Philly L&I Dodges Questions About 600 Inspections By 9 Rookies In One Week

A group of inexperienced and uncertified inspectors for the Department of Licenses and Inspections conducted around 600 inspections of unsafe buildings in a single week last month, The Inquirer has learned.

Each of the nine newly hired inspectors then recorded their work in L&I’s database under the name of another man, an experienced inspector with the agency.

L&I officials say the inspections were part of a training exercise for the rookies.

The inspections, from Feb. 9 through 13, were performed the same week City Controller Alan Butkovitz released a report criticizing L&I for not inspecting unsafe buildings – those that are badly damaged or deteriorated – in a timely manner.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20150323_L_I_dodges_questions_about_600_inspections_by_9_rookies_in_one_week.html#E4ZoYtgCSAIfCJof.99

2015 MONTCO HOUSING FAIR

Saturday, April 18

The Montgomery County Partners for Home Ownership, in conjunction with the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Development, invites you to join our annual HOUSING FAIR. The Housing Fair is free to the public and will include an exhibitor area for non-profits, banks, mortgage companies, realtors & insurance companies, home inspectors, credit companies and other housing-related organizations. Workshops will be running throughout the day!

Date: April 18, 2015

Time: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Location: Plymouth Whitemarsh High School

Address: 201 E. Germantown Pike

Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462

Contact: 610-278-3540

Reading City Council Gets Tough On Blight!

City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a new version of the pre-sale inspection ordinance that it repealed in 2006, requiring all properties to get checked for code compliance when they’re on the market.

The ordinance mandates that property owners get a certificate of transfer for all properties – residential or commercial – sold after April 1, 2012.

To get the certificate, the owners will have to pay $150 for the health and safety inspection, and pass it. However, the inspection will be scaled down from the full-blown inspection required under the earlier program that cost $300.

It’s also far less than the higher costs in a new fee schedule for other inspections that council adopted Tuesday. For instance, a regular inspection of a single-family home will cost $505, up from $240.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=355261