Ain’t no party like a sewer line party cuz a sewer line party don’t stop…
This is admittedly a messy topic that can impact not only the subject property you are buying or selling, but also the property of neighbors. Nothing puts a neighborly relationship in the outhouse like an unexpected bill for several thousand dollars.
As part of the home inspection process, especially when purchasing an older home, a buyer will likely request a camera inspection of the sewer line that runs from the house out to the public sewer system. You should request a copy of the results for your records.
So why, exactly, are you preserving memories of your sewer pipes? You are primarily checking the integrity of the pipes. Are there cracks or tree roots or build-up or obstructions that you would like repaired before you buy a home? You are also checking to verify your method of connection to the public sewer lines. Do you hook into the public sewer line directly (hopefully yes), or are you sharing a pipe with a neighboring property before hooking into the public system? If you are sharing with neighbors, then you have a party sewer line. And as festive as that sounds, it is not cause for celebration. Party sewer connections are no longer code. Now the real party starts.
Once the city of Portland becomes aware of an existing party sewer hookup, they may send out repair notices to any homeowners who are not independently connected to the public sewer line. So even though only House A is in the process of being sold, Neighbor B may have to fix their sewer connection to comply with code. Once notice is sent, an affected homeowner has 180 days to correct the problem. And if you have not already guessed, the city is not the one paying the plumber. Note however that the city does have a low-interest loan program to help mitigate costs to homeowners.
For more information about the city’s nonconforming sewer rules and regulations, see:
Remember that these issues are generally not deal killers! They are simply something that you and your trusty Realtor will navigate and work out with the Sellers. Once this pesky issue is behind us, the real party can start!
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Team DanniPDX
Danni Duggan | Oregon Broker | Premiere Property Group, LLC | Licensed in Oregon | 503-719-2279 | danni@dannipdx.com
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