Who's liable for surprise expenses?                               

By Barry Stone
Inman News™

After moving in, we  noticed a hole in the roofing and called the inspector to reconsider this  omission in his report. He agreed to install a metal patch and invited me onto  the roof for a look. What I saw was disturbing.

The condition of the  shakes was worse than stated in the inspection report. After this, I got repair  bids from three roofing contractors. Each of them stated that the roof needed  replacement. This was a major shock, considering the huge expense of reroofing.  Shouldn't our home inspector have alerted us to this? --Dave

DEAR DAVE: Roofing is an important aspect of a thorough home  inspection. Competent home inspectors make a concerted effort to discover and  disclose conditions that compromise the reliability or longevity of a roof. It  is surprising, therefore, that the deteriorated condition of your shakes was  not disclosed by your inspector. Even if the shakes were functional, the fact  that they were badly worn demanded disclosure.

In such cases, home inspectors typically recommend further  evaluation by a licensed roofing contractor prior to close of the transaction.  Had that recommendation been made by your inspector, a roofing contractor would  have reviewed the shakes before you purchased the property, and the need for  replacement would have been revealed while negotiations with the seller were  still possible.

It is unfortunate that that opportunity was missed. For that  omission, your home inspector may bear some liability.