CAMPBELL & DAVIES, LLC

Very poorly. I have known these folks for many years, and trusted and respected their work. As it turns out, the errors and omissions of their inspection have ended up causing additional damage to the house, and over 12,000 to me in additional repairs. Of course, since they are not required to carry insurance (which seems a serious regulatory oversight) they do not perceive liability. Specificially, the toilet on the third floor had been leaking, causing ceiling damage in the second floor. the water in the bathroom was running slowly, and was not mentioned. not a big deal, but indicative of lack of attention. hot water heater was judged to be good for another few years; in fact, I had to replace it within 5 months, and it caused a great deal of water damage and wasted time in continuing clean up of the already compromised basement. They counselled replacement of the entire roof, which was needed. But what they completely missed was the placement of the gutters, which were separated from the roof to such an extent that daylight was visible on all four sides of the house. This had been a chronic problem, so not only was it necessary for me to install gutter/roof flashing, but the constant water pouring between the roof and gutters caused heavy ground damage, sidewalk damage and very heavy damage to the basement walls, and flooding in the basement itself. They conducted the roof inspection from the ground, with binoculars. But even from the ground, the gaps between the roof and gutters are obvious. In addition, the parging on the walls in the basement was so compromised on three of the four walls that I will have to tear it out and re mud those walls. The basement floor is additionally damaged from the water. The work done so far includes doing this to the worst wall, tearing up the sidewalk, laying new drain tile and drains, regrading and reinstalling the sidewalk between the house and the garage. The front of the house had 4-foot holes from the water pouring through the openings between the gutters, and I had to fill those and protect the area with tarps until the roof is fixed. the steps on the porch need to be replaced due to the water. Damage to personal belongings, that were in the basement, is estimated at a few thousand dollars, but not claimable. This includes most of my lp records, which I moved to a "safe" area in the basement, only to have that area flood from the holes in the yard mentioned above. I contacted Dave and Harley, who came to the house and reviewed the situation. Harley was belligerent and challenged my position. Dave was quiet, and did say once or twice that he could indeed see daylight through the gutters. Using the contract as the last word, Harley indicated they had no obligation. I agreed, but said that the legal position is one; the ethical and fair response would obviously be another. I have since received a letter indicating that the limits of their liability is to return the fee of $350. I am saddened by this response, since it indicates a lack of regard for the clients who trust them to provide full, accurate, expert advice to inform the biggest purchase of a client's life. Their feedback on the roof helped me to work with the sellers to share the expense of the replacement. If they had provided the true information about the gutters and water damage, I would have either done the same strategy with the sellers, or I would not have purchased this house. The extra cost puts the value of the purchase price into question for me.