Joy & Austin 29: RV Living

[PumaLover]

30 minutes ago, Four is Enough said:

Tip for getting the college kids to do Egg Hunts: slip a 20 in one of those plastic eggs...

We do this! Every year I throw a huge Easter party, with egg hunts for both the kids and the adults. We put money in the eggs and there is always a grand prize–a big chocolate bunny for the kids and alcohol for the adults! Everyone is super competitive and it's always so much fun. My best friend started the adult egg hunt idea many years ago, pre-kids. She hid money, condoms and lube in the eggs! ?

On 12/2/2019 at 8:33 PM, grandmadugger said:

These lawsuits are always interesting for me. I wonder how it passed inspection or if the buyer didn’t get an inspection. 

Not sure if you saw my disgusting toilet story on the previous page, but inspectors are not nearly as thorough as I had thought they would be. One realtor told me they just look at the surfaces of things, not inside walls at wiring or apparently under mobile homes to check things. So the inspector that checked our "new" home missed the toilet, the open septic tank (and lots more) but decided that we couldn't purchase the house without having a railing on the back deck. The deck was a foot off the ground, not bolted to the house in any way, and the legs of it were sitting in concrete-filled plastic ice cream tubs!! Those two things were not an issue, but the railing was.

Also there's an exposed sewer pipe in the shop where apparently the previous owner had a toilet (gross!) and that passed inspection, but we had to have a cracked switchplate in the laundry room replaced before it could pass inspection. So stupid. At least that's in California; not sure how it is in other states. Or maybe we just got a really lazy inspector.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

I wondered about the home inspection, too. Pretty shoddy for a home inspector to miss that.

[AussieKrissy]

On 12/3/2019 at 3:14 PM, Audrey2 said:

But Austin is a Christian contractor! How dare anyone say that his work is shoddy in any way?

And he and Jd are also pilots, even closer to god. 

[allthegoodnamesrgone]

2 hours ago, IReallyAmHopewell said:

I wondered about the home inspection, too. Pretty shoddy for a home inspector to miss that.

Depends on the inspector, and you also don't have to have an inspector. When we bought our current home DH & his brother did the inspection, BIL is a contractor & DH is a plumber, saved us about $600.  Missing something this major, and depending on when the house was purchased the home owners can go back on the inspector as well if it has been less than a year I believe, or at least that is what our inspector told us 15 years ago when we bought the house we are living in now. 

I know that the inspector the people who bought our old house hired, was insanely thorough. We sold a 900 sq foot house with a detached 2 car garage. I kicked him out after 4 HOURS. I'd been entertaining my 4 year old waiting for this jackass to finish. I finally kicked him out after I got sick, from my headache turned migraine.  He wasn't happy, and complained, my banker and realtor wanted to know what the hell he was doing in our little house for 4 hours, he had plenty of time. He was probably the most thorough inspector I've ever heard of. 

[Ivycoveredtower]

On the case of why this isn't bigger news in the media I have a feeling no media outlet really wants to go hard after a couple that just had a stillbirth a few months ago. 

[SilverBeach]

5 hours ago, PumaLover said:

inspectors are not nearly as thorough as I had thought they would be

My experience has been that inspectors want to keep relationships with realtors and try not to report anything that could tank a deal. Their inspections were generally not worth the money paid for them. I would never use an inspector recommended by a realtor, and would instead have a roofer inspect the roof, HVAC person inspect heating and AC, etc.

10 minutes ago, Ivycoveredtower said:

On the case of why this isn't bigger news in the media I have a feeling no media outlet really wants to go hard after a couple that just had a stillbirth a few months ago. 

I don't think this has anything to do with it. As previous posters have said, there just isn't anything newsworthy to the general public about a contractor getting sued, even if that contractor is Austin.  

[allthegoodnamesrgone]

Honestly, was it shoddy work on Austin's part, did Austin do the work out sub contract it?  My 1st question is why didn't the inspector notice the septic was insufficient for the land? 

A few things seem a little off, 1 they've bought the home in June of 2018 and didn't file a suit until October of 2019, They said they started noticing in August of 2018 that there was a problem with the septic, but they waited 14 months to do something about it.  They waited until Austin was a little more prominent on Counting One, and presumably had more money. 

But he either lied about saying he didn't' need a permit, but according to He needed a permit to install but they needed a permit to use it, if they didn't have that permit then they knew he didn't take out the proper permits.  I'm not 100% sure Austin is as shady as being  portrayed, I think I need more information. There is a possibility the homeowners are just looking to make a buck. Maybe they bit off more than they can chew and are looking for a way out without having to file bankruptcy. 

[QuiverFullofBooks]

18 hours ago, AussieKrissy said:

And he and Jd are also pilots, even closer to god. 

I sure as hell hope he’s not cutting corners there.

[EmmieJ]

I'm not very knowledgeable about real estate sales, and what knowledge I do have is limited to California.  In the real estate transactions I've been involved in, the prospective buyer had to pay for any and all inspections that they wanted done.  I believe those inspections usually have to be completed within a short window of time.  So did the buyers of that flipped home have inspections done?  Was one of them an inspection of the septic?  If yes, what did that inspection report say about the septic?  Does the lawsuit only name Austin as a defendant or does it also name an inspection company and/or individual inspector?

So many questions!  Yet another one is:  Does Austin carry business owner's liability insurance?  If so, that lawsuit should have already been turned over to his insurance company to respond to.  If not, he's an idiot.

[Knight of Ni]

If he didn't bother to get a contractor license I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't get insurance. 

[raspberrymint]

I wouldn't have been able to afford a non realtor-partnered inspector and I think that might have been part of the deal to get an FHA loan, anyway.  The water heater broke in 4 months and the oven in 9 months.  Oh well.  We can boil water and use the stove and microwave until we can afford to fix these things.

[HideousGreenShirt]

23 hours ago, AussieKrissy said:

And he and Jd are also pilots, even closer to god. 

What? They're pilots? Where did you hear this? 

Please link sources if you're going to post such scandalous, breaking news.

[JemimaPuddle-Duck]

4 hours ago, EmmieJ said:

I'm not very knowledgeable about real estate sales, and what knowledge I do have is limited to California.  In the real estate transactions I've been involved in, the prospective buyer had to pay for any and all inspections that they wanted done.  I believe those inspections usually have to be completed within a short window of time.  So did the buyers of that flipped home have inspections done?  Was one of them an inspection of the septic?  If yes, what did that inspection report say about the septic?  Does the lawsuit only name Austin as a defendant or does it also name an inspection company and/or individual inspector?

So many questions!  Yet another one is:  Does Austin carry business owner's liability insurance?  If so, that lawsuit should have already been turned over to his insurance company to respond to.  If not, he's an idiot.

A septic inspection is usually required by your lender. 

[JenniferJuniper]

15 hours ago, EmmieJ said:

I'm not very knowledgeable about real estate sales, and what knowledge I do have is limited to California.  In the real estate transactions I've been involved in, the prospective buyer had to pay for any and all inspections that they wanted done.  I believe those inspections usually have to be completed within a short window of time.  So did the buyers of that flipped home have inspections done?  Was one of them an inspection of the septic? 

In some states, the responsibility for getting the septic system inspected and certified is the seller's.  I don't know about Arkansas, although I have a feeling things are more free-wheeling.  However, if Austin actually installed a new system as part of the flip and either installed it improperly or used the wrong system for the house or the location, that could be a very different issue.  Without knowing the facts and the law in Arkansas, it's tough to say.

[lumpentheologie]

On 12/5/2019 at 12:25 AM, Four is Enough said:

Tip for getting the college kids to do Egg Hunts: slip a 20 in one of those plastic eggs...

We used to have everyone assigned to a color... they'd hunt like mad, knowing there was cash to be had...

I could never go home for Easter in college but many of us who stayed hunted for cans of beer in the library. ?

[therulesofjinx]

On 12/5/2019 at 12:09 AM, SilverBeach said:

My experience has been that inspectors want to keep relationships with realtors and try not to report anything that could tank a deal. Their inspections were generally not worth the money paid for them. I would never use an inspector recommended by a realtor, and would instead have a roofer inspect the roof, HVAC person inspect heating and AC, etc.

I had the exact opposite experience. My fiance and I are under contract on a house and I'm in the middle of going through all of this myself! I did use a home inspector recommended by my realtor and he was FANTASTIC! We just did the inspection this Tuesday. He looked at everything and didn't hold back on what he found (the furnace is nearing the end of its life, as is the water heater; there is some weird electrical stuff that the seller needs to fix; smoke detectors need replacing; the insulation isn't up to recommended depth, etc.). He ran all the water, he ran every appliance and ran serial numbers on them to check how old they were; he looked at the roof and the attic....literally everything AND he told us he'd come back in the spring free of charge to look at what he couldn't see due to snow (more of the roof and foundation, etc.). because it's included in the price we paid now. I'm so, so glad we had this done. He got his final report to us within 48 hours and it's very thorough. He also recommended we get an HVAC person in (the seller is actually doing that today so we don't have to pay for it ) and was very clear about what he could and could not do/see.

[CrossingRivers]

Disclaimer: I haven’t read this thread as I don’t follow the Duggars or know anything about them. 
 

I’m here because of this video: 

As a DIY project person and someone who has done hardwood floors, this video is concerning. The problems are this: 

1. No underlayment on the subfloor. Underlayment prevents the hardwood floors from warping from weather change. This isn’t a code requirement but it adds to the longevity of the floor. 

2. Installing the kitchen cabinets before the flooring is highly unusual and is a dick move against whoever will remodel the kitchen later. 

3. (Nothing to do with the floors) The children sanding the window casement without a mask. ? Has that house been tested for lead? 


 

[HereticHick]

On 12/4/2019 at 11:59 PM, Ivycoveredtower said:

On the case of why this isn't bigger news in the media I have a feeling no media outlet really wants to go hard after a couple that just had a stillbirth a few months ago. 

Joy and Austin are 4th tier celebrities.  There is room for only some much news.

And they don't need licenses because Jesus.

[theotherelise]

I would *love* not to talk about the (what I now see is a) controversial decision whether or not to use an underlay before putting down wood floors again.

Lawsuits like this tend to take a little bit of time in my limited experience. There isn't much information to go on yet. It seems like something that would get more conversation and news stories if there is a judgement. 

[Four is Enough]

My concerns are related to the number of extension cords snaking through the scene..

[TuringMachine]

4 minutes ago, Four is Enough said:

My concerns are related to the number of extension cords snaking through the scene..

Who needs fire safety when you have Jesus?

[allthegoodnamesrgone]

4 hours ago, HereticHick said:

Joy and Austin are 4th tier celebrities.  There is room for only some much news.

And they don't need licenses because Jesus.

And as someone said up thread, contractors getting sued is NOT that big of a deal because it happens all the time.  

The home owners may have a hard case because they waited so long to file suit, for a problem they noticed within days of moving in, 14 months earlier. They suit said they tried to contact Austin but go no answer, when did they try to contact him? Right away, or  months later?  Waiting so long could be an issue, once you own a home and have for, usually a year, all problems are yours, UNLESS you can prove negligent practices. 

TL:DR the below, we sold a house, homeowners tried to come after us 18 months after the sale to buy them a new fridge, because they trashed the brand new one that we bought and left for them. 

 

When we sold our 1st home, we had just purchased a new refrigerator and wanted to take it with out, we paid $900 for it in 2004, but the home owners wanted it and we quickly realized that it wouldn't fit in our new (to us) kitchen, so we sold it to the homeowners for $800 so they could put it in the price of their mortgage. 

By a strange twist of fate, about 16 months later I went back to work after having kids, and wound up working with the wife of the couple who bought our house.  Everything was fine until about 2 months later when she says to me, that the refrigerator is broken. I said that sucks, she was like, you need to get it fixed. I told I was sorry but  NO, that is YOUR fridge, and therefore your responsibility. We had purchased a 12 month home warranty for them for all the "just in cases" We had the receipt that the fridge was 2 months old when we sold the house, she had a warranty for 12 months to fix all appliances and the AC and Furnace.  

She starts telling people at work what a bitch I am because I won't pay to fix or replace the fridge, one gal called me a bitch and said I should pay up and if I didn't she would get me fired.  I told her GOOD LUCK, the other gal had been living in the house for 18 MONTHS my responsibility ended 6 months earlier when the home warranty expired.  She was take aback that the woman omitted telling people that they have lived in the home for 18 months.  She apologized to me for being such a bitch. Well all the rumor spreading and nasty talk got to my supervisor, my manager and the VP of the department. I was called in and asked what was going on, I told them she's trying to blackmail me into buying her a new fridge because she happens to know who sold her the house. I had  copy of the house sale and the home warranty and showed them they could see the dates and comments about the fridge.  She was fired later that day for employee harassment.  She then got a lawyer and long story longer, the case was thrown out, and she had to buy her own fridge, because apparently they trashed the other one, that is why it wasn't working. 

Edited December 6, 2019 by allthegoodnamesrgone

[QuiverFullofBooks]

Way to record and share their use of child labor for posterity.

[Mama Mia]

On 12/6/2019 at 4:49 PM, QuiverFullofBooks said:

Way to record and share their use of child labor for posterity.

They are learning skills, there is nothing wrong with that.  And I like that both the girls and boys work on the houses. People talk all the time about how they have no education of skills to all back on - but construction /home renovation work pays well.

Austin getting sued aside (and really, home builders and sub-contractors are sued ALL the time)

[nausicaa]

On 12/6/2019 at 8:15 AM, lumpentheologie said:

I could never go home for Easter in college but many of us who stayed hunted for cans of beer in the library. ?

Wineries in my area have begun to do adult Easter egg hunts, with slips of paper redeemable for beer flights/meals/manicures in the eggs. They're really fun! (But a bit embarrassing when a woman is complaining to her friend about not getting anything and you and your friend have to walk by with your stuffed bucket and your chin holding your additional eggs in place... Never said I wasn't competitive.  )

And yes, if you're wondering, the starting call at an adult Easter egg hunt is the same Saving Private Ryan level every-man-for-himself pandemonium as it is at a kids' Easter egg hunt. Including a couple people crying with empty buckets in the back because they "weren't ready."

Edited December 9, 2019 by nausicaa