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Summit County, Ohio: Mandatory Well and Septic Inspections

By
Real Estate Agent with America's 1st Choice RH Realty Co., Inc.

PCStarting September 1 (2008) of this year, homeowners with well or septic systems in several Summit County cities are required to have a new inspection prior to selling their property. 

Any homeowner that has a private well or septic system and has a property for sale which will close on September 1 or later will be required to have this inspection.  Homes that currently have a "sale pending" that will NOT close until September 1 or later will be required to have a well and septic inspection.

The Summit County Health Department has jurisdiction over certain cities while other cities have their own rules.  Contact the Summit County Health Department for further information.

 

The fees are as follows:

  • Well & Septic Pre-Sale Real Estate Inspection:    $275.00
  • Septic ONLY Pre-Sale Real Estate Inspection:     $200.00  (If property has public water)
  • Well ONLY Pre-Sale Real Estate Inspection:        $150.00 (If property has public sewer)

All private water systems and sewage treatment systems will need to be inspected by a water system evaluator approved by the Health Commissioner.  A complete list of approved contractors will be available on the Summit County Health Department web site (and in our offices) on September 1.  Before then, sellers can call the Summit County Health Department at 330-923-4891 to verify if a contractor of the seller's choice is approved.

According to the new rule, if the inspection and/or samples show a threat to public health, or if corrections need to be made, the health department will issue a time frame for the repairs to be made. 

Sellers need to be aware that if they do NOT get the required inspections before the house is transferred to a new owner, or if there are repairs that need to be made before the transfer, there will be a fee for the former homeowner.

Comments(2)

Anonymous
Sandra D

Does this new requirement also apply to foreclosure homes?  If the home is currently owned by a bank, who is responsible for the well and septic inspection?  Where can interested buyers find the results of these inspections?

Oct 06, 2008 06:58 AM
#1
Jon Wnoroski
America's 1st Choice RH Realty Co., Inc. - Green, OH
Summit County Realtor

It is my understanding that all homes sold within the jurisdiction of the Summit County Health Department fall under the new regulations.  This, as I understand it, applies to homes whether they are bank owned or privately owned.

Inspections are generally negotiated in the sales contract.  However, if a seller is truly interested in selling their home, this shouldn't be an issue if the buyer requests the owner to pay for the inspection.  Having said that, it would most likely be found in a bank addendum (for ban-owned properties) that all costs for inspections would be covered by the buyer.  Note:  This language is common in bank-owned properties.

Regarding the results of an inspection:  If an inspection had been performed prior to a sale, the inspection report should be part of the disclosure documents.  If it is not, an interested buyer may request to see that report from the seller.  If no inspection has been performed prior to an agreement to purchase, the person paying for the inspection would get the report.  If the seller is the person getting the report (because they have paid for it) the results of the inspection would be made available to the purchaser as per the agreement.

Thank you for your excellent questions.

Oct 06, 2008 07:16 AM