Many Mobile residents who are Terminix customers were surprised when they opened up their annual termite bond bill last month. Many found out that the amount due was four times what they'd become accustomed to paying each year.
While many customers are considering canceling their bond or switching companies over the increase in cost, legal analysts are recommending that they don't do that. They instead are urging them to reach out to state officials to report their concerns.
When you're looking through your options while shopping for a new home, it's important to look for the warning signals of a termite infestation. Not all home sellers are completely honest when selling a home, and by taking the proactive steps to find termite damage, you could avoid getting into a seriously difficult legal situation.
Here's what to look for:
Have you noticed signs of possible termite infestation in your Alabama home? Not sure where to turn? You might have contacted a termite company in the area to inspect your home and hopefully offer remediation. But, what if you still see signs of termites, or termites themselves after the company is done? Now what do you do? It's important to understand the various types of termite fraud claims you can file against a company for failing to remediate the termite problem in your home.
Reporting fraud is one of the most common types of fraud claims brought against a termite company. This occurs when the company is hired to inspect the home prior to sale. The company then provides false information on the final report to the homeowner. When this occurs the homeowner does not know the true condition of their home.
A story that Alabama homeowners tell all too often is of setting out to buy a home and signing a contract to buy the house contingent upon it successfully passing an inspection. They have an inspector come out to look for potential problems including termites, yet they claim that they don't see any evidence of them. The new homeowner finds out that their assessment was inaccurate and that termites have caused thousands of dollars in damage.
Had you known that the home that you were eyeing had a termite problem, you wouldn't have likely bought it. You're now left with an inability to sell your home and a costly mess on your hands. In situations like this, you should reach out to a real estate litigation attorney.
Did you recently build a new home in Alabama? Do you know if that home was built with termite prevention in mind? Existing homes can take preventative measures against termites, but the best termite prevention begins at the start.
There are many kinds of termites that attack homes and other structures in various areas. One of the worst is the eastern subterranean termite. This termite is highly destructive to a variety of building timbers used to construct homes in the Alabama area.
The eastern subterranean termite is extremely destructive when it comes to the internal "spring" section of wood. It will leave harder, external, "summer" section of the wood alone while going straight for the softer parts -- to swiftly devour them. This results in wood that has had its inner core eaten away. Often, homes with eastern subterranean termite infestations will have the shell of the wood left, with a honey-comb effect on their insides, which will be largely hollow. These termites love dark, moist areas, so if you want to prevent a home from getting infested, keep it as dry as possible.
Termites have been a problem in the Deep South since the first buildings went up. But the last few years have seen a resurgence of the destructive pest, with new colonies showing up and growing across the Gulf Coast.
Many businesses handle pest control, and a few in Alabama handle nothing but termite infestations in homes' woodwork. If their work is ineffective in mitigating termites, owners have recourse to get restitution.
Termites could be gnawing at your home – your biggest investment – and you don't even know it. They create billions of dollars of damage to homes in Alabama and throughout the United States each year.
Termites typically are drawn to wood, but they also can reach other parts of your home, such as the insulation. You might not see the telltale signs of termite infestation because they are hidden behind the insulation, walls or flooring. Other times, you might find swarms of winged insects come into your home, particularly in the spring or what are called mud tubes that termites build for shelter.
Spray foam insulation is used for a wide range of things. It has come to play a bigger and bigger role in the repair and construction of homes. In some homes, it used as a low-expense option for insulating walls and ceilings.
Concerns related to termites have arisen in connection to this commonly used material in homes.
Termites are every homeowner's worst nightmare. Termites cost homeowners billions of dollars in property damage each year. It is important to look for common signs of termites, in order to detect them right away and prevent the damage from getting worse. The four most common signs of termites include:
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The Mims Firm, P.C.
952 Government Street
Mobile,
AL
36604
Toll Free:
866-748-2962
Phone:
251-272-3761
Fax:
251-433-0163
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