Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/19/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Please see attached letter regarding the issues that I faced with Grind Stone Inspections LLC.

  My name is ******* ********* & I purchased **** **** **** ****** ******** ** ***** from Allied Services***** *** on February 23rd, 2023, & we moved into this home on February 27th, 2023. I am submitting a formal complaint against Grindstone Home Inspections & Allied Home Services & I am seeking reimbursement in the amount of $5,865.00.  
  
  ***** ****** from Grind Stone Home Inspections (inspection report is enclosed) completed our home inspection prior to our closing date. On March 1st, 2023, two days after moving into our new home, we encountered plumbing & drainage issues. We cannot comprehend how these issues were not located & reported during this inspection. The contractors that assisted us with these major plumbing issues after we purchased our home was A.B. May & Pete’s Plumbing, in which totaled $6,040.00 in repairs that we had to pay out of pocket.
  
  Pages 4 to 5 of this inspection report shows the Major Concerns, Minor Concerns, & Significant Concerns for the property in which most were addressed, but there are no plumbing & drainage issues included on this summary, which in the eyes of the buyer means that the plumbing is up to code.
  
  Page 32 of the inspection report is “Drainage & Grading” with a green check mark, which means that there are no issues. On the last page of the inspection report, you will see that Castle Camera & Drain did an inspection of our sewer/main line on January 20th, 2023, & noted that “Various debris including glass & insulation at 14 feet; Standing water filling half the clay line; There is a blockage, likely, roots at 42 feet; It is currently draining OK, but will likely clog & back up if the toilets start to get used frequently”. This issue was addressed to the buyer & prior to closing, I received a copy of a paid invoice from DU-ALL Services LLC showing that this sewer line was cleared (Service Date February 1st, 2023) please see attached paid invoice. Three days after moving into our new home, water was coming up from the shower drain, sink, & toilet on the lower level of the house. To contribute to this matter, whenever the shower & toilet form the upstairs bathroom was being used, this contributed to the plumbing issues arising in the basement. I had no choice but to call a plumber as soon as possible so that we could use our bathrooms, which is when I called Pete’s Plumbing to assist us. During Pete Plumbing’s inspection, it was found that tree roots were blocking out sewage line which caused these plumbing issues, please see attached picture of tree roots. Our contractor confirmed that this is not a month’s worth of buildup of tree roots & that if the original contractor caught this, we would not have had these issues. The cost to remove these tree roots from the sewer line was $175.00, please see attached invoice. I cannot seem to comprehend how D.U. All Services is stating that they cleared out these tree roots.
  
  Pages 35 to 37 of the inspection report is “Plumbing” which includes Cleanout, Floor Drain, Fuel Lines, Hose Bibb, Main Fuel Supply, Main Water Valve, Plumbing Vent, Shower/Tub, Sink, Stand-Alone Shower, Sump-Pump, Toilet, Waste Discharge Pipe, Water Heater, & Water Pipe. All these areas have green check marks, which means that their inspection found no issues in these areas. A.B. May Plumbing (located in Kansas City, MO) came to our home on March 1st, 2023, reported & repaired the following plumbing issues:
  1)    Bath Main Drain Re-Pipe: Pull & Reset Stool; Includes all exposed pipe in basement & stack; includes all access through back walls under kitchen & bathroom sinks; Includes 4” cleanout.
  2)    Leak from the toilet in one of the two bathrooms upstairs was leaking down into the basement bathroom. Could not determine which toilet was causing this leak as both upstairs toilets were loose & not held securely on the floor.  
  3)    After pulling & resetting the toilets upstairs & testing them & there was still a leak. After further inspection, no water was around the drain below the toilet, which then the plumbers saw that the tub & lav-strainer tie into 3 inch & that the fitting was leaking.
  4)    The bathroom ceiling in the basement then had to be cut, in which water then came pouring out as the three-inch pipe was holding water.
  5)    It was then found after checking the fall that the stack was pitched backwards & found the hole stack to the master bathroom all had improper fall. The stacks were then repiped to both bathrooms.
  6)    Toilet paper was then found backing up the line.
  7)    The main drain was then replaced in the basement to repipe for new toilets, & new flangeds were corrected to reset the toilets.
  The technician then tested for leaks & none were found along with drainage was flowing properly. These plumbing visits from A.B. May totaled to $5,865.00. As referenced above, these toilets were not sealed into the floor correctly & uneven, that there was a secondary leak coming from the shower, & that the seller did not put a hole for the washer in which we informed the seller that we were purchasing. Please see attached invoice.
  
  I then reached out to our realtor to make him aware of what we encountered not even a week after moving into this home. He then reached out to ***** from Grind Stone Inspections, in which ***** then reached out to me via text message. ***** stated that he checked his photos and could not find a plumbing company name on anything & advised us to go to Small Claims Court. I then supplied him with the invoice from D.U. All Services.  
  
  The seller’s realtor, Nic Trotter, was then involved with this matter through text message. His response was that this is very unfortunate that these items were missed during the inspection & that the resolution would have to be between the inspection company, the home warranty company, & the buyer.
  
  Another issue that was missed during this inspection report is that there was a hole in our roof that was leaking inside our home, please see picture attached. When looking into this, the flange was not sealed properly & we were able to look out into the sky due to the size of this hole. I was able to resolve the flange on my own, but we are still waiting for the clue-report for our roof. There were also three stacks on our roof that did not have the seal on them, which I then fixed on my own. We also have not received the clue-report for this roof inspection, as I was told the roof warranty would be carried over to us, but due to not having the clue-report, this did not happen. This instance was found about over a week after we moved in.
  
  I am a first-time homebuyer & my realtor provided us with great customer service. These issues mentioned are what turned such an exciting & happy time for my mother & I into a disaster. I am disappointed in the inspectors that I put my faith & trust in moving into my new home. My elderly mother has two bad knees, not being able to use the bathroom due to these issues & having to drive to different stores to use the restroom due to the lack of care/concern by our inspector & seller is not appreciated & unacceptable.
  
  In my opinion, Grind Stone Home Inspections did not complete the task requested in a satisfactory manner & are not making a good name for themselves. I am not sure if this is how they want to represent themselves in our community? I repeat, these plumbing issues occurred our second day after moving into our home. This home was completely remodeled/refurbished, which to one may mean that all is up-to-code. Clearly that was not the case per the documentation I am providing to you. I am requesting that I be reimbursed $6,040 from either Allied Home Services or Grind Stone Inspection Services, due to the failed reporting of the plumbing issues that we encountered after purchasing our home. Clearly, these issues occurred after the “flip” of the home, as there were no occupants in the home until we moved in.
  
  * **** ******* ** ******* **** **** *** ** **** ******* ****** ***** *** ** ** *** ***** ** ********************* ** ** *************
      
  ********
  ******* *********
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/26/2023

  The complaint is unfounded. The customer complaints are about the plumbing, the washer was not installed at the time of inspection, therefore the plumbing for the washer could not be tested. The scope of liability clearly explains the limitations of a building inspection. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/27/2023

  *** ****** ** ** ******** **** ****** ** * ****** *** **** **** ** * ****** *** *** *** ********* *** ********* ** ** ****** ** ******** **** ********* **** ** ****** ** ******* **********
  
  ********** ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because of the following. 

  1) Grindstone is emphasizing about the Washing Machine. This is not the complaint, this is about the overall inspection of the plumbing & items missed. How do you miss a hole in a roof? How do you not see that the plumbing was not up to code & allowing the water to backwards into the types? Please provide as to how these items were missed in plain sight. 

  2) Please see attached picture of the tree roots that were found in the pipes that were claimed to have been cleared out. I attached the receipt for this also that was supposedly completed prior to me moving in. These pipes were supposedly cleaned out but the plumber we had to pay for to inspect our pipes found these tree roots. 

  3) I also attached the Resolution of Unacceptable Conditions Amendment & the Inspection Notice 

  A new homeowner relies on these inspections & puts their trust in them to help us make the right choice in our home purchase. The response we received back due to this complaint has nothing to do with anything & has no evidence of packing up what I am stating happened in our home after moving in. I provided evidence & receipts but Grindstone is not providing anything other than two sentences. These things were clearly seen by the licensed plumbers I hired but not the inspector who is supposedly a licensed plumber? I supplied the detailed invoice from our licensed, I would like Grindstone to explain to me how these issues can happen within two days of moving into a new home. 

  This response is not satisfactory at all & I look forward to speaking with BBB about this further. 

  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* *********