Why I really dislike inspectors and townships....

[emahler]

1st off - this has nothing to do with passing or failing an inspection....

Here is why it bothers me....

In a local town, the one I grew up it, our mechanical side priced a job for a local business. The business owner is our customer, but he leases the space in a strip mall...

The landlord didn't like our price...ok...and decided to get his normal HVAC guys in to do the work...ok...

work consists of replacing a boiler that died and removing/resetting a couple of RTU's so that work can be done on the roof...

suffice to say - no permits have been pulled for this work...no electrical...no plumbing (gas)....no permits period...

I call the local electrical inspector (whom I've known for about 15 yrs) and see what needs to be done to get them to go see if permits were pulled...

this work is in a small strip mall that contains a bar, a bank, a sub shop, a pizza place and a couple of retail stores...

his response was "you have to send us a complaint in writing"....

why the hell are they making it harder on the legal contractor, trying to do the right thing, then on the trunk slammer doing the wrong thing....

so now, we have to make a formal complaint - which if we do, will most certainly open a can of worms between the landlord, our customer and us....

or if we don't file a written complaint, they won't even pull the address and stop buy to make sure everything is legal...

wtf is wrong with townships? why can't they do the right thing? why can't we get tort reform in this country so people aren't afraid to breathe?

 

[rcarroll]

I don't know what to tell you. In my town, the site would receive a Stop Work Order if caught. Probably the contractor changing out the equipment would get it. As much as we try, we don't catch them all.

You would like me if I were your inspector. :grin:

 

[infinity]

I hear these stories occasionally too. Yet I hear other stories about "The Board" cracking down and fining trunk slammers. Seems like if there is any enforcement it highly sporadic. Maybe Rick can shed some light on the subject with his perspective from the "other side".

 

[jwjrw]

I hear these stories occasionally too. Yet I hear other stories about "The Board" cracking down and fining trunk slammers. Seems like if there is any enforcement it highly sporadic. Maybe Rick can shed some light on the subject with his perspective from the "other side".

One call does it all here. Heck they are so slow here that they are riding around looking for people not pulling permits

What you dont have a permit...... All Stop Now!!!!!!!

 

[Oakey]

Politics at its finest down there I guess, I dropped a dime 2 weeks ago on someone on a job I bid and a trunk slammer got. I mentioned it to the inspector about permits and he nailed em good.

I agree it should be that simple as my case. The only letters I have been asked to write were change of contractors.

 

[roger]

In NC we can report them online, it's easy.

Roger

 

[jwjrw]

In NC we can report them online, it's easy.

Roger

But its much more fun to do it in person!!!!!!

 

[roger]

But its much more fun to do it in person!!!!!!

Well yeah. :grin:

Roger

 

[ty]

his response was "you have to send us a complaint in writing"....

why the hell are they making it harder on the legal contractor, trying to do the right thing, then on the trunk slammer doing the wrong thing....

wtf is wrong with townships? why can't they do the right thing? why can't we get tort reform in this country so people aren't afraid to breathe?

Here, it isn't even the Townships, it's the whole damned State. And after a formal complaint is filed, it might take weeks or months before it is investigated. By then, the unlicensed is long gone.

 

[jwjrw]

Here, it isn't even the Townships, it's the whole damned State. And after a formal complaint is filed, it might take weeks or months before it is investigated. By then, the unlicensed is long gone.

Here Meck County will stop the job for no permit but the great state of nc will bust all you good and fine you even put you in jail for contracting electrical work without a license.

 

[LarryFine]

so now, we have to make a formal complaint - which if we do, will most certainly open a can of worms between the landlord, our customer and us....

or if we don't file a written complaint, they won't even pull the address and stop buy to make sure everything is legal...

I recommend having a discussion with someone higher up in the bureaucratic food chain, expressing these concerns.

 

[Buck Parrish]

You should go to the state board if you have one. The local guys won't do any thing but double thier permit fee, if that.
I reported some one who kept under bidding me and they don't have a license.
I rode by a couple of days later they we're still thier. I called the inspector. He say's oh it's okay "he got a licensed electrician to sign off on it" Then the inspector told me not to ride by thier any more.
But, it's a public highway I ride by all the time!

 

[jwjrw]

You should go to the state board if you have one. The local guys won't do any thing but double thier permit fee, if that.
I reported some one who kept under bidding me and they don't have a license.
I rode by a couple of days later they we're still thier. I called the inspector. He say's oh it's okay "he got a licensed electrician to sign off on it" Then the inspector told me not to ride by thier any more.
But, it's a public highway I ride by all the time!

In NC that would be selling your license and the licensed electrician who signed off on it would be in big big trouble. He would lose his license for a year and probably a 1000 dollar fine. And have totake classes.

 

[Buck Parrish]

It is NC, and I went over the locals head to the State. Even they did very little.
I told the State that these inspectors have never heard of the "Bonified employee" article in the news letter.
How would they,the inspectors in this township are not licensed electricians they don't get the news letter.

 

[jwjrw]

It is NC, and I went over the locals head to the State. Even they did very little.
I told the State that these inspectors have never heard of the "Bonified employee" article in the news letter.
How would they,the inspectors in this township are not licensed electricians they don't get the news letter.

Ive never heard of anyone in nc calling the state and them not doing something. Maybe because im in meck county. But you read the news letter and see how many people they nail. I do know for a fact if you are a customer calling to report unfinished or faulty work they will find who did it and nail them.

 

[Buck Parrish]

You have to do a formal complaint. I did it online. You have a different field rep in Charlotte.

 

[jwjrw]

You have to do a formal complaint. I did it online. You have a different field rep in Charlotte.

If you did and you know who it is I can not believe they wont nail this guy.
Good for you for doing it. The people who hired him will learn the hard way what happens when someone who is not qualified does electrical work.

 

[realolman]

...... why can't we get tort reform in this country so people aren't afraid to breathe?

I don't see how you arrived at the tort reform conclusion :-?
What's that got to do with it?

 

[milehiwire]

I don't see how you arrived at the tort reform conclusion :-?
What's that got to do with it?

Agree............ Erik just likes to whine............

 

[cadpoint]

Here, it isn't even the Townships, it's the whole damned State. And after a formal complaint is filed, it might take weeks or months before it is investigated. By then, the unlicensed is long gone.

Yeah it's a real no win... besides all the friends you make alone the way...