Policing the industry

[Minuteman]

120 EI's or 120 total inspectors?

 

[KevinVost]

120 EI's or 120 total inspectors?

Total inspectors.

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

Not an army, but we have a total of 120 +/- a few, but we cover several hundered (maybe thouseand) square miles. Our average ticket load right now is about 800 inspections per day, on the low side for us, on the high side we have had 4000 inspections in one day (back in 2004). Vegas is BIG!

WOW!!!
I would hate to see the paperwork for your year....:grin:

Does the statement " what gets installed in vegas, gets inspected soon" apply?


Your office does on average about 40,000 inspections per year...that is alot, considering the type of work performed, you guys must not have much time to breath.

 

[KevinVost]

I know each State has their own laws which pertain to this issue.

In NYS, the law deals with this in 2 ways.

1. Public property. If the work or violation is visible and is deemed a life or health threatening issue, a stop work order or violation can be issued. One had better be sure of what he/she is issuing, as the consequences could be pretty bad for the official if he is wrong.

2. Private property. Without permission from the property owner to enter the property, it would be considered trespassing for any inspector, including a building inspector to enter the property.
Without the property owner's permission, a warrant would have to be issued. A judge will not issue a warrant unless he is totally convinced that the BO is absolutely sure there is a bonafide threat to life or limb.
This falls under the protection of privacy in NYS.

Usually we issue a Notice of Violation for work without permit when we find it,(like your citation), a stop work order must come from the BO, after a phone call from the inspector, through our chain of command.

On the two issues you've listed, we have laws to the same effect, so our inspectors will usually walk up to the door and attempt to contact the HO or business owner (ring the bell) to get the story and permission to enter. If there is a life safety issue the department has legal recourse to gain entry much like you described, however most places I've stopped have allowed me entry and the matter usually gets resolved without any conflicts .

 

[KevinVost]

WOW!!!
I would hate to see the paperwork for your year....:grin:

Does the statement " what gets installed in vegas, gets inspected soon" apply?


Your office does on average about 40,000 inspections per year...that is alot, considering the type of work performed, you guys must not have much time to breath.

Yeah, we do alot of paperwork. Our inspection system allows you to call or request on line, for inspection up to 3:00am the same moring you want it and get the inspection that day.

As far as right now, we have some breathing room, in 2004 the department issued over 50000 permits, last year we issued just under 30000, and this year looks like it will be way less than last year. (If we stay at 700 inspections per day for the year, we would have about 700x240 (avaerage days in a work year)=168000 single inspections per year).

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

Kevin
Is your department on computers for inspections, with field tablets to enter the info?

 

[KevinVost]

Kevin
Is your department on computers for inspections, with field tablets to enter the info?

Yeah, you request an inspection, input the permit #, choose the inspection wanted (rough, final, framing etc...) hit enter and your done. Real easy and convienant for the contractors.

No field tablets yet, we hear they are working on a PDA type device for the system, but with the economy the way it is, who knows.

 

[peter d]

As far as right now, we have some breathing room, in 2004 the department issued over 50000 permits, last year we issued just under 30000, and this year looks like it will be way less than last year. (If we stay at 700 inspections per day for the year, we would have about 700x240 (avaerage days in a work year)=168000 single inspections per year).

I'm guessing the majority of those permits and inspections were for single family dwelling units?

 

[MrMilbank]

some ibew guy is buying homes in my town and remodeling them for use as rentals. doing all phases of const without permits, even electrical panel upgrades. i believe hes a lifelong resident, ect. small town stuff.. who would i notify to actually handle this?

 

[infinity]

some ibew guy is buying homes in my town and remodeling them for use as rentals. doing all phases of const without permits, even electrical panel upgrades. i believe hes a lifelong resident, ect. small town stuff.. who would i notify to actually handle this?

Well, if permits are required for his work then I would contact the building department. What does the fact that he's ibew have to do with it?

 

[ibew441dc]

Well, if permits are required for his work then I would contact the building department. What does the fact that he's ibew have to do with it?

I think hes pointing out the fact that the IBEW guy will probably do an exceptionable job:wink::smile:

On a serious note we all live under the same sun..........and NOBODY that throws on tools and is required to abide by the law is exempt.

 

[MrMilbank]

he doesnt have a license, hes a union electrician working outside of the union. its just wrong.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

To that end, our administrative code was written with a section called "Right of Entry", which allows inspectors to enter any property, anytime, to perform thier job, or to investigate complaints or unsafe conditions (if they are visable from public view) which is the cause to enter.

That would never pass constitutional muster if someone took it to court based on the 4th Amendment. There are Supreme Court cases that have ruled on the issue of administrative codes...the government agencies lost in the case law that currently covers this area. If the property owner tells you no, you can't enter than you will need a warrant and you need some type of probable cause to get one. There would be an exception for cases that could be immediately dangerous to life and health and is visible from public areas.

 

[K8MHZ]

That would never pass constitutional muster if someone took it to court based on the 4th Amendment. There are Supreme Court cases that have ruled on the issue of administrative codes...the government agencies lost in the case law that currently covers this area. If the property owner tells you no, you can't enter than you will need a warrant and you need some type of probable cause to get one. There would be an exception for cases that could be immediately dangerous to life and health and is visible from public areas.

Or not.

You be the judge. I watched as city ordered demolition crews tore down this house belonging to an 89 year old man.

http://blog.mlive.com/chronicle/2008/06/filling_a_void.html#more

 

[KevinVost]

I'm guessing the majority of those permits and inspections were for single family dwelling units?

Mostly, but the big casino's make a lot of inspections too.

That would never pass constitutional muster if someone took it to court based on the 4th Amendment. There are Supreme Court cases that have ruled on the issue of administrative codes...the government agencies lost in the case law that currently covers this area. If the property owner tells you no, you can't enter than you will need a warrant and you need some type of probable cause to get one. There would be an exception for cases that could be immediately dangerous to life and health and is visible from public areas.

Read my post #24, we try to not upset the public if possible, however not everyone is diplomatic about what we do, and that is on all sides, inspectors and HO and contractors.

 

[Rockyd]

he doesnt have a license, hes a union electrician working outside of the union. its just wrong.

How do you figure? Just because he is union, doesn't mean they own him! Lots of towns allow homeowners to GC on their places. If he owns a house, and does the paperwork, and passes inspections - more power to him!

I think you have a warped perception of the relationship that the union has to the member.

 

[Mr.Sparkle]

I recently went and looked at a job where a handyman ran the wires around a pool for a few post lights while he was there doing the new concrete patio around the pool. He used 14/2 NM and buried it about 6" under the ground where he needed to and poured the patio right over it where he didn't.

Due to the location of the lights and size of the patio I told the H.O. there is no easy fix, (there isn't) I disconnected the feed and will be going back to cut all the existing wiring I can get to out of the ground so there is no chance of ever using it again. This patio was done about 1.5 yrs ago and handyman is nowhere to be found apparently, he even took money for new iron railings and never came back.

I have his name on a piece of paper in my binder, just in case......

 

[mivey]

How do you figure? Just because he is union, doesn't mean they own him! Lots of towns allow homeowners to GC on their places. If he owns a house, and does the paperwork, and passes inspections - more power to him!

I think you have a warped perception of the relationship that the union has to the member.

Maybe not warped but just a limited amount of knowledge?

I would have thought, based on my very limited union experience, they might have some guidelines as to who should work on what and under what conditions, in order to protect the member's interests.

I don't want the thread closed because of bad union topic issues, but is there a link you can provide that would clarify the relationship? I would appreciate the info.

As for links: What are the issues with union topics that causes some threads to get closed? I haven't paid a whole lot of attention to it, but can someone help me find a link showing the forum policy violations concerning unions that should be avoided?

 

[ericsherman37]

he doesnt have a license, hes a union electrician working outside of the union. its just wrong.

I'm an IBEW member but I'm not going to call the hall for some help when I rewire something at my own house. My wife's pretty good at helping me fish wires down the wall.

 

[nhfire77]

That would never pass constitutional muster if someone took it to court based on the 4th Amendment. There are Supreme Court cases that have ruled on the issue of administrative codes...the government agencies lost in the case law that currently covers this area. If the property owner tells you no, you can't enter than you will need a warrant and you need some type of probable cause to get one. There would be an exception for cases that could be immediately dangerous to life and health and is visible from public areas.

Exactly, and in certain states you can shoot the guy for trespassing, no questions asked, just a lot of paperwork.

The only exception would be if you saw something that was immediately dangerous to life and health. And if that was at my home, I would fight that tooth and nail.

I am not a gun nut, but, you have the right to defend yourself and your properly, that includes against the unlawful administrative search and seizure.