I had entered previous comments last week stating our willingness to entertain the spirit of SB 627, but with several amendments to the bill as written.   One additional change that is important to home inspectors, if the bill ever passes, is that it should not be retroactive.

My previouse excerpt is below:

"We believe that the liability should only be extended to serious circumstances regarding safety and not to cosmetic items, minor repairs, or any repairs that would be considered typical home maintenance.  The altered Bill should have more depth and specificity wherein it defines "Safety", as well as how it defines the issues that would fall beneath the term, e.g., structural integrity of the dwelling, construction methods used, proper use of building materials, etc.  Also, it should not be retroactive, but should have an effective date either July 1 or January 1 of the year following bill passage.

The spirit of SB 627 is well-intended; however, if the bill is not written properly (as in its present form), it will cause an avalanche of issues including 1) Rising insurance premiums and deductibles that will cause hardship to many small business owners, 2) Subsequent increases of inspection fees to customers as a result of increased business costs, 3) Exploitation and closure of non-franchised small businesses who have no capacity to bear the added costs, and 4) An increase in frivolous claims being made by some customers."