Issue #38 March 9, 2001 

Local Home Inspector Found Guilty
Performing Home Inspections Without A License

My personal policy has always been to not say bad things about a competitor, however the following is all public record. As much as I dislike being the messenger, I think its important for you to be aware of these facts. I have discussed this matter with other leadership of the home inspection organizations along with other home inspectors, and we agree that the Real Estate community needs to be advised of this issue for your protection. Since I have this avenue to reach out to you in mass, it falls to me to be the messenger. 

It is important that you be aware that John Salstrom, a local Home Inspector, was found guilty on January 11, 2001 of performing Home Inspections for compensation without a license. Mr. Salstrom was fined, given a suspended sentence and ordered to stop performing home inspections. 

The following information, although rearranged in chronological order, is taken verbatim from the March 2001 Newsletter of the North Carolina Home Inspector Licensure Board, which I received on Wednesday:

As the result of two complaints filed against John Salstrom of Winston-Salem, NC, Chairman Roger Pierce on April 23, 2000 signed a Consent Order, which was subsequently agreed to and signed by John Salstrom on May 9, 2000 suspending John Salstrom's license for a period of six months.

The suspension was effective from June 1, 2000 through November 30, 2000. Additionally Mr. Salstrom was placed on probation effective December 1, 2000 through November 30, 2002. 

The allegation that resulted in this action was that John Salstrom failed to provide adequate written inspection reports to the complainants. Mr. Salstrom's reports were vague in nature and did not contain the required information as outlined in the Standards of Practice. Mr. Salstrom was providing the complainants with an audiotape, which he utilized to supplement the written report. An audiotape is not a written report as required by 11 N.C.A.C. 8.1103(b)(3).

In August the Home Inspector Licensure Board received information that John Salstrom was conducting home inspections during the suspension period that was imposed by the Board as outlined above. An investigation was commenced and determined that John Salstrom had in fact conducted home inspections, for compensation, after the effective date of suspension. Subsequent to the investigative findings John Salstrom met with the Board's staff and confirmed that he had been conducting home inspections while his license was suspended. On September 19, 2000 John Salstrom's home inspector's license was surrendered to staff. On September 29, Board Chairman Stephen Smallman accepting the surrender of John Salstrom's license and issued an Order imposing the following:

1. John Salstrom may not re-apply for a home inspector license prior to December 1, 2001.
2. At the time of John Salstrom's re-application, if at all, the Board will consider whether a license should be granted to John Salstrom and whether the license should be subject to probationary conditions.

As a result of information received by the Board's investigator in November 2000 indicating that Mr. Salstrom was still conducting home inspections the following action was taken:

On 11/29/00 misdemeanor criminal charges were filed in Forsyth County, NC against John Salstrom accusing him of three violations of NC General Statute 143-151.50 for performing home inspections for compensation without a license. NC General Statute 143-151.59 states that the aforementioned conduct constitutes a class 2 misdemeanor.

On 01/11/01 John Salstrom was found guilty in Forsyth County Magistrates Court of three counts of performing home inspections without a license resulting in a total fine of $1,095.00 180 days suspended sentence for each count, and ordered to stop performing home inspections was imposed by the court. 

Thought for the week

Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different