Make Sure Your Property is Protected!
Tom Campbell of Campbell Law PC discusses the alarming increase in termite damage around the country, why it’s occurring and what you can do to protect your home. His advice is too not depend on your pest control company to keep you safe. If you think you have a termite problem—get an inspection from a knowledgeable, independent and unbiased professional.
Termites have always posed a risk to property, but with the arrival of the invasive Formosan species of termites to the US, damage is occurring at a much faster rate and can be harder to identify. Formosan termites originated in southern China and Taiwan. They are a bigger and more aggressive version of the subterranean termites that are native to the US. Thus, they do more damage at higher rates. However, the methods of prevention are the same for each of these species. Thus, the problem lies with termite companies failing to provide full treatments, this according to Alabama’s top regulator Joe Debrow.
To save money, companies have decided to leave customers’ homes vulnerable to infestations. They will charge their customers for termite prevention services and then provide little or no treatment to the homes. This is a profitable business model because companies have figured out they can make more money from taking payments and not treating than they lose on paying damage claims. Then to avoid paying claims they’ll make up excuses to convince their customers that they are not liable for the damage.
For instance, they will say that they’re not responsible for repairs because the customer has a “retreat only contract,” and not a “repair contract.” What consumers don’t realize is that if the company never supplied the services that they are warranting in the contract, then the terms of the are contract are null. This means repair costs plus all damages available under the law can be recovered. Further bogus examples that companies use to try and waive responsibility are “we haven’t found any living termites”, that “the cause of the infestation is moisture issues”, or that “the bond only covers Eastern subterranean termites, and not Formosans”.
If you suspect that you have termite damage to your home, it’s important to seek advice from an experienced professional who knows the industry’s tricks. Remember, termites damage wood slowly—the amount of damage caused by taking an additional day, week, or month to make an informed decision about an independent termite inspection is generally insignificant. So if you think you may have a claim, don’t call your termite company and risk destroying valuable evidence. Also, don’t try to make repairs or retreat on your own. Instead, give us a call we can help.
Campbell Law PC
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