A cash buyer purchased a trailer in an Illinois park without an inspection after the seller presented the sale as "as is" but "with the understanding that everything is to code." After moving in, the buyer says one problem surfaced right away: there was no hot water.
The dispute is especially concrete because it comes down to two checkable items: a water heater missing its discharge drain line and a breaker that is undersized for the unit.
Here's what to know
The post, shared in a Reddit thread on r/HomeImprovement, says the buyer paid cash for a trailer in an Illinois park and skipped an inspection after being shown "brand new plumbing under the sinks," a "brand new furnace," and "brand new kitchen appliances."
After moving in, the buyer wrote, "My hot water heater has not worked since I moved in."
The buyer described the heater as "very obviously NOT to code" and said, "There is no discharge drain line." They also said the unit is connected to a 25-amp breaker even though it needs 30 amps, meaning a plumber cannot legally replace it until that circuit issue is fixed.
Instead of a simple appliance replacement, the buyer may face at least two separate issues—the water heater itself and the circuit feeding it—which can mean added labor, more service calls, and more time without hot water.
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More background
In the replies, people treated two issues separately: an "as is" purchase on one hand, and a direct representation that the home complies with code on the other.
That split matches the buyer's account of the dispute. The park, the buyer said, maintains it is "not legally liable" to help financially, while the buyer says the sale happened "with the understanding that everything is to code."
One commenter, speaking from personal experience, wrote, "Homes (atleast in california), are sold as is. Inspections is up to the due diligence of the buyer." The same commenter added, "Code doesn't matter."
In the homeowner's case, the alleged defects are unusually specific. The trailer has a missing temperature-and-pressure discharge line that is visible and a too-small breaker that can stop the repair process before a replacement is even installed.
What can be done?
The buyer said they are "in the process of requesting the paper work,"
Anything in writing stating the trailer was up to code would give the buyer something more concrete than a verbal assurance to bring to a lawyer, code official, or park management.
Documenting the missing discharge line and the 25-amp breaker issue could help prevent paying for a replacement heater that still cannot be legally installed until the circuit is fixed.
Another route raised in the thread was local government. As one commenter wrote, "City/county/local gov might also if they find out about unpermitted modifications." The commenter added that in their city, officials require owners to "retroactively permit it," followed by an inspection that "only passes if the work is up to code."
That does not guarantee financial help for the buyer, but it could turn a verbal dispute into an official paper trail tied to specific code issues.
Ultimately, the buyer put the question this way, "My main question is, assuming I get the paperwork back saying everything is to code, and since it is not to code… did someone lie? Was I scammed? Is this worth talking to a lawyer about?" At the same time, one commenter stressed the other side of the risk: "Inspections is up to the due diligence of the buyer."
Where can I learn more?
Water heater problems and other major home-system failures can quickly turn into fights over safety, inspections, and who pays. These articles cover unsafe repair work, costly post-purchase surprises, and heating or cooling disputes between residents and property owners.
• A tenant posted botched water heater fix footage after a repair raised gas-leak fears.
• One homebuyer uncovered an inspector's $12,000 mistake after moving into a house missing a heat pump.
• In Arizona, renters lost AC as experts say landlords may have just five days to act.
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