Oldham Septic Tanks

[Decij]

I am looking at purchasing a house with a non-working Oldham septic tank in Southwest Ohio. A health inspection report says that the motor is missing. My basic question is generally how long the septic tank should last. I am worried that I could get the current problem repaired and then have a serious problem down the road. This house was repossessed, so the bank is no help with what is going on. If the whole thing needs to be replaced I would simply reduce my purchase price by the cost of the replacement, which I understand is about $15-$20,000 to install a new system. I would appreciate any comments about the durability of this system, and whether I should insist that it be replaced.

Thanks,

JD

[Rich]

You should insist that the septic be repaired before purchasing. But I doubt the bank will budge, foreclosures typically are "as is".

Rich

[Joe Bobst]

The common sense business approach to this problem is to have a professional appraiser (preferably one your bank knows) come up with a dollar figure for the house. Assume that the septic system is history and get a firm estimate for replacement. Give this figure to your appraiser. The price will now be something realistically close to the absolute top the bank can expect. Subtract the appraisal cost. Now subtract roughly 5% from this figure for all the aggravation and make that your firm offer to the bank. Don't budge for any reason whatsoever. Remember that a crippled septic system in a repo house is likely to be only one of all the possible problems with the dwelling. In the automotive world, when people stop paying on their cars, the vehicle will be wholesaled by any dealer because they know from bitter experience that it is now a hurt asset. The bank wants to recover as much of the foreclosed mortgage as they can, of course, so if you lay all your cards on the table and they say no, just wait a while. Odds are thay can't unload it and it will be yours. Good luck.

Joe

Joe

[Michael Baugh]

I saw an aeration tank being run from a Pontiac Firebird AIR pump on a belt drive from a fractional-horse motor. Worked fine, gave good aeration, and was not an overpriced proprietary unit.

professional

[Yvone]

1500 gallon concret septic tank the price

[Tekkie©]

On Fri, 6 Aug 2021 15:15:02 +0000, Yvone posted for all of us to digest...

Call around your area. We don't know where you are. Prices vary.

[trader_4]

On Saturday, August 7, 2021 at 3:15:14 PM UTC-4, [e-mail] wrote:The

And when someone says they need a new septic tank, what does that really mean? In my limited experience, the tank is usually not what fails, the leach field gets plugged up and has to be replaced. So do they really need just a tank or a whole new system? If it's a new system, prices can vary greatly even in the same area and with the same vendor. One house may have a large lot, plenty of room for a new system that meets current code, another could be a lot that's more costly to meet current code requirements. A 1500 gallon tank/system may not even meet code for the size of the house today.

[gfretwell]

If you are in a place with a relatively high water table, you might be replacing a perfectly good tank because the field is bad. The county will condemn your whole system in permitting and make you put in a "mound" system with a pump. My neighbors are running into that because most of the county has a high ground water table. They won't even process a repair permit without a survey and you will fail. The ironic thing is they are threatening to put in municipal sewers at around $50,000 per lot, plus your plumber and if you have $15,000+ in a new septic system, tough luck. You have to break the top out of that new tank and fill it with dirt.

[trader_4]

Exactly, the cost can vary greatly, even in the same area, depending on the actual circumstances. We have some of those raised mound systems here too.