I am buying a new home and the seller/realtor had the septic tank pumped a couple of days before the septic inspection. My inspector was unable to perform his testing. The realtor said it was a mistake, that he thought he did the right thing. It is beginning to sound "fishy" to me. I am afraid they are trying to hide problems with the system. Am I over reacting? I have read articles saying this is something sellers do to trick the buyer.
2007-04-03 07:57:56 · 9 answers · asked by BROWNIE 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
It is not normal but may be innocent. The way to be sure is to ask for (or buy) a Home Warranty policy. These are usually good for one year. I offered this whan I sold a property and it helped make the sale. Cost me $350. It covered all the major things such as appliances, foundation, septic and roof. I can see why you are apprehensive. You can also request that a set amount of money be put in an account to fix anything wrong with the septic for a certain period of time.
2007-04-03 08:12:00 · answer #1 · answered by sensible_man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The key here is just what kind of soil this septic system , tank, and finger system sits in. If its a clay bed with a deep trench and rock, it might indeed be a problem. So as ive said, its the type of soil in that area that you should be very concerned with when a septic tank is used.
In a good sandy area, not clay, almost any kind of septic finger system will work well, and septics last for even a hundred years in sandy soil, Not so in clay, those things can be problematic.
Clays soils do not do well with septic tanks. They perform marginally well with a deep trench of about 2 feet of crushed rock in the finger system to get by on.
You can easily determine a potential problem with a small spade by digging a test hole one foot deep and see if it is clay in that area. Then in that hole fill it with water and put a clock on it, measuring the lapsed time in minutes, and see just how long it takes the water to settle down out of the hole . This is the standard Engineering test to determine the feasablity of septic system for that soil.
If the water doesnt settle out in less than 2 hours of time you have a potentially bad area for septic systems. If its like settles out in an hour or less its a good septic area.
Test that soil as mentioned above before you buy.
2007-04-03 09:54:24 · answer #2 · answered by James M 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You are right to be wary. Is is possible to have the inspector come back and inspect it now? Why would a seller put money into pumping out the septic tank if he is selling? This is not normal. He should want to limit what he is putting in to a property if he has a contract on the place. Your gut is talking to you and you should listen.
Good luck.
2007-04-03 08:03:55 · answer #3 · answered by ladywildfireok 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
actually, your Realtor probably knows the county laws regarding septic tanks- must be pumped before final sale of home. I highly doubt there is anything to be hid- just a Realtor jumping the gun. If your really worried your agent can cover the system with a home warranty. Should ease any questions in your head.
2007-04-03 08:09:22 · answer #4 · answered by sylviavnpttn 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
My opinion: The inspector doing the septic dye test runs water from toilet or bath spigot for at least forty five minutes and then looks for the dye at the property end on on the property. If he finds dye, system failed and homeowner is responsible for fix it...He makes sure to fill the septic tank and then some...so that might be the reason for pumping the tank. Personally, I find that a nice gesture from the owner as you dont have to take his .............
2007-04-03 13:37:33 · answer #5 · answered by Patches6 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It seems a bit fishy. A septic and properly working drain field, rarely, if ever needs pump out. Also I have never heard of reqiurment of pumpout at sale time. For a clogged drain field, a pumpout will only make the system seem to work for a short time.
2007-04-03 09:25:03 · answer #6 · answered by morris 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They may have been trying to be nice and leave you with an empty tank so you don't have toilets backing up in a month, now that would make you mad, if you have a home buyers warranty then don't worry about it, if it goes out in a year they'll replace it anyway, so your not out anything. If you can't trust these people then why do you want to buy their house? They may have buried bodies, you see how silly it can get. I always try to make it as easy as possible for the people buying my houses I don't want to get called out for being a crook, so I go to the extreme and give them lists of work done and when the warranty's are up.
2007-04-03 08:35:21 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Hold money in escrow until proper testing can be done. If a problem arises from the test, it is up to the seller than to make good on it. Get it in writing and signed by the seller, agent and attorney.
2007-04-03 08:11:32 · answer #8 · answered by Lady X 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds fishy
2007-04-03 08:06:24 · answer #9 · answered by AM 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋