Board scraps proposed change to home inspections

Complaints, protests and a stern letter from Gov. Mike Easley were enough to table a proposal backed by real estate agents to alter home inspection reports.

The opposition prompted members of the state board that licenses home inspectors to scrap, for now, a rule that would prevent home inspectors from recommending in the summary section of reports any upgrades meant to improve the function, efficiency or safety of a home.

The proposal, which board members had tentatively approved last month, drew ire from home inspectors statewide. A couple of dozen showed up in Raleigh this morning to picket outside of the the N.C. Home Inspector Licensure Board meeting.

The change, they said, would have hampered inspectors' ability to report safety issues to home buyers, who typically pay for inspection services.

Earlier this week Gov. Easley sent a letter to the board asking members to back away from the proposed change, which he said could be bad for consumers.

The board voted 4-to-2 today to send the proposal back to committee, which has until March to either recommend an altered plan or give up the effort.

"This is a victory for homeowners and home buyers in North Carolina," said Frank Moore, a home inspector from Wake Forest who was among those picketing. Moore said the change, which was supported by real estate agents, would have made it harder for him to inform clients about safety, structural and other issues affecting homes.

The licensure board had received several dozen letters from inspectors who opposed the change in the past month and none in favor.

Some opponents had argued that the only motivation behind the change was to streamline home closings, as negative details about homes can sometimes delay or derail sales.

frank.norton@newsobserver.com or (919)-829-8926.