Plan B Forum

My daughter is in the process of buying a house and is anxiously getting close to closing on it. Along with the regular termite inspections and engineering report and CO's she has had done, the mortgage people (sonymae I believe) wants/needs a certification for the cesspool, Anyone ever hear of such a thing? I didn't have to get one of those when I bought my house. But that was over 30 years ago.
Legal people here ever hear of it? and if so, what exactly is it?
Thanks.

It's something full of sewage and smells really bad.

Cess pool - that's a term from back in the day, at grandpa's house. It really was an open ditch for one stretch, waaaaaay in the back of the garden

Septic tank is the expression here (except where your daughter is, I guess). We have a septic tank here in Kent and did at our last residence before we left for SA. We paid for an inspector to come, as one of the sale contingencies, to check the septic tank before we bought this house.

What you need to know is if the waste is running in properly, if the leach-field is working and how long before the tank needs to be replaced. Under the old cess-pool system, there usually wasn't a tank (at least in England); it was just ground filtration and hope for the best

It is worth paying for the inspection - 2-300 bucks should do it

It's a cesspool. No leeching field etc. Found out they run a bunch of water into it and see if it takes it.
Hell I can do that. and for a couple hundred bucks, how do I become certified?

No it isn't. So I removed it

Back to the point... can she get the seller to pay for the "inspection"?

Is that a nice thing to say?

Meade's general (ha) premise is correct. Septic systems are disfavored, and can have a lot of expensive problems. In areas where they are the only option, a smart home buyer will have an inspection done -- and pay for it themselves -- so that if there are issues, resolution can be negotiated as part of the contract (I'd include a contingency on that point).

If however, the state or local jurisdiction requires some kind of certificate or inspection prior to the transfer, then that is typically the burden of the seller (but not always). I'd have to know what jurisdiction (state and local) to see if I could determine if there is such a requirement.

So, 1 - where is she buying (state and town)?
2 - where is she in the process?


(ironically, I just litigated a septic system case, and got the court's ruling while I was on vacation -- I won! Now the prior owner has to make repairs as required by my client Town)

So, 1 - where is she buying (state and town)?
Rocky Point, NY

2 - where is she in the process?
Almost at closing.

From what I was told, the bank (sonymae??) is the one asking for this. I agree it's a good idea to have it done. Problem is we (she) were ready for closing then the bank comes in this past week and says they want this done. Would have been nice had they asked for it when (beginning of July) they first gave her a list of stuff to have done/ready for closing.

Sonyma = State of NY Mortgage assistance = programs to help first time home buyers or home buyers in certain target areas. Buyers qualify through them (the state provides some down payment assistance I think) but the loan is made by and is processed through certain conventional lenders.

Anyway, Rocky Point is within the Town of Brookhaven and in Suffolk County. I don't see my requirements for a septic system inspection at property transfer by either entity. However. Suffolk has septic system requirements for new construction or upgrades/additions, effective since 1995. My guess is the lender wants an inspection/review to determine if an older system is up to code.

Regardless, they hold the purse strings, so get it done it they want it done. As I said earlier, it's information she should have anyway, before she closes the deal and it's not part of a typical home inspection.

Thanks Guin.