Septic Repair!

[CurlyDave]

If not, you're selling the place, so hide the problem.

Not only is this morally dubious advice, it leaves you open to liability when a purchaser discovers the hidden problem. And, the problem is not going to stay hidden for very long.

I would be very surprised if there is not an enhanced liability for deliberate concealment of a problem rather than the simply liability for failure to disclose a known problem. Tripple damages is common, plus paying both sides legal fees.

By the way, your insurance company has no obligation to provide either liability coverage or a legal defense for a deliberate act.

I agree than new "mound' or "sand filter" systems can cost $15 to $20k. I suspect they would be substantially less expensive if you installed them yourself.

You should explore the possibility of how much repair work you can legally do before requiring a whole new system. It might be worthwhile to "enlarge" the existing drainfield by cutting down some trees and doubling its size. Then abandon the old one. Problem solved without a new mound system.

 

[Highbeam]

In our real estate climate the seller has the upper hand. The high road, as Curly Dave points out, would be open disclosure. Just tell them what you know. Tell the future buyer that at times during the wet season, there is a wet area in this part of the yard above the drainfield. Your septic system has always performed for you and ahs never backed up into the home. You have very good maintenance records and no bad record with the health department.

It is what it is and when you sell it in the summer, the buyer will have a hard time imagining a wet spot. The wife will say who cares. Make it a take it or leave it as-is deal, no guarantees.

It is a can of worms to fix it legally or not. As soon as an agency smells a chance to stick you with an upgrade you can be redtagged and the house will be uninhabitable until the 15k$ mound is installed.

If you see sales lost because of it, lower your asking price by no more than it would cost to build the mound.

I apologize for my sometimes dubious morals.

 

[ByronBob]

My system is new and when the ground is saturated it has a wet puddle which dries up after the soil drains better. It doesn't run off. But I know it's working because it's new.

All my water from the house goes to it. No grey line or other channeling as you've put in. In my old home I never did a thing to it and there was never a wet spot. But when it came time to sell it the d-box was crumbled to nothing. Had to fix it.

My thoughts and I'm guessing is that this issue has just developed in the not too distant past and that leads me to believe something else is different. Either a line is broke, the d-box is or something to make the wet spot develop.

You've had the tank cleaned but what about the d-box and the lines. My neighbor just mentioned to me that a line of his is plugged but he didn't know about it until the cleaner told him. It's funny how some systems work broken and others like yours which are working don't......

My home remedy will be sand and grass. When it dries up I'm filling the low spots. I don't consider this doing anything malicious but just the ground settling after the system was put in.

If you were to add another leach line or extend the ones you have I'd consider them improvements which for the sake of political tape and the like (permits) I'd not worry about all that much. You have the tools to do it with and not need to publically announce the issue to anyone you don't want to.

 

[drm]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ...Really folks, when you buy a used home, car, or whatever you have to expect things like this. There will be toothpaste in the walls to fill nailholes, rotten facia boards behind the freshly cleaned gutters, paint over mold in the bathroom. )</font>

Highbeam,

I purchased a home from some one like you. And, the problems have been major. We will likely end up spending three to five years correcting problems with the house that were either constructed incorrectly to save money or covered up. If I sue, I will most likely do so for SIX figues or more.

Is that worth it? I have sold several houses and had to disclose everything. Why should you not?

 

[rambler]

Septic systems have become highly regulated in most areas. In my state, the law states you must have it pumped by lcenced pro every 3 years; must be built & repaired by licenced pro, field may not have more than 12" of soil over the top, must be built on undisturbed soil, no greywater systems at all.....

And so on. Some few regions have lesser rules on this, but it gets real hairy to try to make some non-regulation modifications of _any_ kind & then sell the place. 'Here' you don't touch the septic, & sell it as is, where is, no warrenty of any kind on the septic.

Oh, did I mention, old septics are grandfathered in as long as they don't cause any problems, but any time property changes hands the septic must be brought up to newest code? And code seems to be revised every 2-5 years.

You would really open yourself up to issues if you modified the septic on your own before selling the property. Both the county & the new owner would be on your tail real fast.

That is how it is in Minnesota. Other places can be different.

--->Paul