[quote=Russell][quote=walterwhite][quote=Russell]Scaredy is the septic tank clogged or the leach field? Septic tanks are super simple,as you probably know by now. What is hard about unclogging it? Cracked badly and deteriorating is a problem.
I’d be more worried about the leach field area. I would not buy a property that didn’t have plenty of good area to start from scratch if there was any doubt.
Also,if you have not, you want to be sure that the Health dept. is going to allow you to pull permits for whatever worst case scenario a knowlegeable person anticipates.
I wouldn’t close until I had permits and a site inspection completed. if required.[/quote]
Thank you Russell. It is a leach field issue, the actual tank is said to be all right. It got clogged because she didn’t pump it for twenty years.
I don’t feel like paying for it. How much ate permits and a site inspection gonna cost me?
Humanure may be plan B[/quote]
You’re welcome, What are the retrofit people selling you as a plan for repair?
Can they rebuild in the same spot? Have they found good “as built” plans?(you can usually see them at the health department) Just wondering how much they know about the current design.
I am not saying you should pay for it. I am just wanting to see you having the thing scoped out and foolproof before you are satisfied with any financial resolution.[/quote]
[quote-russell][quote=walterwhite]How bad could it get?
I am peeved at my realtor for not telling/reminding me to get this inspection done. There was some confusion because he thought the seller was to do it as we’d specified in prior offers. I remembered to do it myself at the last minute. Kinda makes one feel unprotected like the realtor just wants to shove the deal forward. I mean I know that’s true but still it just feels shitty so to speak.[/quote]
It could get bad or maybe the fix is in the first few feet of leach field. You can never really know the shape of the thing without doing some digging(again, having the original design is good). People could have parked motor homes on top of the somewhat fragile system. Any authority you have to go through could be reasonable or a disaster depending on so many factors.[/quote]
[quote=russell][quote=walterwhite]Sonofabitch. Scaredycat hates uncertainty. So on the high end could it be ten to twenty thousand?[/quote]
On the high end the authorities could say there is no remedy. This is not going to be likely on a big lot. 7k is about a fair deal for a brand new septic system for a largish house on a relatively easy site. Complications from having an old system are not something I have delt with in depth. You really want to know that from the horses mouth.
More exploratory work is needed at the site.
A few more things.
These are some guidelines from San Diego.Riverside’s will be nearly identical.
Percolation test and setbacks are two of the more important compliance issues if you go new. Also, the existing may not be up to code for total length of the leach lines. They might wave some or all of these for refrubishment of existing. These would be the first things I would want to know. Also, if you build new, in a new spot, do you have to remove the old, revegetate the land or any thing else?
If the problem turns out to be smaller, at least you got an education from doing your due diligence.[/quote]
Russell, this is all excellent advice. There are many properties with septic tanks between 4 and 18 blocks from my home. In addition, several leachfields exist =<5 miles away in "Sunnyside (91902)." I also have over 150 relatives living in OK and TX where these problems are VERY common. So I have seen a LOT of these issues in my day.
Scaredy, insist on the perc test and further inspections that Russell has suggested and perform these tests/inspections ASAP! Even though the bank in your deal is exempt by law from disclosure, they will NOT be able to sell the property to anyone else with these problems, ESP if the tank has to be dug out and moved and the area revegatated. This could destroy your gazebo or any other outbuildings you want to keep if flat land is an issue to bury another tank.
You also want to do enough due diligence so that you can get out of the deal with your earnest money intact if the bank refuses to remediate, even partially. Based upon your posts, they would be very stupid if they didn't, IMO.
I don't believe the bank has to disclose (by law) to a another potential interested buyer after you what they found out from your inspections. But they would be a "time-wasting fool" not to.
