By John Solomon
How the government's punishing of the exposure of official wrongdoing can linger for years
When home inspector Stephen Showalter made his way through a historic home on the Eastern Shore recently, he noticed something a bit quirky.
Mr. Showalter notes that 150 to 250 years of work done in an age before codes and permits can create dangerous conditions down the road.
Cover story: Old houses tell their stories in unexpected ways →
"The main beam in the home was actually the center keel of a boat," said Mr. Showalter, a Maryland state home inspector whose Showalter Property Consultants frequently deals with older properties. "Back then, people often reused and recycled things."
Cover story: Old houses tell their stories in unexpected ways →
