*** Updated Post – Now With Photos By Inspector ***
The following is an inspection report dated November 9, 2009 that was ordered and paid for by Todd Novak, one of the permanent residents and owners here at Deer Ridge.
Todd has been very concerned about the deplorable repairs that were completed by Joe Thomas’ chosen contractors. Read the report yourself – and see if you agree with us that this is yet more evidence of the grossly negligent job performance of Employee and General Manager Joe Thomas.
Does Deer Ridge REALLY need to keep paying $100,000 PLUS per year to this employee? Isn’t it past time for the Board to FIRE Joe Thomas? Read the following and see for yourself:
CODE COMPLIANT INSPECTION SERVICES
1193 C H Rankin Road
White Pine Tennessee, 37890
239-470-5753
State Certification # 899
ICC # 8012961-81
ICC # 8012961-82
Project: Deer Ridge Condominiums
Contact: Todd Novak
Buildings Inspected: 3710 A & E Weber Road
Phone: 865-640-8751
Date Of Inspection: November 09, 2009I was contacted by Todd Novak, 3710 A -304 Weber Road, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, 37738 and asked to inspect the recently constructed exterior staircases, stairs, landings hand railing and supporting members. Mr. Novak expressed concern that the recent construction does not meet the minimum State of Tennessee code adopted standards as enacted by the State Legislators and adopted July 01, 2008.
Those standards being the 2006 International Building Codes for residential buildings over two families and all commercial buildings. This includes not only new construction but all remodeling as well as repairs. Below is a list of areas inspected and related code/construction violations.
1) Stair hand railing was not to correct size. The circumference exceed the code
required size of 2 ” maximum for a round hand rail or minimum 4″ and a maximum 6 1/4 circumference for a non round hand rail. The height of the hand railing varied in height from 29″ to 33″. Code required height is 34″ to 38″ measured from the stair leading edge. Stair guard railing height also varied from 39″ to 41″ and did not meet the code required height of 42″. The hardware used to attach the hand railing was that of interior residential grade hardware and severely corroded. See photos # 001, 005, and 016.(Note: Please click thumbnail of any photo to get the BIG picture!)
2) Some of the floor and deck joist are not attached to girders, as code requires. They are “toe nailed” to the face of the girders. Code requires the joist to attach to a girder by either bearing on the top chord of the girder, hung with metal joist hangers or bearing on a ledger attached to the face of the girder. Some of the joists were pulling away from the girder with day light showing. In other words the nails were pulling out. Some of the joists were heavily notched. Code requires joist to be blocked over bearing partitions. Many of the joists were not blocked. See photos # 002, 003, 008, 009, 012, 014, 015, 017, and 020.
3) Floor girders in many locations were not supported as code required. Code requires girders to be supported by one of three methods. To bear on a vertical post or column, bear directly on a beam, wall, etc. or attach to a vertical member with a metal hanger. In some cases two girders coming from opposite directions were butted together and nailed. This is extremely concerning because girders are for supporting and carrying concentrated loads. In thjs case those loads are not only from the floor joist on that level but loads from above, bearing down. Girders are also code required to be positively connected to it’s bearing member. This is so the girder supporting the concentrated loads does not vibrate or slide off the bearing member from movement of use or seismic activity. See photos # 007,010,011,018,019,021, and 023.
4) Stair stringers must have full heel bearing on supporting: members (beams) and be attached same as joist. In at least one case the stair stringers were bearing on an unsupported header beam that had another girder attaching to it and not vertically supported. Stair threads were not to code. Stair threads with solid risers are to be a minimum of ten inches with a nosing. The measurement is taken from the leading edge of the thread above at right angle vertically to the thread below. See photos # 004, 013, 023, and 024.
5) Bolts and washers were showing surface rust on some. Suggest they be cleaned and sealed (re-painted) to stop the further spread of rust. No need to replace. See photos 018, 019.
6) Electric side lights were corroded and not sealed for water intrusion. Suggest they be corrected. A electrical cable (UF Romex) was observed exposed and showing at floor joist area. Code requires all exterior electrical feeders to be encased in a protective pipe. Conduit. This is a potential fire or shock hazard. The side light fixture gapping allows rain and like elements to enter causing a potential shock or fire hazard. Suggest they be sealed weather tight. See photos # 006,022,
7} Exterior covering. Fasteners (nails, screws) showing rust. Very obvious. Code requires exterior fasteners to be of corrosion resistance type. Suggest they be replaced.
This inspection was conducted on buildings A &E located at 3710 Weber Road and is limited to these two buildings only and the front stair cases and floor/decking.
Daniel Gabriel
Certified Building Inspector
Instead of Joey having our maintenance staff busy with taking care of off premises cabins, MAYBE he should be attending to the maintenance of Deer Ridge Mountain Resort.
Likewise, maybe Joey should get off his ass and out of his office and actually INSPECT the property and take care of all the massive amount of accumulated deferred maintenance that is obvious everywhere you look.
We have a very capable maintenance person with Tom who could take care of most all of this deferred maintenance at very little cost – if he were properly managed by a competent manager.
It is PAST time for Deer Ridge to FIRE Joe Thomas. We can’t afford to pay him his $100,000 PLUS compensation even if he was performing. With his BAD performance, this employee is REALLY a total waste of money for all owners of Deer Ridge.
Tags: Fire Joe Thomas, bad management, inspection report, maintenance, Joe Thomas
Todd,
Thank You VERY MUCH.
My opinon:
Not one of us owners wishes for anyone, worker/resident/guest/owner/child injured or killed on our property. Who wants or accepts that liability? Not me. I doubt any of you reading this do either.
The general manager (+board) should make sure this political, nepotistic, palm crossing crud cannot occur. Seems they have been looking some other way, doesn’t it? Why? They are ALL seriously accountable, since Joe is still on property, correct? For all the screw ups on their beat. There have been plenty of them.
Again, more of MY opinion:
This sort of thing is what occurs when there is a UNCHECKED FOR YEARS, playing games general manager (& a handpicked board?) that doesn’t care to do anything in a professional manor, along with that ‘board of buddies’ that bury their head in the sand, allowing Joe UNCHECKED with all of our pocketbooks to use crappy contractors. Joe gets his wonderful paycheck regardless. From all of us owners. Nothing comes out of his pay, does it? We will AGAIN pay over and over to get the job done AGAIN. I guess we just blew $84,000. in 07/08? More bad management and board decisions. Maybe Joe get a commodity rate???????? Jeeze. Maybe it is more personal than that?
You know…. Joe told me once when i worked here:
QUOTE: “The SOB’s (his term for all of RML owners, i am sorry to tell you rml owners this.)THEY are gonna pay because he gets 40% and they get 60%” “UNQUOTE”. I suppose he meant that, as he said it to me with a finger pointing at my face and conviction in his voice. Real nice guy, huh. (sarcasm) YES > I WOULD TAKE A POLYGRAPH. That was the day i decided i was quitting my job ~ asap! I figured if the rml owners were called SOB’s then what was myself, a resident, really bad word in his vocabulary, going to be called?
Is there are a handful of board members that have looked the other way while we continue to pay over and over to do the same job over and over? Seems like it. Look at the job of the pool/jacuzzi that had to be re-done due to the fact that the crew that was hired to do that was fly-by-night, illegals. Much like most everything that occurs here. Both with illegal, non insured, and with unprofessional nepotism that exists here (friends/relatives crossing palms, or political favors?) to provide Joe a dictatorship control.
Apparently we got what we paid for. We are still paying, aren’t we? Time to make a big change. PERIOD.