Too close to comfort! Amex homes build homes against Code! 4 ft between homes (new house, water heater)

[BucFan]

Originally Posted by escanlan

Are you referring to the City/County government Inspectors?

that's what I deduced from OP's story - are they corrupt or just incompetent/lazy? Someone from the inspectors' office missed this one or had to look the other way.

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by BucFan

that's what I deduced from OP's story - are they corrupt or just incompetent/lazy? Someone from the inspectors' office missed this one or had to look the other way.

First I'll write words of defense for them. The typical Building Department just does not have sufficient numbers of people to perform anything that resembles an acceptable inspection. As a result they rely on Builders to provide Third Party Inspection services and typically use those reports. That's why it is always best for a buyer to hire their own independent Inspector.

However having said that now I will rip on them in this case specifically. If they are a typical Building Inspection department they missed at least TWO opportunities to see this error for themselves and stop construction before the concrete is even poured. The first is during their sub-slab utility inspections when the form boards, or at least corners, are in place and the plumber and others have laid their sub-slab utilities and not covered them over. Most cities do perform this inspection themselves as it is very fast and easy. The second was the pre-pour inspection where the City will typically come on site to verify very basic things and check for the Builder's foundation inspection results and other basic items. At both of these points they should have seen that the form boards were excessively close to the home next door and stopped the construction.

[mrviking]

Originally Posted by escanlan

First I'll write words of defense for them. The typical Building Department just does not have sufficient numbers of people to perform anything that resembles an acceptable inspection. As a result they rely on Builders to provide Third Party Inspection services and typically use those reports. That's why it is always best for a buyer to hire their own independent Inspector.

So county/government workers who already have a reputation for doing work slowly or inefficiently and or non-at all, have more work then they can handle. We are to give them a pass, yet if a private business does not do something that the inspectors happen to stumble upon, they can get fined or shut down. So once again government is rarely held accountable.

[dave w]

Simple solution, fire the inspectors involved, make the builder tear the house down, fine him and pull his builders license if he has one.

[BucFan]

Originally Posted by dave w

Simple solution, fire the inspectors involved, make the builder tear the house down, fine him and pull his builders license if he has one.

Decisive and just. I like it.

[mrviking]

Originally Posted by dave w

Simple solution, fire the inspectors involved, make the builder tear the house down, fine him and pull his builders license if he has one.

The house is only four foot over the line so they really only need to remove 4 feet of the house.. Much cheaper to modify then tear down.

[bobandsherry]

Originally Posted by escanlan

First I'll write words of defense for them. The typical Building Department just does not have sufficient numbers of people to perform anything that resembles an acceptable inspection. As a result they rely on Builders to provide Third Party Inspection services and typically use those reports. That's why it is always best for a buyer to hire their own independent Inspector.

That's a cop out. Inspectors have a responsibility,if they can't do their job well or aren't happy they should find a job that is better suited to them. Failing to do your job well should under no circumstance be acceptable. I've seen the speed that the inspectors work, very slowly. I've seen them sit and gab with the crew which is obviously not related to the job at hand based on the subject matter. They never start early and never work late, something that people in the private sector find they have to do routinely. As with most government jobs there is no accountability.

[bobandsherry]

Originally Posted by dave w

Simple solution, fire the inspectors involved, make the builder tear the house down, fine him and pull his builders license if he has one.

Simple, but not practical.

[bobandsherry]

Looks like Pasco has a history of bad inspection, just outright fraud....

Pasco County identified hundreds of fraudulent inspections, but didn't tell homeowners

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by mrviking

So county/government workers who already have a reputation for doing work slowly or inefficiently and or non-at all, have more work then they can handle. We are to give them a pass, yet if a private business does not do something that the inspectors happen to stumble upon, they can get fined or shut down. So once again government is rarely held accountable.

The government is held accountable by the people it serves. As a result for any real change to take affect will require many people voicing their dissatisfaction. If you read the municipal/county laws/rules they hold themselves not liable for any improprieties they have with building inspections and the citizens can not even sue them for it. Until that changes consumers need to have their own Third Party Inspector perform rigorous inspections for them.