ulletin
of THE NORTH CAROLINA HOME INSPECTOR LICENSURE BOARD
In Memory of Grover Sawyer
Spring 2004
322 Chapanoke Road
Suite 200
Raleigh, NC 27603
919.662.4480
919.662.4459 fax
website at:
http://www.nchilb.com
UPCOMING EVENTS
April 30
Application Deadline (June Exam)
May 14
Board Hearing (Holiday Inn Express,
Wilmington, 9:30 am)
Registration Deadline (June Exam)
May 15
Board Meeting (Holiday Inn Express,
Wilmington; 9:30 am)
June 17
Exam (Chapanoke Road, Raleigh)
June 24
Exam (Mocksville, NC)
June 25
Application Deadline (August Exam)
July 9
Board Meeting (Chapanoke Road,
Raleigh; 9:00 am)
Registration Deadline (August Exam)
July 12
Exam Review (Chapanoke Road,
Raleigh; for both June Exams)
August 5
Exam (Chapanoke Road, Raleigh)
August 20
Board Meeting (Holiday Inn SunSpree,
Asheville; 9:30 am)
Application Deadline (October Exam)
IN THIS ISSUE
In Memory of Grover Sawyer 1
Director's Message 1
NCHILB Pre-Approved
Continuing Education
Courses For 2004 4
For your consideration ... 6
Disciplinary Actions 7
Renewal Policy 7
This is my first opportunity to pay tribute
to Grover Sawyer, one of the original North
Carolina Home Inspector Licensure Board
members. Grover passed away last November
24th, after an extended battle with cancer. He
was my friend and I know that I speak for every¬
one on the Board and staff when I say that he is
deeply missed.
You probably did not know that Grover
Sawyer was a native of Pasquotank County and
he always had a ready smile, could shag with
the best of them and had a taste for hot/spicy
food. He was fun to be around. The lessons he
learned from his rural upbringing never left him.
Even after graduating from North Carolina State
and working for the Department of Insurance's
Office of the State Fire Marshal for twenty-three
years, he never lost sight of who he was and
where he came from. Grover was only 57 years
old at the time of his death, but he left a living
legacy in the many people that he touched and
influenced over the years.
Grover was passionate about his family
and friends, his job and his golf game. He is
survived by his wife, Debbie, and his eldest son,
Scott. As the Deputy Commissioner over
Engineering, he was recognized as one of the
State’s top experts on the building code.
Grover worked tirelessly to help people under¬
stand and comply with the codes that he admin¬
istered, and not just building codes but the
North Carolina Home Inspector Licensure
Board Standards of Practice as well. His per¬
sonal contributions to this Board helped define
and establish what exists today. As for his golf
game, it was not unusual for him to score in the
low seventies. Grover never did anything half¬
heartedly.
To his many acquaintances across the
State, his energy and enthusiasm will be greatly
missed. Grover had a contagious zest for life
that should be a source of inspiration to us all. It
was a privilege to know him.
John W. Hamrick, Chairman
Director's Message
I am continuing on the theme from the
Summer 2003 Bulletin, talking more about the
complaint process. Last time I went on about
how to avoid complaints. In this message, I will
discuss what’s required from you after a com¬
plaint is filed. I will also tell you what your
options are if the complaint has basis-in-fact.
Since the number of complaints has increased, I
thought that you could benefit from learning a
little more about your part in the complaint
process.
First, let's look at some statistics. The
North Carolina Home Inspector Licensure
Board has averaged just over 29 complaints
per year since licensing came into existence in
1996. Last year the Board received 49 com¬
plaints or about one per week. This annual rate
amounts to less than one complaint for every
twenty home inspectors. This ratio is significant¬
ly smaller if you look at it on a “per inspection”
basis. Hypothetically, assume that each inspec¬
tor performs 250 inspections per year on aver¬
age, then the ratio of complaints per inspection
would be roughly 1 in 5000 inspections. Please
don’t tty to check my math, I only used these
numbers to make a point. With these odds it
seems unlikely that you will have a complaint
filed against you, but time and volume are
not your friend.
In the last Bulletin, three ways were
offered to avoid complaints: 1) Abide by the
SOP, 2) Maintain a professional demeanor, and
3) Educate your client. It stands to reason that if
you do the opposite, you will increase your
chances for a complaint. Unfortunately, there is
also a fourth factor: volume. The insurance carri-
continued on page 2
