Expert: John McKenna, CMI - 1/20/2008

Question
I bought a house a month ago in Enid, Ok. We had a plumbing, electrical, and termite inspection done before closing. Since moving in we have had 2 busted sewer pipes, numerous rusted leaky water pipes, and a backed up main drain that had to be dug out in my back yard. We also have a home warranty that has covered most of the plumbing. The problem is that the same company that did the inspection is the one that came to do the work. The first thing out of his employees mouth was that the entire pipe network needed to be replaced. I have rust coming out in my bathtub, bathroom and kitchen sinks.  
   My electrical inspection didn't prove worthy either. Most of the breakers blow regularly and the meter is grounded to my water faucet outside. That water faucet never even touches dirt before its connected to PVC. Luckily my father in law is fairly experienced in some electric and plumbing work so we are slowly and very painfully fixing small problems, yet the big ones remain.
   I am almost at my wits end, and then today because the drain from the kitchen sink and washing machine has been leaking behind what my father in law calls a prestanding wall(sheet rock covering all of the walls, I thought just for better looks) we cut a hole in the wall to find the basement wall caving in. The last homeowner never lived in the house, his family all remodeled the place kind of halfway. I feel like I've been taken advantage of and am overwhelmed by what to do and the proper channels to take. Should I take legal action? And if so, who against? Please help.

Answer
Each state has it's own set of regulations and laws that may or may not govern the inspection and sale process.  You will need to check with a qualified attorney to verify what legal rights you may have in this situation.  It will depend on what type of agreement you signed as to what rights you have.

If it can be proven that others intended to commit fraud against you, then there are laws against deceitful trade practices.  As to the company that inspected some of your property and then showed up to also do the repairs, then there may be a conflict of interest problem there.

I am very sorry to hear about all the trouble you are having.  Please seek the advise of a qualified attorney at once (am not a lawyer and my statements are not legal advice).  You will need document everything before any repairs are made, so be careful what you do, so you do not destroy evidence that you may need to prove your complaints.

Good luck and I hope this helps,

John McKenna, CMI
Certified Master Inspector
American Home Inspection
http://texas-inspection.com
Infrared Certified Training
http://infrared-certified.com