Home Seller Won't Fix Anything... Advice needed! (Pittsburgh: lawyer, buyers)

[PA-native71]

anything with a .5 inch bow is bad because that is a sign of something serious going on and I would make sure you get her fathers name that way you don't use him for work

I would check a couple site to see

blog-thing : PA Contractor’s Registration - New Requirements

and here
General Contractor's Registration

there is no mention of have the proper training or or any place that requires you to show proof of having gone through an accredited school or even an apprenticeship or some sort of on the job training program, that is one of the biggest problems of PA anybody no matter their background can become a general contractor and usually what they do is hire it out to a sub-contractor who hire illegals or guys who can't get certain jobs because of their legal backgrounds.
This is why PA is starting to require contractors to be registered in the state now, so they know who to go after if there is a serious problem or outright fraud, but they still have a long way to go, some states you can't even get a contractors license til you have worked so many years in the field with proficiency and gone through proper training either an apprenticeship or a trade school or both, here though a 19 year old kid can go out and get his contractor license and is now a contractor so someone saying they are a contractor means nothing in PA, people loves a title, always ask for references that you can check out or at least verify and do some checking on this site is a start Consumer Reports, Customer Reviews, Ratings on Contractors and Doctors
this is a nightmare to some of these questionable contractors and also check with the better business bureau as well they also keep reports on bad business practices and the state attorneys office to see if there is a report or reports on them there as well.

In my experience is something like the bow you mentioned is brought to a so called contractor and he says that is nothing than move on and find somebody else to look at it, they obviously do not know what they are doing, a serious contractor would want to see what is causing it and then give you your options.
Hope this helps good luck.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by FlyersFan

I'm not sure what state your in but non-disclosure in New Jersey is FRAUD and if the owner knew and didn't disclose thats automatically tripple damages when proven in court. They should consider themselves lucky your not suing for all the costs you've incurred so far.

Hard to prove fraud when there isn't even a contract yet, don't you think?

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by PA-native71

In my experience is something like the bow you mentioned is brought to a so called contractor and he says that is nothing than move on and find somebody else to look at it, they obviously do not know what they are doing, a serious contractor would want to see what is causing it and then give you your options.

I agree. I can't imagin any contractor saying something is nothing.

They're more likely to say nothing is something since they're in the business of wanting to do work, not turning it down.

[ditchdigger]

...and usually what they do is hire it out to a sub-contractor who hire illegals or guys who can't get certain jobs because of their legal backgrounds.

You realize that you just implied that any given worker employed in the general contracting industry is an illegal immigrant or a criminal?

I agree. I can't imagin any contractor saying something is nothing.

They're more likely to say nothing is something since they're in the business of wanting to do work, not turning it down.

You realize that you just implied there are no honest contractors?

Sometimes, something is nothing to worry about...

[Nite Ryder]

Originally Posted by HalJordan

Hello all,

My wife and I have been house hunting for a little over a year now, and we finally settled on a house that we love. After a lot of back-and-forth between us and the seller, we have met on a price. It is definitely the limit of what we want to pay for the house.

Anyhow, last week we had a home inspection. There were some minor issues: electrical outlets that aren't working, double-paned glass that has lost its gas, and grouting between bathroom tiles. The major issue, however, is the fact that the exterior garage wall has a 0.5 inch bow to it. The driveway goes alongside the house, so I am assuming that it is caused by hydraulic pressure.

I had Matthew's Wall Anchor Service in and they said that it definitely should be fixed; their quoted price is 2,650. As the quote was going on, the owner of the house (wife) was there and she said that they DEFINITELY weren't going to fix anything; she said this even before she asked the price.

Long story short, their agent called my agent and told me that the sellers will not fix any of the issues with the home. He recommends terminating the contract and seeing if they will come back to us. I'm not looking for them to pay it all; I would accept half.

The most interesting fact is that they did not even include the bowed wall on the disclosures. However, they DID know about it, as she told my agent that they wouldn't fix it because it was like that when they moved in 3 years ago, and her father, a contractor, said that it was no big deal. Also, they recently painted the wall (presumably to hide the cracks to the wall).

Does anyone have advice? Some people tell me that a .5 inch bow is no big deal, and I understand that MWA is trying to sell me some wall anchors. Is it common for a seller not to fix a thing? It would have been nice of them to let me know that they wouldn't fix anything while we were negotiating....


Thanks for all of the help.

Check with the local contractors. In some states if a defect is not in the disclosure the seller is breaking the law and can be held accountable. This might not be a big deal (the bow) until you want to sell, then it will come back to haunt you. How long has that one been on the market? I'd look for another house, or I would adjust my offer down by $2600. In most places right now it is a buyers market, most people want to sell a house and are willing to make some adjustments. Good luck.

[FlyersFan]

Originally Posted by Drover

Hard to prove fraud when there isn't even a contract yet, don't you think?

I reread the OPs initial post and it says they had agreed on a price......it doesn't say there is no contract......having an inspection without a contract makes no sense.......in any case whether there is a contract or not the "intent" to commit fraud is very clear and just as liable.

[mhounit]

Maybe the OP should get his advice from an Attorney , and not an internet forum . Just saying ...

[erienative]

Honestly, it doesn't sound like a terrible home inspection. Some inspectors can be a bit over the top. If it is not a brand new house, it sounds like normal stuff. I would fix if I were a seller because they are lucky to have a bite on their house. If you love it, don't lose it, it just isn't worth it if these are the only issues. As long as you get the bottom of the bowed garage wall and make sure it is not the start of a major structural isssue, the rest of the stuff can be fixed over time. It all boils down to how much you love the house. Just don't send the message that they can start pushing you around. Negotiate for something else small, fridge, range, swingset etc..., just to send the message. Most of those gas filled windows have a warranty people don't even know about. I just sold my house in WB Farms and they replaced 4 windows with no questions at all, delivered right to my door. It is worth looking into. Good luck!

[Drover]

Originally Posted by FlyersFan

I reread the OPs initial post and it says they had agreed on a price......it doesn't say there is no contract......having an inspection without a contract makes no sense.......in any case whether there is a contract or not the "intent" to commit fraud is very clear and just as liable.

Do you even know what the elements of fraud are?

[FlyersFan]

Originally Posted by Drover

Do you even know what the elements of fraud are?

Well...basically they can vary from case to case but since we're discussing fraud in selling real estate there would be willful misrepresentation by the seller whose motivation is to deceive in some manner such as in failure to disclose negative information about the house.....information that the buyer relys upon to make an informed decision......again....in New Jersey proven fraud/non-disclosure results in automatic tripple damages.....but....you don't have to believe what I say....you can google "fraud" and get an explanation similar to what I just provided.