"Hardworking and super helpful."
Those are two traits that many bosses seek out when hiring building inspectors. That's what a supervisor of Salem, Massachusetts said in regards to their inspector, Mike Lutrzykowski. The problem is - "hardworking" and "super helpful" don't mean anything if the building inspector isn't even certified. Lutrzykowski hasn't been certified since 2013, but he has been working for the city, inspecting properties, up until June of 2017.
Lutrzykowski became a building inspector for Salem in October of 2011, but his certification expired two weeks after his appointment. He took three recertification tests from 2012-2014 but failed each test.
The state Board of Building Regulations and Standards (the ones in charge of Massachusetts building inspectors) caught on and contacted the city to alert them of the violation. Salem responded, saying he was no longer conducting inspections, and that his role had changed. While Lutrzykowksi's technical title changed from "Inspector" to "Public Property Assistant," he continued to inspect properties.
Because Lutrzykowski never signed the inspection papers, what he was doing ("giving advice") wasn't considered illegal, but could definitely lead to liability issues. He said he was just trying to assist the department (who have had troubles hiring inspectors) and just doing what his supervisor asked of him.
The city has since hired a new certified inspector to take on Lutrzykowski's role. While everyone avoided legal charges, it still taints the city's reputation with businesses and citizens who trust that their inspections are being done by certified, qualified candidates. Read more on the details here.
It's easy to trust anyone referred to as "hardworking" and "super helpful." But ultimately, certifications are what deem inspectors qualified to do their job. With CityForce IMPACT, all the information you need about your inspectors is available 24/7. IMPACT Contractor Page includes the following features:
1. Search
Search function to find your intended contractor among a group of inspectors
2. Details
DBA, Federal ID, website, comments, certifications/licenses, EPA expiration date, bond expiration, insurance expiration, mailing info, and contact info.
Through the Contractor Page, four tabs allow you to see even more information: contractor types, contacts, registrations, fees and permits. Contractor registration gives you the ability to view PDF reports of the registrations as well as make payments to the inspector. Contractor fees show the fees and when they are due/past due. Contractor permits show you the assigned permits that inspectors are currently issued.
