EQUITY HOME INSPECTION

Let me explain what this inspector has done so that it does not happen to anyone else: On 4/2/11 I hired EQUITY HOME INSPECTIONS to inspect a home that I had put an offer on and was accepted. I hired him based on the explicit agreement that he guaranteed his inspection for 90 days. He signed off his inspection and I ended up buying the house on 5/5/2011. On 6/15/11 I turned on the main water control valve that appeared to control the irrigation water. This was the first time I had ever turned on that valve. Moments later I walked outside to the west side of my home and noticed a 3' by 3' puddle of water forming against the foundation on the northwest corner of the house and my basement began to flood. I quickly turned off the valve and the water subsided. The inspection report indicated water stains all across the northwest basement floor and stated they were due to a leak from the kitchen on the floor above which had been fixed. Nothing in his report indicates that he made any other attempt to locate the source of the water damage including turning on the irrigation valve. I called the inspector in an attempt to execute his 90-day warranty and he was immediately agitated that I had the nerve to suggest he made a rather obvious error in his inspection. He even ended the phone call by stating in a condescending tone, "Oh I?m coming to your house and I can't wait to meet you in person." The next morning at 6am he called my cell phone and said he would be at the property around 7:30pm. Later that evening he arrived and I took him to the basement. We entered my basement and I showed him the water damage on floor and baseboards in the northwest corner of basement. The inspector corrected me and said, ?Actually these are water stains.? I said ?OK. Do you remember documenting these water stains in your report?? He said, ?Andrew, you are the first person in the 8 years I've been doing this who hasn't actually read the inspection report? and he turns to page 30 of the report. I said ?OK. So you did document the water stains and where they came from?? He says, ?Yes read the report.? I said ?Page 30 of your report indicates that the water stains across the basement were caused by a leak above in the kitchen, is this correct?" He nods his head yes. I said ?Let me show you something. Watch what happens when I turn the irrigation water valve on.? He walked with me to the water valve closet and watched me turn on the irrigation water valve. I asked him if he ever turned the valve on in his inspection and he did not answer. Without saying a word, he hurriedly grabbed his bag and ran to his truck. As he ran off he yelled ?I'll see you in court!? His male attendant then added ?Good luck finding a plumber!? His faulty inspection will eventually cost him $1000?s to repair but all this could have been avoided if he had uncovered the massive leak that caused my basement to flood in the first place. I then gave him ample opportunity to correct his mistakes and he responded with disrespect and antagonism. If you have any questions regarding my experience, please email: andrew_d_campbell@yahoo.com