Bath exhaust fan issue

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We closed on this new construction townhome in January 2014. 6 1/2 years later, cleaning the Panasonic exhaust fans in all 4 bathrooms, to my astonishment, basement bathroom fan has no ductwork. Fan works fine, just no ductwork leading anywhere. Steam from shower and everything else went into airspace between basement and main floor. Any recourse here to the builder and town inspector who evidently 'didn't’ inspect?
Thanks

Best Answer

Assuming you are in the US, the cost to correct it likely falls under the limits for Small Claims Court. So you could request a remedy from the builder and if they refuse, sue them in Small Claims under "implied warranty", meaning it is implied that something you buy will do what it is intended to do. Exhaust fans must exhaust, this one never did, so the length of time, although possibly subject to a statute of limitations, should not be a factor. In many places the statute of limitations is 3 or 4 years, others might be 7, so get on it!

This of course assumes that the builder is still a viable business entity.