An article recently published by the Tennessean reports that a single building inspector’s mistake allowed at least 85 homes to be built too close together in the Nations neighborhood in Nashville, TN, and home owners may need to cover the costs of home modifications needed to bring their houses up to code.
The inspector signed off on these homes while they were still being constructed after reviewing the site plans and completed foundations. While they complied at the time, developers continued to build the homes, and the walls and other “bump outs” resulted in the finished structures exceeding the legal limits.
“It should have been caught,” said Bill Herbert, Metro Codes’ zoning administrator. “I think there’s mutual culpability on the builders themselves and on the building inspector… We’re not trying to hide anything. We’re putting it all out on the open. We see we’ve got a problem. The vast majority of the problem was caused by one inspector in one area.”
The Metro Codes Department believes that this issue is isolated to The Nations neighborhood in West Nashville, but there’s a chance that other homes in Davidson County could be facing the same issue. The department is planning to review other neighborhoods in the area, and says that the number of homes affected could increase as they discover new issues during their analysis.
“If there were a fire, God forbid, the city of Nashville would be on the hook,” said Metro Councilwoman Mary Carolyn Roberts. “This is a huge deal. This is not just a mistake. It’s a colossal mistake… Now that we’re aware of the problem, it’s come to a grinding halt, but I’m going to defend my constituents. They’re going to have to retrofit every single one of those houses.”
You should never be held financially responsible for someone else’s actions. Our Nashville attorneys at Kinnard Law have spent decades working with clients throughout the United States, and have the knowledge and experience you need when fighting in court or working out a deal over a negotiation table. Give our firm a call at (615) 933-2893 to discuss your situation today, or send us the details of your case through our online form.