Septic - "Possible" Problems??

[mellow]

Hello all,

I've been considering buying a place that's 79'x82'. The lot it's on is only 126'x122' so there's little room for play. The house sits approx 20 feet from the road, so out front is enough room for 3 cars side by side, the well access point, and a small patch of grass.

I've been informed there could be POSSIBLE issues with the septic. It may work fine, but it may need complete replacement. Right now the septic is on the neighbour's property, and she is not willing to sell any of it or she can't get a permit to build.

I've received permission to access the septic to do all necessary work including replacement. The septic is to be inspected, however obviously has not been done yet.

Does anyone have any advice on the whole situation? I know the house was sold at one point, but when the buyer noticed the septic wasn't on the property, he bailed.

Is there any HUGE downside to it being there? And how much would one estimate for a replacement to be done?

Getting the mortgage for this house won't be a problem, but getting any repair costs up front may be... especially with it being nearly 10k sq feet, half of it not insulated, 2 oil furnaces, and winter coming up

Thanks for any input

[Redwood]

Sounds like a lot of downsides to the deal...

Could it be other buyers saw the light?

[mellow]

Sounds like a lot of downsides to the deal...

Could it be other buyers saw the light?

I'm seeing the light they didn't, that's why I'm trying so hard to find a way around the problem lol.

The light is on. The house is nearly 10,000 square feet with a finished bathroom, 25x19 kitchen with 42' of oak cupboards up and down, and the rest of the house is roughed in. At $128k, I'm doing what I can to make it work!

[HayZee518]

why is the septic system on another person's property? do the two houses share the same tank? if the tank were on your property, would the leach field be sufficient to handle the sewage effluent?

[mellow]

They don't share the septic.

The septic is so limited that there's 2 bathrooms and unable to add a 3rd.

They won't reconsider anything because the house FILLS the lot it was built on. There would have been BARELY enough room for the septic out front of the house, but it would have been a tight squeeze between the road and the house, where the only place to park is a side-by-side-by-side gravel drive.

This house is like throwing a shed on one patio stone. There's barely enough room for two people to walk around the house side by side.

I don't know the limitations on how far a septic has to be from a house, but if slim to none there may have been room for the leach field a few feet closer to the house from where it is. This small part of the land it's on is slightly elevated from the rest and very very dry.

[HayZee518]

the septic tank allows the solids to settle out and the bacterial action to liquify the solids. then as the tank fills up the effluent liquid , supposed to flow out of the tank into a distribution box, which made of concrete, then outward along perforated pipes into a gravel, gravel / sand leach field. where's yours discharge to?

[jnaas2]

I know a couple who purchased a house just like you are talking about, when the septic system failed the neighbor refused to allow them to do any repairs. Then the other neighbor called the health department because of the raw sewage coming up out of the ground and the heath department made them move out until the problem was fixed. Since they didnt have enough land to put in a new leach field and couldnt fix the problem and couldnt sell the house in the shape it was in they ended up filling bankruptcy to get out from under the house because they couldnt afford a house payment on a house they couldnt live in and had to rent a apartment and couldnt afford both.

[Redwood]

I know a couple who purchased a house just like you are talking about, when the septic system failed the neighbor refused to allow them to do any repairs. Then the other neighbor called the health department because of the raw sewage coming up out of the ground and the heath department made them move out until the problem was fixed. Since they didnt have enough land to put in a new leach field and couldnt fix the problem and couldnt sell the house in the shape it was in they ended up filling bankruptcy to get out from under the house because they couldnt afford a house payment on a house they couldnt live in and had to rent a apartment and couldnt afford both.

Thats the kinda light I was talking about...