not deceitful and would never want to hide something from buyers. Reports tell us things that unfortunately we dont catch and, on this house, the pluming specifically was unacceptable and we are currently in the process of suing this individual.
  
  Regarding the specific points you raised in your BBB claim, I'd like to provide some clarification:
  
  Timeline of Contract Termination: The contract for the property was terminated within two working days, and your option money was promptly returned. Any delays or misunderstandings during this process were not intentional on our part.
  
  Seller Disclosure Notice:The seller disclosure notice accurately reported previous repairs and renovations, and we were forthcoming about any known issues at the time of sale. However, I understand that there may have been discrepancies between the disclosure and the findings of your inspection.
  
  Inspection Report Findings:We take the findings of the inspection report seriously and are committed to addressing any issues identified to ensure the satisfaction and safety of our clients.
  
  Roof and Plumbing Issues:Any issues related to the roof and plumbing were promptly addressed and rectified to the best of our ability. We apologize for any inconvenience these issues may have caused. Specifically, the plumbing issue   that is very frustrating, and I am sorry. We are in the process of dealing with this plumber as he ran new drain lines down from the sinks and failed to come back. This is my fault for not crawling under the house and inspecting them but currently we are trying to get the money back that he took from us and failing to finish his work. Please feel free to ask him too. His company name is P&C *************** Pru ***** ************. I will say this contractor is deceitful and the worst plumber we have ever dealt with this was his first and only house we have used him, and it was a very small job. I am sorry this happened and as I said that is my fault for not crawling under the house but I never assumed he would not tie in the few drains he ran. We did not do or claim there was new plumbing, but the overall conveyance plumbing was absolutely operational and there was no need to replumb the entire plumbing system.
  
  Permits and Inspections: We obtained all necessary permits and inspections required by the city for the renovations conducted on the property. We are confident that our work meets all relevant building codes and standards.
  

  Exterior Wrap
  Framing
  Wall Insulation
  Ceiling Insulation
  Electrical

  All attached reports 

  
  My realtor had conveyed to your relator that the house went under contract so fast we were waiting on the final inspection which is a walk though only but it was going to be completed before close. This was conveyed from realtor to realtor. But given it was only a few days we were under contract and over the holidays when the city is closed, yes, it was not done at the time of termination. Your realtor should have stated this. There were several items that we stated would be completed before close that was conveyed from my realtor to your realtor. The fence was being redone,the vents a top the roof (what you called water leaks) were being replaced with new ones.

  
  Structural Safety: We understand your concern regarding the structural integrity of the property. As a civil engineer myself, I take these matters very seriously. We are open to reviewing any documentation or reports regarding structural concerns and are committed to addressing them appropriately. I would offer this advice to not take the canned reports these inspectors use as a structural report as they are not structural engineers. I am assuming you have something further than the inspection report that tells you that the house is unsafe from a structural engineer?  We would like you to send us that report to show us how you determined the house is unsafe so we can make sure we rectify that for future buyers. I would hope, on a legal standpoint, you didnt make a public accusation of this nature off a report where in the report it specifically says they are not engineers. If you are referencing the beam that was notched out for plumbing I would be curious which engineer claimed that was why the house was unsafe? And to address that notched beam under the house - it was fixed. I look forward to seeing this structural report. 
  
  In conclusion, I want to assure you that we are committed to resolving any outstanding issues and addressing your concerns to the best of our ability. Please feel free to reach out to me directly to discuss this matter further. I look forward to revieing your structural report. If you want to review that in person, I am fine with that too. Please bring the engineer you used to discuss.
  
  Once again, I apologize for any inconvenience or frustration you may have experienced during this process.I truly hope this complaint was not simply over the fact that you had to spend money on reports we tried to pay for, but your realtor simply gave us.
  
  Was this house to our standard.Absolutely not, but it was not our intention to waste your time and our time to get some option money and tie up the house we are selling. I look forward to that structural report and furthering solving this issue with you. Our company will need to see the reports to substantiate your structural report before we will close this matter as this is now a public matter. I hope we can resolve this as soon as possible and thank you for making sure we are being accountable. 
  
  Thank you

  Customer response

  02/12/2024

  Complaint: 21115826
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Hello,

  After spending time discussing this with our realtor, real estate agency broker, and the ************, I am ready to outline a response.  We have concerns that contradict what ***************************************************, the owner and remodeler, has reported: 

  ******************** put this house on the market to sell.  It was our good faith that he was putting a home on the market that was ready to sell and, above all, safe.  It is an implied belief of all buyers and realtors.  I have no doubt that ******************** knows this and a statement that the home went into contact quickly is no excuse.  

  Termination of the contract was due to major issues including but sadly not limited to an unstable foundation with support blocks oriented incorrectly, wood to soil contact, poorly supported floor joists, damaged roof flashings, roof water stains, damaged roof decking, significant structural movement observed in attic, improper threshold support, sealing, and misaligned hardware of doors, disconnected drainage from kitchen sink and master tub (!), a meter box full of water, among other things.

  We received our ******* money, but in good faith we gave a courtesy payment of $100 to allow time for inspection that was done promptly.  We additionally paid $410.60 for home inspection, $200 for plumbing inspection, $96.34 for pest control inspection for a total fo $806.94, not including time and expense to drive from out of state.  It is frustrating that there was disregard and disrespect to a buyer by not making certain the home was ready for market.  No offer to cover inspection reports were made, nor were we not reimbursed for the $100 termination fee. I have discussed this with our realtor, who in turn call the seller's realtor, who reports no longer working with ********************.

  Regarding his other points--

  Seller disclosure notice:  Ignorance regarding the state of a house is not excusable.

  Roof and plumbing issues:  It is important to note that there was no access/entry point to access below the home. A small area adjacent to the foundation was accessed by shoveling dirt away from the area at time of inspection to allow for a robotic camera to enter and view the area.  There was no ability to crawl under the house.  

  Permits/inspections:  Online there are reports of multiple failed inspections but no final inspection.  I am not certain where the discrepancy is, since this is different from what the owner reports.  I did verify my understanding of the online reporting with the ************.  

  Structural safety:  Please see picture attached.  BBB, I can send the full inspection report, but I am unable to attach it since the file is too large.  Please let me know if you would like to do so.  This does not take a structural engineer to clearly see this.  Additionally, our home inspection company is a well respected business in **** and stands by its report.

  I do hope that ******************** will review this report and take it seriously. His reputation is at stake.  I sought help with the BBB because of my concern for future buyers, since ******************** not only kept it on the market but raised the price of the home by $5000.  

  Regards,
  
  ***** And *****************************

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