Insight / Insurance

Personal liability of building inspectors

There is currently a trend amongst plaintiffs to commence proceedings against building inspectors personally in defective building cases. This is only appropriate in very specific circumstances. A 'normal' situation, by way of example, is this: a purchaser wants to buy a house. They employ an inspector (a builder or specific pre-purchase inspection company) to look around the house and prepare a report. This is usually to satisfy the builders inspection condition in the standard-form sale and purchase agreement. The report says that the house is in good condition. The purchasers buy the house and discover that it leaks.

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