Steel Rhino Property Inspections

Wow, what a review. Andrea has completely misrepresented all the facts. No matter what information we provide, Andrea McIntire will not be satisfied, we are going to arbitration, and this form of non-disparagement is illegal, pending the findings. 1. We fulfilled the conditions of our contract. We inspected the property that was being purchased by Andrea McIntire. The area under the Andrea's was locked and not accessible during the inspection, nor is it included in the purchase of the condo that Andrea purchased. 2. The area in question is not part of Andrea's property. This area is managed by the HOA, the HOA had a company performing mitigation of some sort the date of the inspection. When my inspector spoke to the mitigation company, they told him that they were finishing and if he wanted to see the area, he would have to coordinate access through the HOA. 3. The Indoor Air Quality samples that were performed do not show significantly elevated mold spores. Her indoor air mold is 37 total spores, the HOA area is approximately 60 spores, and the control sample outside is approximately 64 spores. 4. Even the company that performed the IAQ samples report states that there is not a defined requirement by the EPA regarding mold mitigation. 5. In order to access the area below Andrea's property, arrangements must be secured from the HOA. None of the owners in this building are allowed to use this area for any reason. If she can't store items in that area or use it for any reason, then it is not her area. Even Andrea's emails state that in order to gain access, she must coordinate through the HOA. 6. Even when I went back to the property I was willing to pull air samples, Andrea did not answer her phone; as a matter of fact, my cell phone records show that I and my office have called her several times, and she never calls back or answers her phone. I would have had to access to her property in order to perform quality air analysis. 7. I was concerned about the "holes" Andrea has referred to in her duct work. Upon viewing her photos, these "holes" are the standard fold crease noted in main trunk line ducts. When the flat metal is folded, there are minor holes at the seams, on all square ductwork, hers is no exception. The property was built in the 50's, and we cannot require retrofitting old property to new standards. New property today, has mastic paint on the seams to cover some of the small holes for efficiency. Andrea will still have holes in her ductwork throughout her home, between the walls; as in this era, we did not seal the seams or creases. 8. I am told that the HOA requires owners to be responsible for their drains. When I returned a second time, I inspected the exterior of the lines; the lines are not leaking, and the area adjacent to her floor was also dry. Therefore, her lines are not a water source that is infecting the wood or providing moisture for potential mold growth. Without moisture, the discoloration noted on the wood, is not unusual, and it will not be active mold growth. As reasoned from analyzing the IAQ sample that was pulled. 9. In the past 10 years, our company has inspected more than 2,500 condos and more than 2,500 townhouses. Never have we been tasked to inspect or report on areas managed by HOA's, this is managed and accessed by the HOA. We have inspected more than 15,000 properties (single family, duplex, new construction, condo's, townhouses, commercial, and industrial properties) during this period of time. 10. It is unusual when contracted to inspect a condo or townhouse, to be asked to evaluate the property below the area being purchased. If there was a home below her property, we would not be inspecting water, drains, electrical, or any other subsystems of the other property. This is not different. 11. Andrea signed our contract, in which it offers a limited visual inspection (which Andrea contracted us to perform), and a comprehensive inspection (which is invasive and can be destructive and is very expensive; Andrea did not contract this type of inspection). . 11. Any dispute of the interpretation of this agreement or arising from this inspection and report, shall be resolved between parties by binding arbitration conducted in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. An arbitrator familiar with the property inspection process needs to conduct the proceeding. The award of the arbitrator shall be final. She initiated arbitration process through the BBB, and I believe that she is simply frustrated. 12. The dollar amount she has quoted me and my company is approximately $1200. I'm sorry that Andrea feels that we did not do our job. But we did, and it was done well. It is a shame that she was scared into mold mitigation. But that was a choice she made.

Travis, it is unfortunate that you do not understand that you were not the customer, you did not pay for any inspection service, you were not at the inspection, and all items on the report are accurate as of the date of the inspection. Our job as inspectors is not to massage deals between sellers and buyers, but to inform the buyer as to the current condition as of the date of the inspection. In your case I believe that you find it easier to point your finger at other people instead of accepting that a buyer can change their mind without any reason at all. We will not speculate as to the reason that they changed their mind, this is an emotional process for all involved. The actual customer was very happy with Harold and our inspection service.