That makes a lot of sense Kirk
I am just not sure about the one thing about "the buyer having a posible certificate action". If the buyer purchased the plane and before operating it, did his due diligence to make sure it was airworthy, that is, within annual (signed off as airworthy by an IA), all applicable ADs complied with (some could come due after the annual inspection), required docs on board etc. Then his defense is he believed he flew an airworthy airplane home. Ultimately the final "return to service" is done by the pilot after preflight / run up and he decides to take off.
I always believed the best pre buy inspection is an annual inspection done by a mechanic/IA who is trusted by and working for the buyer. annual inspections can be done any time. It's the last one that counts.
