Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  02/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had an inspection completed on my home on 08/30/2023 by ***** from Linkhorn Inspection Group. During the inspection, the inspector did note that I should follow up with a basement professional as the inspector had questions regarding whether two I-beams were properly installed for a portion of a basement wall. The inspector did not note any other foundational issues with any of the other basement walls. Upon following up with three separate basement companies to get a well-rounded opinion, I was informed that I have stage 3 foundational wall failure (shearing) on a basement wall that the inspector did not note any issues with as well as bowing on the rest of the basement walls, which the inspector once again did not note any issues with. The inspector did note an issue with one gutter (possibly due to ground settlement), but the wall nearest to this gutter is not showing any foundational issues. The inspector did not note any issues with any other gutters that could have contributed to these issues or drainage issues that would have contributed to the bowing of the walls in my basement. I am heavily disappointed with the inspector’s failure to note these issues, which are occurring a mere five months after having Linkhorn Inspection Group inspect my house.

  Business response

  02/23/2024

  Good Afternoon-  Linkhorn inspections provided a pre-purchase home inspection for a client by this name in August of 2023.  Without seeing some photos and estimates of the areas of concern, it is extremely difficult to for us to property respond to this complaint.  There are many factors and potential limitations during the home inspection.  Mr. Stewart is welcome to email his concerns, photos, estimates/evaluations to ct@linkhonrinspections.com for further review by our claims team.

  Thank you!

  -***** ******

  General Manager

  Customer response

  03/06/2024

  Complaint: 21290261
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  Responding to Linkhorn Inspection Group's response proved difficult due to a misspelling of Linkhorn's name in the email provided by ***** ******. After realizing the error and correcting the email, I provided the information requested on Friday, March 1st. As of this date, Wednesday, March 6th, I have not received a response from Linkhorn or their claims team.

  Regards,
  
  Nicholas Stewart

  Business response

  03/07/2024

  The information was received and will be reviewed and responded to.  The GM who reviews this information has been out with the flu for a few days.

   

  Thanks

   

• Initial Complaint

  02/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I wish I could leave a good review, but I cannot. The entire process felt rushed and the home inspector did not do a thorough job. As soon as the home inspector walked into the house, he was visibly annoyed. He said on multiple occasions “this is too big of a home for one inspector”. He rushed through the entire inspection, didn’t go over everything with me, and overlooked some visible damage. On the floor in the living room, there were damaged hardwood floorboards (you can even see them in the pictures from the Zillow listing). This damage was not noted in the inspection at all. Since it wasn’t noted, we just assumed it was no big deal, or it was possible water damage (there was water damage in other areas of the home). Turns out, it was termite damage. Once the drywall was removed, we discovered a ton of termite damage that ended up costing us several thousands of dollars to treat and remediate. I understand that there was no way to know what was behind the drywall during the inspection, but because there were multiple floorboards with extensive termite damage in the middle of the living room that just was either ignored or overlooked, it makes me question the rest of the inspection. We talked to neighbors who were interested in purchasing the home and flipping it, but they noticed the termite damage and underbid the home because of it. If they noticed the damage, why didn’t the inspector? The inspector also said the insulation in the attic was sufficient, but the insulation is well below the ceiling rafters (which I now know is less than ideal). Overall, I would strongly advise against using Linkhorn for home inspections because of our experience. I definitely wouldn’t have moved forward with purchasing the home had I known there was termite damage and now I’m stuck with a remediation bill worth thousands of dollars.

  Business response

  02/20/2024

  Hello-  Linkhorn inspections provided a home inspection for this client on 06/23/2023.  There are no records of communication regarding these issues prior to this notice that I'm able to see.

  Linkhorn inspections provided a home inspection in accordance with the Ohio Home inspector standards of practice.  A wood destroying insect inspection, which we do offer separately, was not requested for this property at that time.  

  The Ohio SOP rule can be found here. ****************

  From the standards: (C) Licensees who perform home inspections are not required to identify or disclose a
  property’s concealed conditions, latent defects or cosmetic deficiencies that do not
  significantly affect a property’s system or part of a system’s performance for the
  system’s intended purpose. A licensee’s inspection is limited to a visual and not
  technically exhaustive examination of readily accessible components and systems as
  of the specific date and time the inspection occurred.

  (E) A licensee is not required to determine or offer an opinion about any of the following
  items in a home inspection report for a property inspected:(4) The source or causes of conditions or deficiencies in the property.  (10) The presence at the property of any animals, environmental hazards or substances
  that may be hazardous or harmful to any living being.

  While we hope to help clients avoid potential pitfalls of any property purchase, there is always risk involved based on the limitations of a pre-purchase home inspection.  The inspection is not a guarantee or warranty of any kind, and this is very clearly identified with the inspection report, the inspection agreement as well as the state of Ohio's standards.  From the inspection report. "The following is a synopsis of the potentially significant improvements that should be budgeted for over the short term. Other significant improvements, outside the scope of this inspection, may also be necessary."

  While i do understand sympathize with this unfortunate situation, there isn't anything further I can offer in this case.

  Regards,

  -***** ******- GM

• Initial Complaint

  11/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We had our home inspected on August 25th, 2023. During the inspection while attempting to complete the roof inspection, the inspector placed his ladder against the gutter and continued to climb the ladder. Due to the lack of care shown by the inspector, the placement of the ladder resulted in damage to the gutter. During the inspection, we had paid to have the radon tested to determine if a radon mitigation system would be needed and if it should be requested. The radon levels that Linkhorn provided were below the EPA recommended 4.0 pCi/l at 3.6 pCi/l. After closing on the house, we had the home retested and was informed by a lab report that the levels were approximately 3x that of what Linkhorn had informed us of (11.0 pCi/I). After speaking with multiple certified/licensed radon specialists, we were advised that while radon does fluctuate, it would not have fluctuated as much as shown and suggested that the equipment Linkhorn was using may not have been calibrated. After reaching out to Linkhorn regarding our dissatisfaction, we spoke with ******* ******* Chris T*****. We expressed our concerns about the radon and inquired about the 200% satisfaction guarantee as advertised on their website. After mentioning this policy, Chris stated that we would need to read the policy as it does not allow for us to follow up 75 days after the inspection. After reading through the policy with Chris and advising that it does not have a clause of how long a customer has to submit their complaint, we were advised that it was up for interpretation and that our interpretation of the guarantee was incorrect and only his interpretation mattered. This left us even more dissatisfied with the services provided by Linkhorn. Due to the incorrect information provided by Linkhorn, we were not given the opportunity to make an informed decision on request the remedy and are now stuck with paying $1600 for something that should have been caught during the inspection period.

  Business response

  11/14/2023

  As was discussed in conversation, radon levels do fluctuate from day to day, season to season, especially with changing weather patterns.  The testing we provided was indeed within calibration, that information is readily available on the report that we provided at the time of service.  That report also gives the EPA's guidance on radon levels which is provided here for reference.  "Measured average Radon Level: Between 2-4 pCi/l (74-148 Bq/m3): Consider mitigation or periodic retest as indoor Radon levels vary by season and weather conditions."  Linkhorn Inspections can only provide the radon levels measured during the testing period and cannot make any guarantees or warranties of future conditions as is expressed in the pre-inspeciton agreement signed and accepted by the client.  "7. Disclaimer of Warranty: The Client understands that the inspection and report do not, in any way, constitute a guarantee, warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, express or implied warranty, or an insurance policy. Additionally, neither the inspection nor the report is a substitute for any real estate transfer disclosures that may be required by law"  

  I was informed yesterday via telephone that you would like another radon test conducted, and I offered to provide that at no charge.  That offer was refused.

  At this time Linkhorn Inspections is willing to refund your radon testing fee of $139.00 as a resolution to this matter.  I can be reached via email with further communication.  **************************

  Thank you.

  Customer response

  11/15/2023

  I accept the business's response to resolve this complaint.
  Regards,
  
  ******* ****

• Initial Complaint

  09/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I got a home inspection done on 7/13/23. I paid for a gas line warranty that would cover the cost of repair or replacement if it was found a gas lines were faulty. According to the inspector named Sean, there were no gas leaks found. I moved in 8/25/23. On 8/28/23, my contractor discovered there was a gas leak in the crawlspace. Columbia Gas had to turn the gas off and they are inspection was they were multiple leaks. I ***** ****** came out to give me a quote, they also found multiple leaks, so all of the lines needed to replaced. I contacted Linkhorn and have been in contact with Chris T*****, the general manager. He was supposed to come the day, ***** ******, replace the lines, to take pictures, and never showed up. It’s been impossible to get in contact with him since last week. Had I known there were multiple gas leaks I would have never bought this house. I paid $3550 to replace all of the gas lines under my house and inside ones going to the appliances. I want the total replacement cost. Had their inspector done their job, I would have never bought this house. I went four days without gas. I needed multiple inspections before Columbia Gas would turn it back on. I had to get a city permit and the city inspection too. I paid $589+ For the inspection. And I paid extra for gas line warranty. The inspection company was so incredibly inept that I ended up buying a house that was dangerous. ***** ****** took pictures and told me that the valves were out of code, they were multiple leaky connections, and some of the lines were visibly rusted to the point they were visibly bad.

  Business response

  09/11/2023

  Good afternoon-  Linkhorn Inspection Group has been touch with ******* and has been 100% cooperative with her issues.  Per a phone conversation with the client she stated a contractor working outside her home noticed an odor of natural gas and the utility company was engaged to evaluate and then pressure tested her lines, something we cannot do during the course of a home inspection.  In the course of their testing they found a leak and ******* engaged a plumbing company to make repairs.  Per our gas line agreement, ******* provided an invoice for repairs and we have sent a payment for $1,000.00 to the client via check that will be delivered vis postal service.  This was processed on 9/7/2023 and may take up to 7-10 business days to arrive in the mail.  Thank you.

  Customer response

  09/12/2023

  I accept the business's response to resolve this complaint. HOWEVER, your inspection services are terrible. I’ll be letting my realtor, who is the ** ****** *** ****** ***** **** know not to let any of his clients use Linkhorn. The inept inspection cost me $2500 due to completely faulty gas lines that we’re out of code also. 
  
  ******* S**********

• Initial Complaint

  08/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  They performed a home inspection on **** **** *** on June 22, 2023 before we bought. In the report they said in the roof observations: “• ---Slope roof--- • Normal wear and tear • Monitor: The roofing is in fair condition. We did not see evidence of active leaks nor need for immediate major repair. • Repair/Replace: Minor repairs to the roofing are needed. Damaged or missing roofing material should be repaired. All roof penetrations should be examined and sealed as necessary. Aging or loose flashing can cause leaks, these items should be maintained periodically to prevent water intrusion.( Nail heads and pops should be sealed on cap and flashings).” About a week after we bought the place we noticed a leak on the front room ceiling. We had a roofer come out and long story short, there are three layers of shingles and the whole roof needs replacing. We got two more opinions and they said the same thing. Estimates from the first two roofers ranged from $12,500 to $14,500. I let them know on 8/21. They said they'd go out on 8/24. I followed up on the morning of 8/28 and have heard nothing. I do have the quotes, report, and photos. The file size limits what I can send via this form.

  Business response

  08/30/2023

  Linkhorn Inspection Group is currently in the process of performing our own due diligence on this complaint.  We will be in contact with the homeowner to address this within 48 hours.

   

  Customer response

  09/11/2023

  Linkhorn and I have reached an acceptable resolution. They have agreed to our terms and are drafting a release letter for us to sign. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/15/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They missed all major issues in house as foundation issues, crack in many places , water was sweeping in through a footer break . It costs me 30000 to fix all issues . The drainage line is not connected to sump pump and all down spout are not working . If visible inspection only then please don’t hire this company you can do inspection yourself just hire seperate structural and roof inspection as it’s not worth hiring this company as they don’t didn’t catch major issues. I need the money for the fix to be addressed as 30k is a huge amount.

  Customer response

  07/19/2022

  
    Rajna Nannat (rajna.nannat@gmail.com)
    Mon, 07/18/22 9:56 pm
   
    Hi Team,
  
  I am not able to see the business response and my complaint is not posted
  as well online. I wanted Linkhorn to cover some amount as my entire house
  foundation is having lot of cracks and water is poring into crawl space due
  to broken footer in foundation. It costs me huge amount and mental stress
  now to fix all this. Kindly help me in this matter for missing such huge
  structural integrity saying only visible inspection by not looking under
  insulation when insulation is not sealed is not acceptable since huge fix
  cost is involved to me within 6 months of home purchase is not acceptable.
  
  I am attaching the inspection report now I took separately after I found
  out all this and the fix bill I got here. I took multiple quotes all coming
  to 30000+ with foundation and drainage repairs.
  
  Thanks,
  Rajna
  

  
  

  Business response

  07/28/2022

  The home inspection is of visible and accessible components.  The visible portion of the foundation did have some minor settlement cracks which were identified in the report provided.  The area of the foundation in question was concealed by insulation blanket and photos of this area are attached.  The inspection also identified evidence of water intrusion to the foundation as well possible mold and evidence of previous treatment for mold. The inspection also identified issues with the roof drainage system and the downspouts connections that were visible above ground being damaged and needing repair.  While I understand the clients frustration, the home inspection is a snapshot in time and cannot reveal every defect nor the severity of any defect found in a few hour inspection.  Home inspections are general in nature and provide observations with recommendations based on what the inspector can see at the time of inspection.  The inspection is not responsible to identify the cause or extent of reported conditions, it is up to the client upon receiving the inspection report to decide if any additional specialty inspections or review by professional contractors is desired, and when to bring in those experts.  We certainly sympathize with the client but we simply don't take on responsibility or liability for concealed or latent defects as is described in the inspection agreement signed by the client prior to services being rendered.

• Initial Complaint

  06/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  House passed inspection with mold and fire hazards with electricity. Also was told my roof was good and it’s leaking. Do not use this company

  Business response

  06/03/2022

  We have been in touch with Mr. ***** on February 28th and offered resolutions to his concerns.  We communicated these items via phone, voicemail, text message, and email and received no response.  I did speak with Mr. ***** this morning and advised him that we do have process by which we review these situations.  I supplied him my email and asked him to send us some documentation of his concerns.

*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. ↩