Couple who purchased home sue seller and inspector over significant plumbing damage

GRETNA – A home inspector is being sued by a couple who purchased a home that allegedly had significant plumbing damage despite an inspection that did not reveal the damage.

Robert Deblois and Gina Stansbury filed suit against All American Home Inspections LLC, Daniel J. Paradella, All American Home Inspections, Great American F&S Insurance Company, Morter Plumbing Inc., Godfrey J. Fey Jr. and Ruby Mullen Williams in the 24th Judicial District Court on May 9.

Deblois and Stansbury claim they entered into an agreement to buy a home from Fey located at 5237 Jasper Ave. in Metairie. The plaintiffs allege that over a month before the closing date of June 16, 2012 they paid Paradella $565 to inspect the house that included a plumbing inspection by Morter Plumbing Inc. who found an auger head lodged in a sewer line in the side of the house, but no problems otherwise.

Deblois and Stansbury assert that based on the report they went ahead and purchased the home and in doing so waived any rights to have problems with the home corrected. A few days after the purchase was complete the plaintiffs hired a plumbing company to take the auger head out of the sewer pipe and found that the pipe was in fact cracked all the way through and that the lines had been damaged by roots and could cost $25,000 to repair. Deblois and Stansbury allege they would have not bought the home if they would have known of the damage.

The defendant is accused of failing to exercise reasonable care in performing inspection, negligently failing to notify the plaintiffs of the damage, failing to meet or abide by minimum standards of practice and failing to discover or disclose defects in the sewer line.

An unspecified amount in damages is sought for repairs.

Deblois and Stansbury are represented by attorney Brett M. Dupuy of New Orleans.

The case has been assigned to Division K Judge Ellen Shirer Kovach.

Case no. 726-784.