Hail inspections in Cheyenne? It's a City Hall scam

Tis the season for City Hall to screw you over hail inspections inspections in Cheyenne.

BY RICHARD JOHNSON

There is a quote from management consultant Ron Kaufman that states, “The shelter of excuses has a leaky roof, but a leaky roof has no excuses." 

I guess this means the community of Cheyenne has no excuse not to know the 2015 International Residential Code when having its roofs repaired

after vicious attacks by Mother Nature. Can I get a "HAIL NO!"?

Everyone in Cheyenne is familiar with the annoying vibrations and screeching from their mobile devices every afternoon when a section of the city is, or is predicted to be, annihilated by hail storms. A mayoral decree may stop the sirens, but those cumulonimbus clouds couldn’t give a f--k when it comes to your property. 

The only thing with more thrust than an ice crystal circulating in a cumulonimbus cloud is the process of hail repair once your property is decimated. 

Here is the rundown: 

1 -- You report damage to your insurance company. You're told there is a huge backlog of repair orders, so your roof won't be done until next hail season. Hopefully, you’ll make it through the winter.

2 -- You have your roof evaluated by a local, professional roofing company. They give you an estimate and a coupon to soothe your troubled mind.

3 -- An insurance inspector comes out to check out the roof because they are holding insurance money in escrow and want to make sure you aren't committing fraud. Come on, do you really need another roof? Are you sure?

4 -- Inspector Gadget from insurance has a few “concerns” and wants the roof inspected by another roofer. 

(Here's the part where you get railroaded by small-town politics and fearmongering.)

5 -- Once you have the papal blessing from Inspector Gadget, you or your roofing company need to call the City of Cheyenne and get a permit inspection. Once a permit is issued by City Hall, which can take a couple of weeks, you will find out the permit is just a piece of paper: The city doesn’t actually inspect the roof after it's installed or repaired.

6 -- If (and I do mean if) city building officials actually do come out and look to see if your roof was installed, they'll check to see if it meets several code requirements. Then they'll sign off on the inspection even if your roof doesn't meet code.

7 -- Enjoy your new roof until the next hailstorm hits. Then you get to experience this headache all over again.

Does anyone really think City Hall has enough staff to look at every roof hit in a hailstorm? Dude, move to Colorado if you like to be that high. 

My question is: How is the city bureaucracy collecting upward of $300 a roof for permits and not inspecting?

How is this legal?

How is this necessary?

How is this even enforceable?

Chances are it’s all perfectly legal because laws exist and thus are subjective, meaning they are open to interpretation. For every loophole you find, don't worry, City Hall will patch it with an old bucket of tar it found in the Hynds Building and a handful of crappy shingles. 

Your family heirlooms are likely collecting as much water from your leaky roof as your attorney's wallet is gathering from all these legal fees. Meanwhile, you have an insurance claims history in disarray with your deductibles and premiums increased, or perhaps your policy even is canceled.

And where did the money you paid the roofer for the useless permit go?

Remember, city permits are only good for a year, and if you install a roof without getting one, it can cost you. Make sure you call City Hall for an inspection before you complete a new roof. After all, the last thing you want is your warranty not honored because you didn’t call the city. 

I'm not saying this is fair or efficient; I'm just telling it like it is. 

As a property owner, you have the power to be just as detrimental to the city as a pesky piece of ice. Don’t accept "no" for an answer if you believe you got a raw deal on your roof replacement or repair.

The roofer isn’t going to call for an inspection on your behalf. It’s your home; therefore, it’s your responsibility. 

If the city tells you they don’t do inspections, ask why you had to pay for a permit in the first place. What does it matter if you have a fly-by-night storm chaser roofer or a local company fix your roof if you're gonna get screwed anyway? 

Tell the city you’ll keep calling them every day. Perhaps, you can use the blaring weather alert on your phone as a daily reminder to make that call. 

Richard Johnson is the former City Council member from Ward 3 on Cheyenne’s east side.