Baloney Sandwich
Footballguy
So I bought a new house in November of 2013. During the inspection it was noted that there was potential water damage around the chimney. We requested in writing to the Seller that a licensed building contractor inspect and correct any issues. The Seller provided us a letter from a licensed contractor saying it was inspected and everything was fine.
Fast forward to today, a contractor friend came over to add an electrical outlet in the wall around the chimney for the tv we have mounted over the fireplace. He noticed that the studs are wet and there is widespread water damage (some studs are 50% rotted). This contractor went outside and notice damage on the shingles and it looks like there is significant damage and we are looking at very costly repairs.
My father-in-law was at the house when this happened and called the licensed building contractor that signed off on the letter saying everything was fine. The guy said he would have to call the old owner and used his first name before catching himself and using his proper name so we are thinking they are buddies and perhaps the guy just wrote the letter without actually inspecting the house (or new there was a major issue but signed off on the letter).
Any ideas as to our options at this point? I consulted a lawyer who handled our closing since he is a personal friend but this is a bit outside of his area. He can refer me to another lawyer but ultimately I'm afraid I might end up paying the same amount in legal fees that I may or may not recoup through a legal process. I'm thinking we can call our Insurance company with the hopes it would be covered through them but my understanding that is usually for sudden events and not something that happens over time.
I'm obviously going to put pressure on the contractor that signed a letter saying everything was fine but ultimately I'm going to need this issue corrected soon.
Fast forward to today, a contractor friend came over to add an electrical outlet in the wall around the chimney for the tv we have mounted over the fireplace. He noticed that the studs are wet and there is widespread water damage (some studs are 50% rotted). This contractor went outside and notice damage on the shingles and it looks like there is significant damage and we are looking at very costly repairs.
My father-in-law was at the house when this happened and called the licensed building contractor that signed off on the letter saying everything was fine. The guy said he would have to call the old owner and used his first name before catching himself and using his proper name so we are thinking they are buddies and perhaps the guy just wrote the letter without actually inspecting the house (or new there was a major issue but signed off on the letter).
Any ideas as to our options at this point? I consulted a lawyer who handled our closing since he is a personal friend but this is a bit outside of his area. He can refer me to another lawyer but ultimately I'm afraid I might end up paying the same amount in legal fees that I may or may not recoup through a legal process. I'm thinking we can call our Insurance company with the hopes it would be covered through them but my understanding that is usually for sudden events and not something that happens over time.
I'm obviously going to put pressure on the contractor that signed a letter saying everything was fine but ultimately I'm going to need this issue corrected soon.
