Hey, we flushed the toilet and it all seemed good! Well in Arizona a septic tank inspection prior to the close of escrow is required and paid by the Seller and the septic is registered and transferred to the new owner at escrow closing. This septic inspection is separate and usually after the Buyer's inspection. Flush and follow the flow and see where it goes! (photo: Thomas Hoang, Pixabay)
Want to hear about a strange real estate transaction that I had? Well, I bring you the case of the IMPLOSION of the SEPTIC TANK. Did I mean EXPLOSION? No, I said IMPLOSION.
Yes, blame it on methane gas and heat. Septic tanks will have methane and we also have heat here in Arizona. POW!
The transaction was for a fixer upper ranch house on an acre of land in Arizona at a lower than the comps price. The transaction was tight the sellers had little money and the home had been neglected in many areas. I represented the buyer who was experienced with fixer uppers and was willing to give this home a go, however they did not have extra cash after some life events. They could afford the home and the monthly payments on their prequalified loan and was willing to fix it up over time, however with a low down payment and no cash left over.
Septic hole (Photo: Daniel Lincoln, Unsplash)
What happened? A methane gas build up, lack of flow in the septic tank for this vacant home and HEAT creating an apparent vacuum. The result, IMPLOSION. Even before my Buyer client went under contract for the home the tank had apparently imploded and the sewage had just been running into a hole as the tank had basically disintegrated. Follow the FLOW and see where it will go!
Septic hole example but no septic tank (Photo: Septic hole Emilie Dwire on Unsplash)
The Seller sent out the septic inspection and pumping company as required in Arizona to close on a sale. Yet, the plastic septic tank was no longer there! It had imploded and decayed. An empty hole. I had not ever seen this before. See their report:
The Buyer's lender required a functioning septic system, but the Seller could not afford installing one, so the Seller canceled the contract as follows:
How does a septic tank implode you may ask? Well the inspector said the tank evidently made out of fiberglass (a plastic material composed of glass fibers embedded in a resins for strength) imploded or collapsed in on itself and then started to decay in the ground with the sewage. As an illustration, even strong metal tanks can implode also. See this YouTube video of tanks imploding (all it takes is heat, gas and a vacuum
Example of an Implosion
Examples of gas tanks imploding in a vacuum. Septic Tanks have methane gas
Good News and the Rest of the Story
The good news of this story is that I was able to find a nicer house for my Buyer client at a reasonable price and the best news of all? It had a great working septic tank! Hurrah, Hooray!
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