\t\t\t\tCheck list Home Inspections have almost become a thing of the past, but unfortunately some buyers are being duped into using these antiquated reports just to close the deal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read below and give some thought to what your home inspector is doing for you \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By Carlito Pablo, September 15, 2010
\nEd Witzke noted a lot of crappy stuff about the house on Rutledge Street in Victoria in his inspection. But what he observed about the washroom was particularly striking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA big fat fellow like myself only gets 1\/2 bum on toilet seat,\u201d the Vancouver-based home inspector wrote in his report to his client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To illustrate his point that it was difficult to sit on the main-floor toilet because it was too close to a wall, Witzke even drew an image of an individual on the throne. A large portion of the person\u2019s bottom was hanging off the seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As well, Witzke reported to Rajan Reddy, the prospective Victoria home buyer who hired him, that the \u201cacoustics in [the] bathroom is very poor\u2014you can hear all body noises.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The purchase didn\u2019t go through, and Reddy\u2019s realtor, Gord Hoshal, felt that Witzke was full of crap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On July 7 of this year, Hoshal filed a complaint against Witzke\u2014a UBC-trained architect with more than four decades of experience as a home inspector\u2014with the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of B.C., accusing him of being unprofessional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Reddy is pleased with the service rendered by Witzke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe showed me all that crap and, basically, I feel that if Ed [Witzke] okayed the house, the sale would have gone through and I would have ended up with a piece of crap,\u201d Reddy told the Georgia Straight in a phone interview from Victoria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his report to Reddy, Witzke stated that the property is \u201call bulldozer ready\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reddy says he\u2019ll hire Witzke the next time he looks at a property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt had a suite downstairs, and there was a beam missing,\u201d he said of the house he hired Witzke to inspect. \u201cIt looked like there was some water damage downstairs. The plumbing was in bad shape.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reddy said that Hoshal has been his realtor for some time. \u201cHe sold me my first house 10 years ago,\u201d the Victoria resident noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hoshal declined to talk about his complaint when reached by the Straight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in his complaint addressed to ASTTBC registrar John Shortreid, Hoshal said about Witzke: \u201cAfter going on his website I found many things stated that lead me to believe he is somewhat jaded for whatever reason towards my profession and indeed a troubled soul, but that is no excuse for his lack of professionalism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hoshal has it right about Witzke\u2019s feelings toward realtors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Witzke, many realtors want to control the home-inspection process so that sales go through swiftly and they can get their commissions. He claimed that realtors usually recommend to buyers inspectors they\u2019ve had \u201cluck\u201d with in previous transactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe more thorough the report is, the more they may have to reveal to the next prospective party buying the place, or the more they now have to work because they have to go back to the other realtor and back to the owner and say, \u2018Look, these things were discovered,\u2019?\u201d Witzke told the Straight in a phone interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He noted that many realtors prefer a \u201cchecklist inspector\u201d\u2014one who doesn\u2019t look closely at a property except to make sure that it has a roof, doors, and windows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor, I don\u2019t know, $350 or whatever, the client gets a three-ring binder, a nice glossy three-ring binder saying that everything is okay, and once they move in, then I get the phone calls saying, \u2018Guess what? This whole inspection process seems to be a fraud,\u2019?\u201d Witzke said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In response to Hoshal\u2019s complaint, Witzke wrote Shortreid on August 13. He noted that the case isn\u2019t about a client who wasn\u2019t happy with his services. According to the home inspector, it\u2019s about \u201ca realtor who lost a sale\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As ASTTBC registrar, Shortreid acts as the prosecutor of complaints filed with the regulatory body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a phone interview with the Straight, Shortreid explained that a practice review panel makes recommendations to a member who\u2019s facing a complaint. He said that if those recommendations are accepted by the member, the matter is deemed closed and is not subject to a disciplinary hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shortreid wasn\u2019t able to say when the complaint against Witzke will be resolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Witzke has been through this before. According to him, Hoshal\u2019s complaint is the fourth filed by a realtor against him. He said that except for one that has been resolved in his favour, the complaints are still pending decision.\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Check list Home Inspections have almost become a thing of the past, but unfortunately some buyers are being duped into using these antiquated reports just to close the deal. Read below and give some thought to what your home inspector is doing for you \ud83d\ude42 By Carlito Pablo, September 15, 2010 Ed Witzke noted a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","wpmdr_menu":2,"wpmdr_menu_extended":{"individualPostRemove":1,"individualPostRemoveDate":1,"individualPostRemoveAuthor":1,"individualPostYoastRemovePublished":1,"individualPostYoastRemoveModified":1},"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-home-inspection","category-real-estate"],"yoast_head":"\n