| 1. |
Q How
long are the inspection reports
"good" for?
A If this question is
asked to determine if there is a
warranty period of "x"
amount of days following the
inspection the answer is; the
report is only good for the date of
the actual inspection.
What this means is the report is
written documentation of the property
conditions as the inspector saw them
to be on a specific date. There is no
warranty period following an
inspection. TOP
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| 2. |
Q How
much do you charge?
A We will be posting our
rates for various counties soon.
Please email us for prices! TOP
|
| 3. |
Q Who
is responsible for payment?
A Because Cook's is not
a party to the real estate contract
and not bound by it's terms regarding
who pays for inspections our policy
is that the person who orders the
inspection is who we contact
regarding payment. Agents who order
inspection services for their client
should let their client know that our
fees are NOT contingent upon their
purchase of the property. If the
closing does not occur for whatever
reason the fees are still due. We ask
that all services be paid at the time
of service. Buyers, sellers, and
their agents should coordinate making
payment available by the appropriate
party prior to our inspection. We can
accept prepayment by credit card if
no one will be available at the
property during our inspection
For your convenience
we accept cash, personal checks,
money orders, MasterCard, Visa,
Discover and American Express.
Payment can be
deferred until the closing. Please
provide the title company's name, a
contact person's name and a phone
number at the time the order is
placed. Should closing not occur on
schedule please contact our office so
that we may flag the account with the
new closing date. Inspection fees are
not waived in the event the closing
does not occur. Please inform the
responsible party with the
information needed to remit payment.
TOP
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| 4. |
Q What
rooms will the inspector be going in?
A The inspector will
need access to the lower floor levels
of all structures located on the
property. If the structure is located
on a slab foundation the inspector
may need access to every room. If
accessible we will need to enter the
attic. Because of the many different
architectural styles of structures,
their geographical setting, and the
many varying condusive conditions
that may need detailed investigation
it is very difficult to say which
rooms the inspector will be in.
Please make the entire structure
available to the inspector to avoid
any possible delays or additional
fees as a result of having to come
back to the property to complete the
inspection. TOP
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| 5. |
Q Do
I need to be there when your inspector
performs his inspection?
A You do not have to be
there but you should be. This is the
perfect opportunity to observe the
inspector and to ask questions. If
evidence is found the inspector can
immediately point it out and answer
questions. The inspector will have
the written report prepared before
leaving the property and you will
receive copies for your immediate
review. TOP
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| 6. |
Q Do
the inspectors look for other pests such
as roaches or fleas?
A No. When performing a
Wood-destroying Insect inspection for
a real estate closing we do not
report infestations other than those
of wood destroying insects. In the
event there is an obvious flea,
roach, etc. problem the inspector
will make the person who ordered the
report aware of the problem. This is
another good reason the buyer should
be present at the time of inspection.
TOP
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| 7. |
Q You
inspected my home a year ago and found
nothing...now I have termites! Why?
A Termites can present
themselves at any time. Having your
home inspected for termites is not a
guarantee that you will never have
termites. This, unfortunately is a
common misconception among
homeowners. Inspections are a
diagnostic procedure and in no way
should be considered a preventive
measure. TOP
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| 8. |
Q Your
inspector noted termite damage on the
report but didn't say how bad it is. Why
not?
A The government
mandated form specifically states
that the report is not a
structural report. Our inspectors are
not structural engineers and will not
go beyond the scope of their
professional expertise. Just as a
plumber can not give you advise about
your roof (and you would not expect
them to, or want them to) we can not
give advice or offer opinions about
the severity of any damage we report.
TOP
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| 9. |
Q The
crawl space walls have insulation
attached to them. How do you know there
aren't termites under the insulation?
A We don't. A situation
like this would require notation on
the report that the crawl walls were
visually inaccessible due to
insulation and this part of the
structure then becomes excluded
(not inspected) from the termite
report. To properly inspect this area
the insulation would have to be
removed by the homeowner to allow
visual access. TOP
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| 10. |
Q How
do I have the areas that you report as
inaccessible inspected?
A You will need to
remove the item(s) that are
physically present and hindering
visibility or accessibility.
Insulation on crawl walls is a type
of obstruction that can be removed
and put back into place, but not all
obstructions can be eliminated such
as drywall, ceiling tiles, carpeting
etc. therefore a termite inspection
report is NEVER a guarantee that
termites are not present because
there are always areas of obstruction
present in a finished structure. TOP
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| 11. |
Q During
remodeling we removed drywall from the
wall and discovered active termites. What
are you going to do about it?
A If you are under an
active treatment warranty we will be
happy to provide a re-treatment at no
charge once we inspect and verify
actual termite activity is present.
Treatment warranty's are only
provided to structures that have
actually been treated by Cook's. We
can not assume another company's
warranty.
If you are not under
an active warranty with Cook's but we
did treat your house in the past
please call our office for a free
service call to assess the situation.
If Cook's inspected
the property for a closing and has
never treated the property you will
need to call our office to set up an
appointment for us to re-inspect the
property and evaluate what you have
found.
In any case, call as
soon as the activity or evidence is
discovered. Do not throw out anything
that our inspectors will need to
examine. TOP
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| 12. |
Q You
inspected my house and found no activity.
If I purchase this house may I assume
that there are no wood destroying insects
anywhere in the structure?
A No. Although our
inspectors perform a thorough
inspection of the readily accessible
areas of the structures there will
always be areas the inspector can not
physically or visually access. For
this reason there is never a warranty
or guarantee to the customer that the
home is 100% free of infestation of
wood destroying insects. TOP
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| 13. |
Q Do
your inspections come with a warranty and
if so, for how long?
A No. Inspections and
written findings are only good for
the actual date of the inspection.
There is no warranty period following
the inspection and the written report
is not a guarantee as to the absence
of wood destroying insects. TOP
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| 14. |
Q I
just bought this house a year ago. Can I
use the termite report for the new buyer?
A No. The written report
can only be used for real estate
transactions within 90 days of the
inspection date. The National Pest
Control Association who printed the
form states this clearly on the back
of the form and is not a rule set by
this company. You should always check
with your lender as to what their
requirements are. TOP
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| 15. |
Q If
I wish to get a second opinion how do I
go about it?
A Second opinions are a
good idea but before you call a
competitor the best advice is to call
the Ohio Department of
Agriculture/Pesticide Regulation
Division. This is the governing body
who licenses all Termite Inspectors
in Ohio. Any discrepancies or
concerns should be brought to their
attention. ODA will assign an
investigator to meet with you and
discuss your concerns. Their phone
number is: (614)728-6987 TOP
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| 16. |
Q Are
termite inspectors licensed? Who is your
licensing authority?
A Yes. Effective June
30, 2002 a license is now required to
inspect homes for wood destroying
Insects in connection with real
estate transactions and these
findings must be reported on the
NPMA-33 form. We are licensed by The
Ohio Department of Agriculture.
Consumers are free to call ODA to
verify a company or individual is
licensed and properly insured to
perform termite inspections or
provide treatments to your home. Call
(614)728-6987 and ask to speak to
someone in the Pesticide Regulation
Office. TOP
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| 17. |
Q Can
my home inspector do my termite
inspection?
A Only if the home
inspector is properly licensed by the
the Ohio Department of Agriculture
and uses the NPMA-33 form. Please
refer to the answer to question #16. TOP
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| 18. |
Q I've
been told that it is a conflict of
interest to have a company that also does
treatments inpect for termites. Is this
true?
A Licensed pest control
applicators are wood destroying
insect specialists. Specialists may
submit a proposal which outlines a
company's cost to treat infestation
which was discovered during their
inspection. The Attorney General of
Ohio the Ohio Department of
Agriculture expect the professional
PCO to act in accordance with the law
when performing their services to the
consumer.
Just as the roofer
will check a roof and offer a cost to
repair/replace. A plumber, a tree
trimmer, radon mitigator, etc. are
all acting within their specialized
knowledge and expertise to evaluate a
problem and submit a proposal to
repair. Are these also examples of
conflict of interest? Just as a real
estate agent has a duty to their
client and avoid "conflicts of
interest" situations they too
are bound by law, professional ethics
and their own conscience to represent
their client with honesty. The pest
control industry is no different.
A conflict of interest
can be conjured up with ANY service
provided to the public. To assume
pest control operators are more prone
to damage a consumer for their own
personal gain than the professions
listed above is simply unfounded,
unjustified and misleading.
Anyone who suspects
falsified reporting,
misidentification of a pest, etc. are
urged to contact the ODA.
TOP
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| 19. |
Q Are
your inspectors licensed?
A Yes. Our Inspectors
are individually licensed. They carry
their licenses with them and you may
ask to see their credentials at any
time. TOP
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| 20. |
Q Are
your inspectors experienced?
A Our inspectors have
40+ years combined experience doing
termite inspections. TOP
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