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I think I could walk blindfolded through a converted mobile home and know based on how my feet felt on the floor what it was. Didn't the windows, doors and interior wall finishes raise suspicion? The inspector must have been uniquely unqualified to miss all the hints.
Major remodeling could have erased all of those elements; however, the fact that the inspector didn't go into the crawlspace (or if he did, failed to report the axles present there) raises a big red flag. The problem is, even if you go after the inspector for failure to report this obvious misrepresentation, the basic problem with the property is still there. I hope it was inexpensive and at least a nice home at any rate.
Regarding the inspection...I have never relied on an inspector or his/her inspection as the be all/end all. I once had an inspector flatly state he was not going up into the attic to inspect anything....I not so politely told him to get out of my way.
Buying anything, be it a car, a horse, or a house, it's buyer beware. Unless it's a flat out intentional deception, something that was intentionally camouflaged to deceive a potential buyer, the responsibility lies with the buyer to determine whether the purchase is a pig in a poke....or not, after all, it's your money. Hope you are able to work something out to everyone's satisfaction.
Status:
"I didn't do it, nobody saw me"
(set 4 days ago)
Location: Ocala, FL
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Quote:
Originally Posted by adjusterjack
Gee, they were there before you made an offer on the property. Why didn't you see them? Oh, you didn't look. smh.
Clearly it wasn't that obvious and that is why someone hires an inspector to look for, who didn't do their job well. The taxing municipality didn't catch it either. The title company should have checked prior title. The Realtor may not have known if the the seller failed to disclose it.
The buyer is not the person to blame in this case, this was a major screw up in many ways by multiple parties. I would like to see the property listing before the OP bought the "tin can". I hope that multiple parties are sued and lose their license due to their incompetence. Sounds like "lawyer bait" IMHO.
I think I could walk blindfolded through a converted mobile home and know based on how my feet felt on the floor what it was. Didn't the windows, doors and interior wall finishes raise suspicion? The inspector must have been uniquely unqualified to miss all the hints.
When I was growing up in the 70s it was very common for people to buy mobile homes and then begin upgrading them. New brick siding, new roofline, add a bedroom wing or family room changing the entire outline. When they were done if you didn't know there was a mobile home under there, you would assume it was a standard stick build house.
Best example I saw was a guy just down the road from us. Started with a single wide trailer and ended up with an L shaped "double wide" brick house that looked like one of the newest, most modern houses on the road.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,610 posts, read 81,297,702 times
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Besides the value being much less than what you paid, the age of that home means that most lenders would consider it to be worthless, and wouldn't lend on the house, just on the land when built before 1976. I don't know what your lender will do if they find out, but I imagine they would sue someone. My only advice is talk to a real estate lawyer as soon as possible.
Status:
"I didn't do it, nobody saw me"
(set 4 days ago)
Location: Ocala, FL
6,488 posts, read 10,369,123 times
Reputation: 7945
Quote:
Originally Posted by adjusterjack
How did the contractor find it?
It seems that the inspector didn't properly look under the crawlspace and the contractor did. Pretty obvious to me. IMHO, the inspector failed to do their job. If the contractor went to fix a problem and found the axle, the inspector should have easily found it as well.
Could it be an early modular house (which is transported to the site in sections) and not a "mobile home"? If I remember correctly, and I may not be, some of the early modulars were equipped with axles for transport.
As to people upgrading mobiles so much that you can't tell, I know numerous people who have done that.
Could it be an early modular house (which is transported to the site in sections) and not a "mobile home"? If I remember correctly, and I may not be, some of the early modulars were equipped with axles for transport.
As to people upgrading mobiles so much that you can't tell, I know numerous people who have done that.
"On-frame mods" built to local residential codes weren't much of a deal in 1974.
1995, perhaps.
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