rental-property electronic-procedure
Are there any consequences for ignoring a private electrician company insisting on an inspection for year old work in Seattle?
<p>Relevant summary at bottom, if you don't want to read a background story. I am renting this property and do not own it.</p>
<p>Long story short I had a NEMA 14-50 EV charger installed in my rental house in Seattle, with the permission of the owner. This was roughly a year ago. The electrician lied to me and told me I did not need an inspection. His company then called me saying that I did, and they went ahead and had charged me for it. It then failed inspection because he hadn't installed a GFI. On an exterior circuit... So they came back and fixed it (for free) but completely botched my panel and disconnected my water heater. I then didn't have hot water for 3 days. I tried to let them fix it (again) and they promised to send out an emergency dispatch that day. I called 4 times and was told they were coming, and sat around all day waiting; they never showed up. The next day I called a different company who came out on an emergency call and fixed it. The new electrician made many comments about things they'd done incorrectly and fixed some of their minor mistakes for me, free of charge. Since this was an emergency call on Labor day they charged me their holiday + emergency rate of $500. No cheap, but I wanted to take warm showers again and the other company did not seem inclined to fix their mistakes.</p>
<p>I was understandably angry and called them, demanding them to reimburse me for the emergency service after I tried repeatedly to allow them to fix the mistake and they failed to. I received a verbal agreement from the site manager that he would. Nothing happened, of course, and then they started ignoring or not returning my calls. Eventually I gave up as the frustration was not worth it.</p>
<p>Now I actually do not recall if an inspector came by a second time to approve the fix. Over the past week they have been calling and emailing me saying that they failed to document that the GFI was installed and that another inspection is required, or I could photograph the panel for them. I am inclined to tell them to go pound sand and to stop contacting me. I may also tell them I will send a picture of the updated panel, if they reimburse me the $500 as agreed upon last year.</p>
<p>Should they be unwilling and I just continue to ignore them, is there anything negative that can happen to me? Or is this something that is now entirely their problem?</p>
<p>Summary:</p>
<p>A year ago a private electrician incorrectly installed an external 220V outlet on the side of a house I am renting (no GFI). The owner was consulted before the work was done. They &quot;fixed&quot; it and in the process disconnected my water heater. I attempted to allow them to correct this but they no-showed, so I had a 3rd party fix the panel. Now they are asking me for a picture of the panel to confirm they did install the GFI but after so much consternation and money spent fixing the issue, I am disinclined to work with them unless failing to do so can cause me issues.</p>

<p>There are some consequences for you, under the <a href="https://www.seattle.gov/documents/Departments/SDCI/Codes/SeattleResidentialCode/2015SRCChapter1.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Seattle Residential Code</a>. Per R103.5</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Any person violating or failing to comply with the provisions of this
code shall be subject to a cumulative civil penalty in an amount not
to exceed $500 per day for each violation from the date the violation
occurs or begins until compliance is achieved.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>$182,500 per year.</p>
<p>Also under R103.4,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Whenever any building or structure is being occupied contrary to the
provisions of this code, the building official may order such
occupancy discontinued and the building or structure, or portion
thereof, vacated by notice.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>There <em>should</em> be a notation on your panel indicating permit number and approval, but if you have the permit number, you can check if the inspection was done and the work was approved (I think <a href="https://cosaccela.seattle.gov/portal/welcome.aspx" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this</a> will report status). The legal burden of assuring that the work was done correctly and paperwork is in order ultimately falls on the owner, though the city at least initially talks to the contractor.</p>
<p>Insofar as a customer taking a picture doesn't count as an actual final inspection, I suspect that some cost- and time-saving short-cuts were taken.</p>
<p>Following up on the new information about being a tenant, the primary legal question is whether you have a duty of care towards the landlord, since in engaging this company, the landlord's interest may be put at risk. The landlord may have protected his interest via a clause in the lease saying &quot;you must get written permission to modify the property, and you assume full liability for resulting damages&quot;, so first thing to check is what the lease says (perhaps look for a &quot;Tenant's duty of care&quot; clause). In lieu of clear evidence that you caused damage to the owner (economic damage, by negligence w.r.t. his need to have proper permits and the whopping fines that follow), I don't see what the risk to you would be in just washing your hands of the problem.</p>
