I scheduled a sewer scope inspection for the Chippewa property, and met Eric, with Drainco at the property today around noon. The seller had provided a tape of a sewer scope inspection they had done last fall. I picked it up Saturday from the listing agent's office. I thought maybe I could save the buyers $150, and use the seller's tape. When I viewed it on Saturday afternoon, I couldn't make heads or tails out of it. First, the camera jumped around so bad, you couldn't see anything. There was also no narration as to what I was seeing. It was very poor quality, and I was not happy with the tape at all; so I called DrainCo to have them come out. I've used them for several years, and I think Eric does a great job. Most of all, I trust him. I've stood over his shoulder as he ran the camera, and I have learned a lot over that last couple of years.
The seller told us he was told the sewer was clear. As Eric ran the camera today, we saw that there was nothing blocking the sewer line, but halfway out into the yard, the pipe had separated and there was a major offset. Once the buyers moved in and really started using the toiletrs, a sinkhole would develop in the back yard. Also rainwater would wash dirt into the sewer line and enlarge the sinkhole. Eric figured that within months of occupying the home, the buyers would have to have sewer work done. He also noted that this was not something that just happened overnight; it had been there for a good while.
The seller happened to show up as Eric was finishing, and we pointed it out to him. He was a really nice guy, but naturally, he was rather upset. He was going to call the people who did his sewer scope and let them know about it.
Obviously, we are going to ask the seller to repair the separated sewer line.
I hate to think what might have happened if I had just taken the seller's word for it, and not followed up with ours scope. I think the seller probably did not know about the separation. This property is a top knotch rehabb, probably one of the best ones I have seen in a good while. Where he could have cut corners and gone cheaply, he didn't. Because of that, I feel that if he knew of the separation, he would have corrected it during the rehabb. He was probably just going on what he was told by his sewer scope people.
Anyway, the buyers would have closed on the house and a couple of months after closing I would be getting a call from some very upset clients, who are already having to repair their sewer line. I don't think it would be pretty...
This is one example of why I feel it is so important to have a sewer scope performed during the inspection period. Especially with the older homes in the St Louis area. The sewer lines under the basement floors are cast iron, and most is original. Many of the homes in the city are 70 years old to over 100 years old. The cast iron under the floors is old, brittle and rusting through. This causes collapses and sewer backups. It can also be expensive to repair (in the thousands of dollars). The basement floor has to be dug up, new pvc line installed, and the trenches filled over again with concrete.
True, just because you have a sewer scope performed and it's passes inspection, you could still develop a sewer problem at any time. But at least, the buyer will know going into the deal the overall condition of the sewer line.
I've used DrainCo (314-544-8266) for several years, and I highly recommend them. I've had to kill a number of contracts because of Eric's findings (when the sellers wouldn't fix the sewer issue) and start over with the buyers. I would rather rather start over, though, and show them more houses, before getting them into a home that is going to have major sewer issues.
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