InterNACHI meets with Construction Advisory Board.

April 28th, 2004

InterNACHI members turned out in force at the City of Loveland Construction Advisory Board meeting Wednesday night.  Additionally on hand for the meeting were Nick Gromicko (InterNACHI's Executive Director) and Russell Spriggs (InterNACHI's Colorado Chapter President). 

At issue was a proposal by one of the Board's members to adopt ASHI's Standards of Practice as a requirement for all home inspectors working in Loveland. 

A stream of InterNACHI members approached the microphone and presented reasons the board should adopt InterNACHI's Standards of Practice or at least include it.  Arguments against omitting InterNACHI from the regulation included: restraint of free trade, InterNACHI's membership requirements, InterNACHI's relatively larger size compared to ASHI, InterNACHI's free online Standards of Practice Quiz, confusion by real estate agents as to association membership requirement, the relative superiority of InterNACHI's Standards of Practice over other association's, the likelihood that ASHI inspectors would point to the ASHI mention in the regulation to acquire an undo marketing advantage, the damage consumers would suffer if steered away from certified inspectors, and the strength of InterNACHI's Colorado Chapter.  Also voicing concern was the local Board of REALTORs political affairs Director.

InterNACHI is requesting that the board modify the proposed regulation to include the sentence "or be a member of the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI)" as an alternative to fulfilling the city's requirements.  InterNACHI's membership requirements already far exceed those within the proposed regulation.

With the exception of the board member who proposed the anti-consumer/anti-InterNACHI regulation, no board member objected to InterNACHI's request and several board members voiced their support of InterNACHI's inclusion.  The lone hold out on the board confessed that he was an ASHI candidate who has yet to pass any home inspection exam, yet actively performs home inspections within city limits.  In an awkward moment, caught on audio tape, this lone ASHI candidate/board member refused to even review InterNACHI's Standard of Practice saying quote "I don't have the time."  The tension of the moment was relieved when a reasonable board member, one David Stamps, agreed to review InterNACHI's Standard of Practice for his colleague.  All the home inspectors who attended the meeting (save the one board member) were members of InterNACHI.  City counsel assured us that no action on home inspection regulation would likely occur before the Holidays.  Other members assured us a "fair shake."

Afterwards, in an informal InterNACHI member meeting in the hallway of the municipal building, the following was concluded:

• That the meeting went very well.
• That the board members acted very professionally without being stuffy, that they were understanding, sensitive to our position, and very sensible. 
• That because the ASHI candidate who proposed the original regulation would stand to financially profit (by excluding InterNACHI competitors) if adopted as written, he should seek to protect the honor of the City of Loveland Construction Advisory Board by recusing himself from this matter immediately. 
• That there is a good chance that InterNACHI will have its modest modification to the proposed home inspection regulation approved.
• That InterNACHI should fully support this regulation, once modified.

Update April 29th:  The Home Inspection Consumer Action Group came out in support of InterNACHI's efforts in Loveland Colorado.

InterNACHI thanks Colorado Chapter President Russels Spriggs and many other InterNACHI members in Colorado for organizing InterNACHI's strong appearance at Wednesday's meeting.

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Home Inspection Consumer Action Group

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