National Property Inspections Inc

I was pleased with what I thought I was getting, but looking back I wouldn't do it this way again.

NPI performed a pre-sale home inspection for me. Their representative, a guy named Joe Lemke, gave the home a passing grade, with the exception of a few very minor cosmetic repairs I'd need to do. So far, so good. Then when I moved in, I noticed that all the floor tiles in both the kitchen and master bath were loose. You could stick a key in the joints between them and lift them right out. Apparently (according to a contractor I know who came over to look at them) the mastic, or glue, had dried out and lost its hold, probably from faulty installation. Mr. Lemke never noticed this in either room, which seems to me to be a serious oversight. You could tell as you walked on the tiles that they were loose. Either he never entered either room, or he couldn't tell there was something wrong. I chalked it up to bad luck, and decided not to make a case out of it. After all, nobody's perfect. The real problem came on Sept. 10, when my wife accidentally left the garbage can under the garage door and hit the close button. The door proceeded to close, crushing the can and basically tearing the door apart. That's not supposed to be able to happen. When the guy came out to replace the door, he immediately saw that someone along the line had wired the closer in such a way that the safety features were defeated. The wiring "job" was obvious, and I took photos of it before he started his work. The job cost me $1000, and the fellow who did it told me the guy who let that slip by ( Joe Lemke) should be made to cover my losses. Home inspectors have to post bonds to insure against just such a screw-up. Even Randy Yates, an NPI representative I contacted, admitted Lemke screwed up when I sent him one of the photos. Here's his comment, directly from his last e-mail: "Thanks Jim for sending the picture. I must admit that should have been caught during the inspection. That's how people get around from never having a problem and never having to adjust the openers." Problem is, Lemke is nowhere to be found. His phone number seems to be out of service, and his e-mail is inactive. And NPI tells me he was an independent contractor/franchisee, and they have no responsibility for whatever he did or didn't do! They said I'd have to deal with him, but they won't even give me a phone number where I can reach him. They say he dropped his franchise, and they have no idea how to get hold of him. So I'm supposed to believe this guy was using their name, doing business as their representative just 10 months ago, and now they don't even have a phone number for him? I mean, I was born at night, but not last night! If you're buying a home anywhere in the US, and your agent suggests you use National Property Inspections, just keep in mind they don't stand behind what their people do. If Lemke was still working for them, it might be a different story. But you better hope the guy they send out to inspect your place doesn't decide to move on. You'll be left holding the bag if he or she turns out to be as incompetent as they guy who inspected mine.