I don't think I am a mold inspector, am I?

[William Rightsell]

No way would I sign off on the "mold inspector/remediator" work. Not my field of expertise.

I would use CB4 and make the new 1004 report "SUBJECT TO inspection by a qualified third party to determine if previously present mold has been properly remediated and does not represent a health or safety hazard. If said report cannot be obtained, the appraiser reserves the right to reconsider the opinion of value adopted."

They will call once the remediation is done and ask that you make the report AS IS now since it is done. DO NOT INCUR THAT LIABILITY. Put it back off on the underwriter where it belongs - make them make the judgement call based on the mold inspector's report - not up to you to determine if the mold inspector is competent or not - he may be lying for all you know. DO NOT give them an AS IS report, and DO NOT "sign off" later on another inspector's report. How many folks think a plumber would sign off on the work of an electrician if asked to do so?? None!

todd

 

[Richard Carlsen]

First thing is to agree to a fee. Return trip, interior inspection, new consideration of value using 1004 reporting form. You have a new assignment.

As far as certification of mold removal, based on the inspectors warning and the amount of work/abatement/prevention that has gone on, I would only go so far as to condition the report on certification of mold abatement by a qualified party.

Let them delay the closing if necessary. Don't certify anything this major (-$12,000 in the selling price) It will come back to bite you in the rear.

******
Little personal story about mold.

When we moved into our condo last February, there was a little wet spot above the shower. Mgt had a mechanical person come in and they finally decided in June that it was not a water line. They were going to scope the interior to find out where the dampness was coming from. Nothing happened and a black blob 1 x 3 inches grew on the ceiling. I eventually sprayed it with a mild Clorox solution. Then another one grew next to that one. It got sprayed also. Finally a third on grew next to those two and I pushed on it with my finger. The ceiling was nearly penetrated. Finally, last week, after another session with the manager, a guy shows up from the builder, cuts a 180 sq inch section out of my ceiling over the shower and finds that the vent at a 90 degree elbow had not been glued allowing condensation to enter the area and saturate the ceiling. The mechanical contractor came back and fixed the problem. The builder guy comes back, fixes the ceiling, comes back to mud it, is coming back tomorrow to finish it and the painter is coming in next week to paint it. All of that because a vent was not glued during construction. The really bad part is that since the first black mold showed up, I would go through periods where I would stuff up like I had a bad cold. This would happen 3 or 4 times a day. Since the section of the ceiling was cut out and the area sprayed, I have not had a single problem. If a small mold infestation of about 6 sq inches can do that, imagine what a large established infestation can do. I've never taken responsibility that mold was removed and after experiencing the effects, certainly would never advise anybody to say that an area was mold free. It only takes a very small amount to create a problem.

 

[Ross (CO)]

An exterior-only....for a purchase ? And, you did that, anyway ?....even when being told there were "mold" conditions within ? Amazing. If the place required RESPIRATORS for one to enter the interior.....I assume you marked the place as vacant, yes ? For interior condition factors, and matters of safety, one might have to have described that property as being un-inhabitable when doing that exterior-only report. Do you have any additional mold coverage rider with your E&O provider ? Did you contact your E&O to discuss this scenario and ask their advice on any certain wording in this new report, or any certain box to check at the bottom of Page 2 ?

This is definitely a Check Box 4 moment......and let the client contact some other professional EXPERT to make a visit to the property....have THEM indicate to your client that everything in that property is o.k. .....and allow your client their opportunity to have a SHARED RESPONSIBILITY in passing along a "safe" mortgage on a "safe" property.....to Fannie Mae. I can assure you that Fannie is very sensitive about "mold history" properties entering their portfolios.

You give the value opinion, you use CB4, and you have NO NEED to revisit your report a day or two later to then change you check-box to the first as-is box....after the client tells you that "the inspector says everything is good there now". And, you know.....there never was any obligation on your part to actually accept the follow-up 1004 report. You could simply have declined the assignment and thanked them for considering you.

There are some classic postings in the archives here that relate to mold. Try a search in several based on the key-word "Mold". The last gem was from someone in either Michigan or Wisconsin !

 

[robert higgins]

WOW, I think the client and your mentor already hung you out to dry. I was thinking the same thing as Ross, exterior-only, for a purchase, with heavy mold confirmed by two people. I hope you have an iron clad SOW and CB4 statement. Being a Licensed Appraiser I would definitely decline anything more with this assignment, pass it back to your mentor and let them hang them selves.

 

[Mountain Man]

Well unlike some, I think there is a proper use for a 2055. But THAT was NOT the subject of the ORIGINAL post. You are an appraiser, not mold inspector. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no... get the idea?

 

[Amy Perkins]

Don't go in the property until it passes a mold inspection. These are inspectors that get mold certified. They have a machine that sucks in air and takes a sample. The sample goes to the lab, the lab sends the report to the inspector. If you are not a certified mold inspector you can't even say a house has mold. You can describe a smell, what you see, or take a picture of it and recommend that a certified mold inspector test for mold. Steer clear of this lawsuit waiting to happen and don't put your health at risk.

 

[Marcia Langley]

Dancia,

Do nothing that would imply you are signing off on mold remediation, including a new appraisal unless you have checked the 4th box (EA) for an inspection by a mold expert.

The underwriter clears that condition through the mold experts' reports, not through the appraiser.

 

[Ray Miller]

In Wisconsin every thing is a 1004 for me except a new construction less then two months old and then it is on the old 2055. In the rural areas there is just to much chance of dampness, wetness, mold in the basements. I want to see what is going on, what the condition is. I take a lot of interior pictures. I can't count the number of homes I have been in, in both the rural areas and small rural towns and cities that have had a water/mold/fungus problem.

I would have check box 4 on the first assigment. If you are going to do the second assigment I would still check box 4. I want that professional licensed mold/fungus person to handle it.

I have had several of them where a D-8 was the best answer, yet skippie has gone back in over the top of my appraisal and gave them what they want. No mold/no fungus/no dampness/ no water.

 

[Robert Hronek]

Something to remember is that when you are not an expert you do not certify that the work is complete. In this case you are not an expert in mold or mold remediation. A mold expert would have to certify the work was completed as required.

If it were me I would contact the lender and tell them my inspection would be limited to what I see and that I can not certify it is free of mold.

 

[Webbed Feet]

No way would I sign off on the "mold inspector/remediator" work. Not my field of expertise.

I would use CB4 and make the new 1004 report "SUBJECT TO inspection by a qualified third party to determine if previously present mold has been properly remediated and does not represent a health or safety hazard. If said report cannot be obtained, the appraiser reserves the right to reconsider the opinion of value adopted." <snip>

Mr. Rightsell,

Your statement above is completely unnecessary. If the report cannot be obtained, the opinion of value is no good until it is.

I like the rest of your post.

Webbed.