|
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE As part of a nationwide trend to professionalize the home inspection industry, on April 13, 2004, Governor Ernie Fletcher signed the Kentucky home inspector licensing bill into a law, making Kentucky the most recent state to license and regulate home inspectors in the nation. The licensing of home inspectors has been an idea sweeping the nation as a movement to protect consumers. Currently, there are 27 states licensing and/or regulating home inspectors in the United States. The laws in these States generally do the following: more clearly define what a home inspection is, outline specific requirements and educational pre-requisites to becoming an inspector, as well as mandate that specific insurance minimums are maintained. But before there were laws, there were committees and years of meeting and drafting—as was the case in Kentucky. In August 2002, a Work Study Group was formed that included members and representatives from ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors), NAHI (National Association of Home Inspectors), KREIA (Kentucky Real Estate Inspection Association), KAR (Kentucky Association of Realtors) and HBAK (Homebuilders Association of Kentucky). This Work Study Group, chaired by our very own Faith Greenwell, U.S. Inspect Louisville, Kentucky Area Manager, met monthly for 18 months and discussed problems and possible solutions to issues the three respective organizations experienced. “As a result of this group,” said Greenwell, “a spin-off committee was formed, informally called the Kentucky Home Inspector Licensing Task Force.” Greenwell chaired this committee as well, and it was this committee that wrote the licensing law that was recently passed. The law goes into effect July 2006, said Greenwell. Before that time, a Kentucky Home Inspector Board will be formed to draft Standards of Practice and a Code of Ethics, as well as training and continuing education requirements, she said. Unique of licensing laws in other states, the Kentucky licensing law will included a Right to Repair clause. According to Greenwell, this basically means that in the event that an inspector’s client has a complaint or feels he/she missed something during the inspection, the client must send their complaint in writing to the Home Inspector Board. The Inspector then has the right to access the property, review the concern and make repairs if necessary before the client can take any legal action. Greenwell says this particular clause will be the “envy of the nation.” The Kentucky Licensing Board will be made up of home inspectors from all over the State; however, there is allowance for one member to be a manager/owner of a multi-inspector company (not a home inspector). And so, Greenwell’s name is under consideration for a Kentucky Home Inspector Licensing Board position. Appointments will be made by Governor Fletcher in June.
|
