Erby Posted February 8, 2012 Report Posted February 8, 2012 I don't do septic systems. Don't want to. Won't. If there's supposed to be a septic system the client get's the below verbally and in the report. ======================= The house is reported to have a septic system. I don't know. Septic systems are excluded from the visual home inspection as I don't possess the necessary equipment (pump truck) to properly empty the tank and inspect it. I recommend that you have the septic system fully inspected by a qualified septic system technician, to include emptying the tank. For more information on septic systems on the internet see: http://cfpub.epa.gov/owm/septic/home.cfm I also recommend that you consult with the county health department to see what information they have on the septic system, as the health department regulates and oversees local septic systems. ======================== Yesterday a buyer's agent called asking if I knew any septic system installers in the local area. I do. Gave her the name and asked why. She said something along the lines of "Remember that property you inspected back in November for X & Y. I missed one little block on the seller's four page disclosure that said there wasn't a septic system. Today the buyer found the straight pipe. There was no septic system. I'll be turning this in to my E&O provider." I looked at the listing detail from the local realtor association. (I keep a copy.) The listing agent had clearly stated that the sewer was a septic system. Guess he'll be turning it in to his E & O provider also. Talked with the buyer. He said the his agent had told him that because it seemed the septic system was working fine, he didn't really need to spend the $300.00 to follow my advice to get the septic system inspected. Lot's of blame to go around for this one. Glad to say: I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ADVICE GIVEN BUT NOT FOLLOWED (who said that?) =
Marc Posted February 8, 2012 Report Posted February 8, 2012 Erby, doesn't your disclaimer protect you? Marc
Erby Posted February 8, 2012 Author Report Posted February 8, 2012 From a judgement, maybe. No disclaimer will protect you from getting the summons. However, he ain't looking back at me. He's looking at the agents. One (Listing) that said there was a septic system in his advertising materials and one (buyer's) that told him not to bother getting it inspected. I do note that he also bears some responsibility for not getting the thing (that wasn't there) inspected in the first place. It's a mess that will sort itself out.
John Dirks Jr Posted February 8, 2012 Report Posted February 8, 2012 Erby, I like your septic system disclaimer. Mind if I use it?
Jim Katen Posted February 8, 2012 Report Posted February 8, 2012 I think it's worthy of remark that "missing" septic systems are common enough in KY that your disclosure has a check box for it.
John Kogel Posted February 8, 2012 Report Posted February 8, 2012 Must have been sandy soil. Not so sandy now. [] There are cases where the authority will call for new fill, if perc tests show the drainage is too good. The logic is that the effluent will just flow through gravel or sand into the nearest creek. The soil needs a bit of clay and organics to allow the bacteria to clean things up. Anyway, new septic is always an expensive proposition these days. No doubt those realtors do some homework on future transactions.
Steven Hockstein Posted February 8, 2012 Report Posted February 8, 2012 I don't do septic systems. Don't want to. Won't. If there's supposed to be a septic system the client get's the below verbally and in the report. ======================= The house is reported to have a septic system. I don't know. Septic systems are excluded from the visual home inspection as I don't possess the necessary equipment (pump truck) to properly empty the tank and inspect it. I recommend that you have the septic system fully inspected by a qualified septic system technician, to include emptying the tank. For more information on septic systems on the internet see: http://cfpub.epa.gov/owm/septic/home.cfm I also recommend that you consult with the county health department to see what information they have on the septic system, as the health department regulates and oversees local septic systems. ======================== Yesterday a buyer's agent called asking if I knew any septic system installers in the local area. I do. Gave her the name and asked why. She said something along the lines of "Remember that property you inspected back in November for X & Y. I missed one little block on the seller's four page disclosure that said there wasn't a septic system. Today the buyer found the straight pipe. There was no septic system. I'll be turning this in to my E&O provider." I looked at the listing detail from the local realtor association. (I keep a copy.) The listing agent had clearly stated that the sewer was a septic system. Guess he'll be turning it in to his E & O provider also. Talked with the buyer. He said the his agent had told him that because it seemed the septic system was working fine, he didn't really need to spend the $300.00 to follow my advice to get the septic system inspected. Lot's of blame to go around for this one. Glad to say: I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ADVICE GIVEN BUT NOT FOLLOWED (who said that?) = You might want to add (shown in red): The house is reported to have a septic system. I don't know. Septic systems are excluded from the visual home inspection as I don't possess the necessary equipment (pump truck) to properly empty the tank and inspect it. Prior to closing, I recommend that you have the septic system fully inspected by a qualified septic system technician, to include emptying the tank. ..... Just a suggestion because lawyers like lawyering.
Erby Posted February 8, 2012 Author Report Posted February 8, 2012 John: Yes, I probably got it from somebody else and adjusted it. Steve: You might want to add (shown in red): The house is reported to have a septic system. I don't know. Septic systems are excluded from the visual home inspection as I don't possess the necessary equipment (pump truck) to properly empty the tank and inspect it. Prior to closing, I recommend that you have the septic system fully inspected by a qualified septic system technician, to include emptying the tank. ..... Just a suggestion because lawyers like lawyering. The house is reported to have a septic system. I don't know. Septic systems are excluded from the visual home inspection as I don't possess the necessary equipment (pump truck) to properly empty the tank and inspect it. I recommend that, B 4 U Close, you have the septic system fully inspected by a qualified septic system technician, to include emptying the tank. It's elsewhere in the report that all the crap I recommend should be done before closing. I don't feel the need to put it on every comment.
Bain Posted February 8, 2012 Report Posted February 8, 2012 I think it's worthy of remark that "missing" septic systems are common enough in KY that your disclosure has a check box for it. Actually, there isn't any check box for missing septic systems. Rather there's a section of the disclosure in which "Private Septic" or "Public Sewer" is checked. I assume in Erby's instance, neither box was marked.
Bill Kibbel Posted February 9, 2012 Report Posted February 9, 2012 We don't inspect them. I don't call anything I can't see a septic system, because that implies that there is a system that uses an approved, recognized technology for on-site sewage treatment and disposal. It's great to learn from other's mistakes.
Erby Posted February 9, 2012 Author Report Posted February 9, 2012 Don't know Bain. Didn't get to see the actual disclosure. But the one listed on the Kentucky Administrative Regulations website at: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/kar/201/011/350.htm Shows: Click to Enlarge 63.66 KB
Tom Raymond Posted February 9, 2012 Report Posted February 9, 2012 A new septic around here is $5-7K. I don't know what the cleanup costs are going to be, but if the RE's just fess up and split the cost they'll both still have money left out of their commissions. Poor bastards. The only septic system I ever commented on had about 30SF of effluent and toilet paper on the lawn around the D box vent. Pretty safe to say that one was broken.
Steven Hockstein Posted February 9, 2012 Report Posted February 9, 2012 We don't inspect them. I don't call anything I can't see a septic system, because that implies that there is a system that uses an approved, recognized technology for on-site sewage treatment and disposal. It's great to learn from other's mistakes. True. Maybe he should call it an "alleged" septic system. [^][^]
Jim Baird Posted February 9, 2012 Report Posted February 9, 2012 Long ago I knew a fellow who built his own "system" using a cpl of steel drums for the tank. For the leach field he had a guy who'd rented a ditch witch for another job come by and dig him a pattern of ditch, into which he laid black plastic perforated pipe. He built his house from all sawmill lumber from a local sawmill whose owner had a front yard that was packed cheek and jowl and bumper to bumper with about twenty five Chevy II's. Those were the days when you were lucky to get a mortgage at 11 to 12 percent. Had a girlfriend long ago whose rented farm house had a straightpipe "system" emptying into an old erosion ditch. After the collapse of King Cotton a lot of the land around here just washed away, and it is evident on most of the now wooded slopes.
AmeriSpecguy Posted February 9, 2012 Report Posted February 9, 2012 I know of an entire subdivision on the Missouri river where they just installed a pipe that exits into the river. No need for a leach field. I do believe a few of the properties are still this way today.
John Kogel Posted February 9, 2012 Report Posted February 9, 2012 Long ago I knew a fellow who built his own "system" using a cpl of steel drums for the tank. For the leach field he had a guy who'd rented a ditch witch for another job come by and dig him a pattern of ditch, into which he laid black plastic perforated pipe. He built his house from all sawmill lumber from a local sawmill whose owner had a front yard that was packed cheek and jowl and bumper to bumper with about twenty five Chevy II's. A Chevy van makes a good septic tank, (I hear). A Chevy II would be a little small, but he could have doubled them up, eh? Way better than two steel barrels. My brother rented a cabin and had some trouble with the crapper backing up. The owner's son came by to relieve the pressure on the tank, which was a big old fuel drum buried behind the shack. When he touched the top of the tank with his cutting torch, the blast sent him flying. It took a couple of weeks of rain to clear the TP and sludge out of the trees around there. []
Tom Raymond Posted February 13, 2012 Report Posted February 13, 2012 I know of an entire subdivision on the Missouri river where they just installed a pipe that exits into the river. No need for a leach field. I do believe a few of the properties are still this way today. My house was handed down from father to son from 1885 until the last of the line walked away from it in 1996. The septic system that was in service when I bought it was installed in the 1890's and consisted of two chambers, one dry laid stone and the other big wood timbers, and then was piped into the storm sewer (I imagine it was an open ditch when the system was installed). My new system still empties into the storm sewer after the sand filter. My in-law's house was also passed down like this, and the 1920 septic drains directly from the tank into a creek. New septic systems are commonly part of real estate transactions here.
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