Dave Bingert

Sara O first called me over a week from quoting her asking what I provided because my quote was significantly less than everyone else. I explained I'm a Profession Engineer working a 50 hour week on a construction site providing professional inspection services. I inspect houses as a side business to help house buyers at a minimum rate and offered to send her a copy of my typical record. She wanted the inspection as soon as possible and I did so in a rain storm on a Sunday morning, 2 days after she called me from her place of employment. Houses of her type take up to 3 houses depending on deficiencies and areas of concern, with exit interview, it was in fact over 3 hours. The roof had some damage, which I determine from binoculars and inspection from attic crawl spaces. I do not take un-needed risks inspecting when raining or chance of lightening standing on a metal ladder, to which she seemed to understand at the time. I also offered to come back later which she declined. I told her I had another report to finish from Saturday and indicated I would try to have it to her as soon as possible, never agreeing to any date, but hoping to finish by midweek, the normal time I reserve to deliver end products. On Wednesday, she left an urgent message on my voice mail while I was on a noisy construction site stating her attorney was demanding the report. I always check with the local Code Enforcer for permits for things like improvements, like the roof. Finally on Thursday I was able to meet with the Code Enforcer who indicated the roof had no permit and was done illegally. He also indicated the property was encumbered by a new built garage encroaching on the building offset. The home owner called me Friday to affirm his heating plant was steam, no mater that the label on the furnace said water. Obviously the installation was makeshift, with the owner's father being a plumber. I emailed the report after spending 12 hours writing it up on Saturday, on a Sunday morning, including all the facts I uncovered and including them in the report. The draft report I sent midweek was part of a template I use which did contain errata which I was clear in telling here. The draft's purpose was not intended to be in any form final but to indicate the problems I was uncovering which would AFFECT HER PROPERTY VALUE DOWN THE LINE. A FULL TWO WEEKS WENT BY AFTER HER ACCEPATANCE OF THE REPORT TO WHICH I SAW NO PAYMENT. After emailing her to determine the cause of the delay, she called me and indicated she would not pay the full $175 and thought a discount was due for the 4 day delay while determining problems she would face down the line. After indicating my fee was already highly discounted, she felt it necessary to call me and read me a written statement indicating how unsatisfied she was because of the 10 day delay in closing imposed by her attorney. Trying to interrupt her harangue I did loudly stated she owed me $175 and promptly ended her slander of me. Immediately she wrote the above to slander me further. Finally, if you want a quick checklist type of report without checks of owner's claims, and are more concerned over meeting a completely arbitrary attorney deadline, don't hire me. If you want a well thought out, owner claim verified Engineering Report and can wait a reasonable amount of time to verify problem areas, I am available weekends and after 6 pm weekdays to help you determine property conditions at a very reasonable fee.