Is a mobile home park with septic that bad?

Question

Jay Hinrichs · Answer

first off your getting advice from those in others states..  WA and Oregon are VERY VERY tough on these things.. I know I have owned 3 of them.. I had one failed system... 300k large to replace.

I would move foreword with EXTREME caution ... this aint Texas  LOL... our regulations are far tougher and our cost to replace MUCH MUCH higher.. I mean you can buy a brand new home in Texas for 120k  we cant even buy a lot for that much in most of the west coast.. so keep all that in mind when your taking advice from all over the country.

Jonathan Jewell · Answer

@Gulliver R.   I looked into a park in Delaware a few months back that had septic.  There was a shared tank for every 2 homes.  The park was in bad shape I mean bad, I was viewing it as a possible turn around.  Anyways, turns out the seller was not forthcoming about how bad the place was in. The  tanks were never inspected nor were they maintained since the late 80's.  A couple had actually collapsed and were exposed, the sellers solution was to plant huge bushes around it to hide it.  (I swear I'm not making this up). Was told by local officials if I was to buy it, then I would be required to dig up the old tanks and replace them or put a plant somewhere on the prop.  (this place also had huge unpaid environmental violations) Projected cost was well over a Million.  (it was also too rural for city sewer)  I know this is worst case scenario in regards to septics, but the one thing I want you to take away from my post is this. Most of the info that led me to the septic issue actually came from the residents themselves that I talked to directly.  If I never did that, not sure how far along I would have been in the purchase process.

Ryan Murdock · Answer

You'll need to start by determining how many systems are there, the ages of each, and then the conditions. If it's a park of any size there are likely multiple tanks and multiple leach fields, although anything is possible. There are still parks operating with the old style septic lagoons.

See if you can obtain the septic designs either from the seller or the municipality. The seller may also be able to provide you with service history records. If so, call the servicing company and see what other info they can provide you.

If you do get to the point of actually proceeding with your due diligence a full inspection of all systems by a qualified septic company is probably money well spent. Newer, properly installed septic systems that have been correctly maintained are pretty easy to deal with. Outdated, improperly maintained, or altogether failed systems can be extremely costly to repair or replace.

Charlie MacPherson · Answer

@Gulliver R. Be sure you have a good understanding of the local regulations for private septic systems.

For example, here in MA, buyers are requires to have a passing Title V (septic) inspection within 2 years of passing title to anyone but a spouse.  Of course, lenders will require one before closing.

But I have been told that one local town is now requiring an inspection of some systems every 2 years - regardless of whether the title changes hands.

When budgeting for a flip, we allow $35,000 and hope for $25,000.  But I've seen a system quoted at $50,000 due to the need for tree removal and trucking in a large amount of topsoil for proper drainage.

Some surprises in life are good, but this isn't one of them.

Todd Willhoite · Answer

You should also think about whether the park has room to put in a new leach field if the current one fails?

Rich Ferradino · Answer

Having septic isn't bad as long as you have a strategy for what happens if the drain fields can no longer hold the sewage. Make sure you have good soil that can easily absorb the sewer water, and there is space where you can extend the drain field if needed. If you need to replace a septic tank it's about $4k for a 1000 gallon. I don't pump my septic tanks every year. I do it about every 5 years and it's about $350.

Rachel H. · Answer

@Gulliver R. Having a septic isn't all that bad....if you know what your doing. Park owners who have them employ managers who know what to do and who to call when issues arise. The key is having a knowledgeable team. Hope this helps!

Is a mobile home park with septic that bad?

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