DISH network causing roof leaking, please help

That is all they do and can do. They confirm it works - but only if it's already running too ! If it's mid-January, in Ohio, an inspector won't turn on the AC or it's summer, they don't turn on the furnace. They get the age of the unit(s) and advise how many years it typically should have left. I'm making up numbers, but say the furnace is 8 years old and they typically last 15 years, they'll simply note it should be okay for another 7 years. That doesn't mean the blower motor, a circuit board, etc won't fail tomorrow though.

My neighbor is a home inspector and mentioned something that I was surprised about (related to turning on stuff): They will not plug things in to check if they work. Say a house is unoccupied and the previous owner left appliances but have unplugged them. He won't plug them in to see if they work. There is that very rare chance of a crazy fluke occurring and causing damage, either to the device or if it's already damaged, causing a problem with the home's wiring (even simply tripping a breaker).
Pretty much why I threw it under the "sh*t happens" moniker. Unless it looks like it is in incredibly poor shape, it's near impossible to say how long. I decided instead to be an adult about it, by a new one, and drive on.
 
That is all they do and can do. They confirm it works - but only if it's already running too ! If it's mid-January, in Ohio, an inspector won't turn on the AC or it's summer, they don't turn on the furnace. They get the age of the unit(s) and advise how many years it typically should have left. I'm making up numbers, but say the furnace is 8 years old and they typically last 15 years, they'll simply note it should be okay for another 7 years. That doesn't mean the blower motor, a circuit board, etc won't fail tomorrow though.

My neighbor is a home inspector and mentioned something that I was surprised about (related to turning on stuff): They will not plug things in to check if they work. Say a house is unoccupied and the previous owner left appliances but have unplugged them. He won't plug them in to see if they work. There is that very rare chance of a crazy fluke occurring and causing damage, either to the device or if it's already damaged, causing a problem with the home's wiring (even simply tripping a breaker).

Actually when I sold a house in GA, they did just that. It was Summer and they tested the heat first by turning it on to ensure hot air of a certain temp and then tested the AC by timing how long it took to get the house back down to set temp.
 
Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest that none will do it. Different inspectors, different companies, etc can have different policies, of course.
 
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The Home inspector is actually not always responsible for a termite report, in fact they are not often so, and in some states they can not be unless they hold a current pest control permit. But that is something that does vary and some firms do as a matter of fact have inspectors who do termite inspection, but it isn't a blanket task they do. And as I posted they do not normally walk an attic with only joists, if someone's did that's good, but not good when damage is done. They also do not generally walk a roof but that's not to say they never do.

"The standards require that the type of attic access be identified. Pull down ladders, scuttle holes, stairs and door access are the typical means. How was the attic inspected? Some attics can be walked and others because of construction or stored material must be inspected from the furnace platform or the top of the ladder. Whatever the means used must be identified and the reason why the inspector did not walk through the attic. Also identified are attic areas that were not accessible."
http://www.edificeinspections.com/i...what-the-inspectors-inspect-part-7-attic.html

And this is exactly what I originally posted;
" Entering an attic is a more complicated issue. Here again, InterNACHI Standards of Practice state that “the inspector is not required to enter any attic or any unfinished spaces that are not readily accessible, or where entry could cause damage or, in the inspector’s opinion, pose a safety hazard.”
http://www.mcgarryandmadsen.com/ins..._go_on_the_roof_Do_they_get_in_the_attic.html

I certainly can't say if a State has some law that requires them to enter any attic, but it is not standard practice to enter an attic with no floor or if damage could occur.
 
Maybe it's just VA (& NC), but I've always had separate home and termite inspections.
 
Hi all, I bought a house about two months ago, and it came with a Dish network on it. It was raining badly in the past couple of days and I noticed a significant leaking from the ceiling that have dampened my wall and carpet. I went to the attic and found the leaking was from where the dish was installed, and the wood already has pretty bad mold on it. This house is about 11 years old, and the rest roof is still perfectly fine.

I have called Dish Network, and the guy picked up the phone told me rudely he admit they installed the dish, but refuse to do anything since I am not a current customer. Does anyone has any similar experience? Please help.
He is correct in all respects. Since the house is yours and Dish is not responsible for the leak to you, but the original customer, you have no recourse against Dish.
However, if you used the services of a home inspector prior to closing, you may have a claim against the inspector.
Because I am in the restoration industry, my first advice would be to file a claim with your insurance company.
Again, there is nothing Dish can do for you.
Once you purchased the home, you assumed all of the responsibilities and risks thereof
 
Dish has no responsibility here, but the former homeowner would be liable if he knew about the leak.
There would have been visible damage/discoloration. The seller is not responsible unless they attempted to conceal or deceive.
In this day with the availability of consumer protections such as home inspectors, recording devices( for taking video records) and on line resources, anyone who does not do their due diligence before buying a home is a fool.
 
Take it up with the previous owner. At least in Ohio, if there are known "defects", they have to disclose them. This is useful in cases where, for example, a basement gets water in it but only during very, very heavy rain and at the time you viewed the house or the inspector did his/her work, it hadn't rained in a while (so no evidence).

If there is mold, you must not have had it inspected. Then again, if you did, don't try and hold the inspector responsibile (read the agreement with him/her).
Before one can prevail, they must prove their case. In other words, they must gather evidence proving that not only the base flooded EVERY time is rained( once in a hundred year flood doesn't count or even if the basement took on water only occasionally....A simple look around for a sump pump would suffice....
To be honest, some of these consumer protection laws have gone off the deep end. Almost to the point where buyers have no responsibilities at all.
Home inspectors in most states now must be licensed. It is highly advisable for anyone hiring an inspector to have that inspector produce a license AND proof of liability and/or errors and omissions insurance.
 
Also, odds are it can be fixed and done simply. Just remove the dish's mounting foot, seal the holes liberally, and replace the shingle that has the holes in it. Apply a fungicide to the mold in the attic and move on...

You'll get some who will insist the roof and shingles need replaced, you'll need a "mold remediation" performed, etc, etc, of course....
If its not a significant area of mold, say no more than 10 square feet, it's not a big deal to treat the mold with any number of household mold and mildew cleaners. The only issue here is if the roof decking has apparent or actual rot..
If rot is present that section of roof decking should be replaced.
I am in the restoration business. I will be the first one to inform others to beware of companies that express alarm about mold and then attempt to sell the homeowner an expensive mold remediation...Get quotes from different contractors.
 
Once installed, the dish and cabling becomes the property of the account holder. If there was a leak being caused, it is caused by the previous owners property, just as if they drilled a hole. The installation of Dish Network cannot be held responsible as their property didn't cause the leak. That said, check your purchase agreement, and see if there is any recourse for this situation. Either way though, Dish holds zero responsibility in the install, as since it was also the customers property there is no proof that they didn't do the installation there specifically.
"If there was a leak being caused, it is caused by the previous owners property, just as if they drilled a hole"
Not true....This only applies if A) the seller of the home knew there was a leak and B) made efforts to deceive the buyer by concealing the damage and the cause of said damage.
NO ONE should EVER buy a home without FIRST employing the services of a licensed home inspector.
 
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Exactly, but he accepted and sold. The responsibility is all the previous owners(depending on the purchase agreement.).
Just a minute.. The leak would have had to occur and the damage would have to indicate a long term issue.
Mold can form within 72-96 hours....Ultimately, the responsibility is on the buyer to hire a home inspector before the closing.
If the buyer elects to forego an inspection, then its buyer beware. As long as there is no deception on the part of the seller( difficult to prove) the buyer has no recourse.
 
If the leak is caused by the Dish, then the installer or company who sold it is responsible. Regardless if the customer is an active customer or not.

The issue is that the house was then sold, so it's really considered a pre-existing condition.
Not forever....The warranty on any roof penetration is limited by time..
Is it your opinion that if you install a satellite antenna to a roof and 5 years after the install the roof just happens to leak in that spot, you should be held liable for the damage?
If that were the case, NO ONE would ever mount a sat antenna to a roof. EVER....Lets not lose sight of the concept of a limited warranty...
I had a co worker who had a homeowner come at him for a roof leak that was near a dish that was there for over 5 years.
Apparently, this guy thought there was some kind of lifetime warranty on a roof mounted antenna. That it would never leak.....
The owner of the company politely declined to engage the customer and sent him on his way.
 
I certainly can't say if a State has some law that requires...
I can't speak for states other than Ohio, but Ohio has no laws regarding what a home inspector does or doesn't do. All the state is concerned with is that they are licensed, insured (even the insurance part may not be mandatory by the state), and file their taxes.
 
. . . and whenever possible, have it mounted on/over the eave portion of the roof. That is what I have always required of the installers, and they understand and AGREE!

If not possible, then, regardless, the installer should always use and properly apply a sealant.

Further, a roofer told me to NEVER have a dish installed on any flat portion of a roof because the water will pool there, at the bolts/screws slight depression and eventually work or rot its way through the roof to cause a leak.
 
Not forever....The warranty on any roof penetration is limited by time..
Is it your opinion that if you install a satellite antenna to a roof and 5 years after the install the roof just happens to leak in that spot, you should be held liable for the damage?
If that were the case, NO ONE would ever mount a sat antenna to a roof. EVER....Lets not lose sight of the concept of a limited warranty...
I had a co worker who had a homeowner come at him for a roof leak that was near a dish that was there for over 5 years.
Apparently, this guy thought there was some kind of lifetime warranty on a roof mounted antenna. That it would never leak.....
The owner of the company politely declined to engage the customer and sent him on his way.

There are a whole bunch of what if's

If the install was done 3 months ago then yes the installer is liable. 5 years ago, probably not.

I have never seen dish actually be responsible for a leak in a roof. It's usually something else near the Dish and then the dish gets blamed.
 
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