WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — Courtnei Flannigan and her husband bought their Washington County home in 2018. At the time, it passed inspection, but what they didn’t know was the home’s foundation was crumbling beneath their feet.
“You work so hard, and we just started to be able to save up and get ahead in life, and now this,” she said. “If that wall collapses, then our whole upstairs will fall in.”
Flannigan told us that for almost six years they lived in the home with no issues. Then, a few months ago, her husband noticed a wall in the laundry room seemed to move.
“He kind of tore a hole in the wall that we found out wasn’t a real wall and saw there was another wall,” Flannigan said.
The brick wall is a part of the foundation, and above it are their kids’ bedrooms; the young couple has three school-age kids and two-year-old twins.
Insurance will not cover the repairs and contractors estimated a new wall will cost upwards of $20,000.
“The inspection people that came said sorry, but they can’t see through walls, and they couldn’t do anything about it,” Flannigan said.
Channel 11 News spoke with a home inspector who said unfortunately this is common because inspections are non-invasive, and structural damage may not be visible. Experts suggest buyers be present at the inspection and ask questions.
“Unfortunately stuff behind walls is so hard to justify and guestimate and it comes down to experience; houses do crazy things,” Steve Kowatic, the owner of K2 Property Inspections.
As for Flannigan and her family, she said they have exhausted all of their options and are working non-stop to save for the repairs, but with the uncertainty of the wall, the clock is ticking.
“You might have a month or two, or it might fall tomorrow, is what experts told us,” Flannigan said.
We asked how she is feeling.
“Defeated, I just do not want to lose my house or my kids get hurt,” she said.
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