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  1. #1
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    Sep 2013
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    Default Township Claims That it Does Not Have Copies of Inspection Reports

    I will try to keep this brief. (Edit: This is in state of NJ).

    Back in 2014, I put in a couple of complaints to the local township construction office (they are the building inspections people) regarding conditions in an apartment complex. One of the complaints was minor, but the other ended up being a big deal.

    In 2015, I requested from the construction office copies of the relevant documentation from these inspections. I kept getting put off over a period of weeks. Finally, I put in an open records request.

    I (only) then received a reply in a day or two that "We do not have any permits or inspections showing on our system related to [my complaints] in 2014.."

    This is hard to believe. One of these complaints was a serious structural safety issue throughout the apartment complex, and involved extensive inspections and repairs over a period of months. I had emailed the construction official (inspector) while this was going on in 2014 and requested a copy of any reports. He had replied and said that the issue was still ongoing, but that he would provide the results after everything was done. I found out later that he had left his position shortly after all this concluded.

    I guess my question is... are these townships required to generate/keep copies of inspection reports, work ordered, etc., in cases like this? I did briefly look into this, but so far, I seemed to only find requirements for documentation for inspections of NEW construction. Thanks.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Township is Claiming They Don't Have Inspection Reports

    I'm just going to hazard a guess here as a 33 year retired government bureaucrat.

    "...the issue was still ongoing..." usually means the employee hasn't written any reports yet in connection with the matter at hand.

    If the employee left his position shortly thereafter, it could be that prior to his departure he never completed any paperwork at all on this issue, hence, no records exist. It doesn't happen that often but I have seen it occur.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Township is Claiming They Don't Have Inspection Reports

    Quote Quoting L-1
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    "...the issue was still ongoing..." usually means the employee hasn't written any reports yet in connection with the matter at hand.
    No, the inspections and remediation were indeed still ongoing. He had done a preliminary inspection of a random sampling of units, and found much wrong. At the point I had contacted him, he was coming back within a week (and did) to perform a comprehensive inspection of the entire complex.

    Quote Quoting L-1
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    If the employee left his position shortly thereafter, it could be that prior to his departure he never completed any paperwork at all on this issue, hence, no records exist. It doesn't happen that often but I have seen it occur.
    He would have still had SOME documentation.

    I did a web search for the inspector involved some time ago. It seems he has decades of experience, sits on one or more professional boards, has testified as an expert witness. I dealt with him twice via email, and also saw/overheard him do his inspections in my area of the complex. He was very diligent and professional. Did what he said what he would do. Assured me confidentiality (even though I didn't care). Given this, the serious safety issues involved, and the extent of the work ($$$) ordered, I find it really, really hard to believe that there was no documentation generated and handed over. The people I have dealt with in that construction office since he left didn't seem too bright or competent. Their handling of my request for information was odd. I suspect laziness/incompetence/misconduct on their part, not the inspector's.

    Thanks.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Township is Claiming They Don't Have Inspection Reports

    OK.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Township is Claiming They Don't Have Inspection Reports

    If you have a complaint or want to check into this further, you can contact the Division of Codes and Standards or the dept. of Code Official Information or the Construction Reporter at the Department of Community Affairs in Trenton.

    As an aside, we used to have a building inspector that would never look up (something to do with his neck I guess). He would do his inspection and then rip the number off the inspection sticker and staple it to your application folder. That was the extent of the report. If he found anything that needed changing, he would say, "fix it or I will get you the next time." He never came back to see if it was fixed and by the time the next inspection was due, it would be covered up but he would ask, "I remember you had something that you had to fix. Did you fix it?" Of course I did.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Township is Claiming They Don't Have Inspection Reports

    Quote Quoting budwad
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    If you have a complaint or want to check into this further, you can contact the Division of Codes and Standards or the dept. of Code Official Information or the Construction Reporter at the Department of Community Affairs in Trenton.
    Thanks, but I think you have gotten off track from my question. My question was one about the record keeping requirements on the part of the construction office in the local township, not about building codes or inspector licensing. The inspection occurred in response to a tenant complaint regarding serious potential hazards at an existing, occupied apartment complex. This was not new construction, or an inspection for a certificate of occupancy.

    Quote Quoting budwad
    View Post
    As an aside, we used to have a building inspector that would never look up (something to do with his neck I guess). He would do his inspection and then rip the number off the inspection sticker and staple it to your application folder. That was the extent of the report. If he found anything that needed changing, he would say, "fix it or I will get you the next time." He never came back to see if it was fixed and by the time the next inspection was due, it would be covered up but he would ask, "I remember you had something that you had to fix. Did you fix it?" Of course I did.
    Per my response to L-1, the inspector here was definitely not like this. Furthermore, this wasn't a standard inspection (such as for a certificate of occupancy). The inspection occurred because of a complaint of a serious structural failure, and a concern that there might be more on the property. Even a lazy, careless, etc. inspector would be on notice that he could not just rubber stamp this. Finally, the inspector was warned that he was being contacted because the property ownership/management could not be trusted to address the problem, despite its seriousness.

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