Water in Crawlspace

[Dylan Haak]

I recently completed an purchase appraisal on a 90's stick build home. When I took a look in the crawlspace I noticed that there was some puddles of water on top of the vapor barrier. In talking to the homeowner and looking around the house it became clear that the reason for the water was a built up landscaping bed that allowed water to come back through the crawlspace vents. I alerted the lender and explained in the report that there was water in the crawlspace and why it appeared to be there. A few days later the lender called me back and wants me to remove the explaination about the water in the crawlspace (Big Surprise!) because the problem has been resolved. I am asking for some advice on how to handle this.

 

[Murray Bloom]

If the water existed on the effective date of the appraisal and the cause was remedied later, methinks you should leave the report as originally written.

 

[Bearslide]

Explain to the client that as of effective date, those were the conditions, but you will glad to do another inspection (for a fee) and either incorporate it into the report via addenda or memoranda or do 1004D.

 

[Ray Miller]

Good answers. I would not just change the report with out the 100D. Did you use box four in the original report? Was your report condition As Is or Condition too? Are you dead sure that is where the water came from? What did they do to cure the problem? How much of the craw space was wet? How was water drained from the craw space?

 

[Richard Carlsen]

You did right noting the water in the crawl space. Where you went wrong was suggesting a solution. You were not working as an expert in water abatement so you should have just noted that there was water in the crawl and let someone else worry about what causes it and what to do about it.

As to changing the report; not that report. It is written as it is written. Can you do a new report or supplemental addendum to the existing one? Sure. It all depends on how much risk you want to take. At a minimum, I would want a trip back to the site to look at the crawl space (Don't you just love those places!). If it is dry, comment on it but also comment on if there has been any rain in the past 2-3 days. Hedge your bets on this one. It may be reported fixed but may not be. Again, report only what you see.

My preference would be to keep the original appraisal intact and do a signed supplemental addendum with a new date. This way, you are covered by what you said in the original report.

 

[Wendy]

I'd tell them to get an inspection by an expert - not you. Then add an addendum to the original report stating the expert's findings.

Don't get caught holding the bag on this one!

 

[Marcia Langley]

Ditto Wendy,

If you did not use check box 4 in the first place, you need to shift into that gear, now, and make your value subject to an inspection by an expert.

 

[Dylan Haak]

I'd tell them to get an inspection by an expert - not you. Then add an addendum to the original report stating the expert's findings.

Don't get caught holding the bag on this one!

This was the route that I was thinking in the first place. Do you think that the right expert would be a home inspector? Is there a better type of expert that I am not thinking about right now?

 

[Wendy]

I'd go for at least a contractor who specialized in site work and foundations. Not sure who or what title would be best. Maybe some other forum member might know.

 

[Deleted member 80407]

Had two past experiences with water below grade. One was a HUD foreclosure sale of two unit small income property. The entire basement had about 10"-12" of water. The other was a FHA purchase of a house with a crawl space. The crawl space had about three feet of water. Both reports I conditioned the appraisal for a remedy to cure and an inspection for the cause. Neither of the clients whom the services were performed questioned my conditions of the appraisal.