House Inspection Gone Wrong Resulted in Lawsuit
Michael and Barbara Rhodes from Kanawha, West Virginia have filed a lawsuit against property inspector Curtis McLeod for alleged negligent house inspection. According to the couple, they hired McLeod to inspect a house in Charleston that they were planning to purchase. The inspector’s services came with a warranty, the couple added.
According to the lawsuit filed at the Kanawha Circuit Court, McLeod had assured the Rhodes that the house is free from any safety problem. However, the couple revealed that right after they purchased the property, they experienced defects which forced them to hire a professional engineer for further inspection.
The lawsuit revealed that the engineer had told the new owners that the home has several construction problems, including defective water control that causes basement leakage and mold growth. The costs of repairs that would make the house habitable and safe would reach thousands of dollars, according to the couple. They further added that the water control problem should have been seen and reported by McLeod right after his first inspection.
The owners then reportedly tried to contact the house inspector to resolve the issues but the defendant allegedly failed to respond. The Rhodes family accused the house inspection specialist of violating the Consumer Credit and Protection Act of West Virginia.
The plaintiffs have requested that the court declare that the inspector has violated the Consumer Credit and Protection Act and have sought punitive and compensatory damages. The couple is being represented by David L. Grubb and Cameron S. McKinney. The case was put under the responsibility of Circuit Judge Louis Bloom. McLeod is conducting business under the Assurance Home Inspection.
The Rhodes family is currently awaiting the court’s decision on their negligent house inspection claims. The court is set to decide whether there is merit behind the complaint and whether McLeod violated the state’s Consumer Credit and Protection Act.
