Question about septic tank distance from a home...

[Hudojni4ka]

I am doing an FHA appraisal on a rural property, where the owner had made an addition to the home that increased the square footage from about 1700 to 2300 sf. (converted a previous carport that was probably detached from the home at a small distance away). The addition is done well kind of. Heated, same exterior as the home, only the foundation is lower and it is a few steps down once you are in the home, outside not really visible. The septic tank was previously located some distance away from the home, probably about 30 feet away from the home, and now because of this addition (which is not reflected in tax records/ unpermitted) the septic tank is now just 7 feet away from the actual house. I called FHA connection but did not speak with an appraiser there. The woman on the phone just quoted to me what I can read in the FHA handbook itself. The distance for septic tank to the house is not addressed there, only from the well to the septic tank, and that distance is over 100 ft. This house also gets city water for the needs of the home and the well is used only for watering their garden. Not typical but it is like this. This is what she sent me to my email:


EXISTING CONSTRUCTION

• Property Line – 10 feet
• Septic Tank – 50 feet
• Drain field – 100 feet
• Septic tank drain field reduced to 75 feet if allowed by local authority
• If the subject Property line is adjacent to residential Property then local well distance requirements prevail.
• If the subject Property is adjacent to non-residential Property or roadway, there needs to be a separation distance of at least 10 feet from the property line.

NOTE: Distance requirements of local authority prevail if greater than stated above.

Local building code requires at least 10 feet distance of the septic tank from the home. FHA does not seem to address this at all, and I am not sure whether to call it out or not. What do you think? Thanks in advance.

 

[Dublin ohio]

Do not remember ever seeing minimum distance for septic tank from house. Not even on the old VC sheet. Maybe a local regulation exists. Are you assuming that no permits were taken out because it does not show up on tax records. If recent addition. May not have been picked up yet. I assume you checked permit status with local building department or whoever would issue permit.

 

[Hudojni4ka]

Do not remember ever seeing minimum distance for septic tank from house. Not even on the old VC sheet. Maybe a local regulation exists. Are you assuming that no permits were taken out because it does not show up on tax records. If recent addition. May not have been picked up yet. I assume you checked permit status with local building department or whoever would issue permit.

Tax records still show the carport, and the addition was made 8 years ago per the owner. No permits on record.

So, I will not call this out then. Thank you. Local codes require 10 feet between the home and septic tank, but if it is not required I will not call it out.

This home also had a huge barn in which the owner had placed a furnace with duct hose hanging in the air, going through a window into another section of the barn in the most amateurish way possible. The owner is a HVAC servicer himself. He also operates his business from home. I notified the lender so they are aware and they do not care. I know it should be up to 49% for commercial use for the home to qualify for FHA. Zoning does not allow commercial use of this type. The owner uses a detached studio/office for the business operation.

I am thinking to comment on the business, but not sure exactly how to word it...
Would you call out the makeshift furnace in the garage with the duct hose going through a window to be removed or corrected in any way?

 

[RSW]

Any and all structures located on the subject property have to meet HUD/FHA's minimum property requirements. If the HVAC is not installed correctly, you may want to call for an inspection by a qualified professional. I would be more concerned about the unpermitted addition. So would the lender.

 

[Hudojni4ka]

I have notified them about everything and all I got in response is some building inspection document that does not show what it is for (other than concrete slab inspection), but is dated 1999 so it must be about the Barn/workshop, which I told them has a very uneven wooden floor that just gives away under the weight of a person.
I am no expert on HVAC systems, but it looks sloppily done and unprofessional. The fact alone that it goes through a window is weird. And the owner is a qualified professional specifically in this...

 

[Elliott]

I don't know what county you are in, but many counties with GIS even list the original septic tank app, set backs, virtually everything on-line. At least a call to DEQ should get the information. I built my house 30-years ago and its all there. Sanitarians won't sign off on a system that doesn't meet Oregon's code.

 

[Hudojni4ka]

I don't know what county you are in, but many counties with GIS even list the original septic tank app, set backs, virtually everything on-line. At least a call to DEQ should get the information. I built my house 30-years ago and its all there. Sanitarians won't sign off on a system that doesn't meet Oregon's code.

This property is in Multnomah County. I have never searched for this info before. Only have been appraising here for about half a year. Would this info show up here? https://multco.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9af70037e14d4bd2bfa3ed73f6fcd301
Thank you

 

[Elliott]

Hudo,
Might try this,

 

[Hudojni4ka]

Hudo,
Might try this,

View attachment 50758

Thank you very much!

 

[Sadie]

I am doing an FHA appraisal on a rural property, where the owner had made an addition to the home that increased the square footage from about 1700 to 2300 sf. (converted a previous carport that was probably detached from the home at a small distance away). The addition is done well kind of. Heated, same exterior as the home, only the foundation is lower and it is a few steps down once you are in the home, outside not really visible. The septic tank was previously located some distance away from the home, probably about 30 feet away from the home, and now because of this addition (which is not reflected in tax records/ unpermitted) the septic tank is now just 7 feet away from the actual house. I called FHA connection but did not speak with an appraiser there. The woman on the phone just quoted to me what I can read in the FHA handbook itself. The distance for septic tank to the house is not addressed there, only from the well to the septic tank, and that distance is over 100 ft. This house also gets city water for the needs of the home and the well is used only for watering their garden. Not typical but it is like this. This is what she sent me to my email:


EXISTING CONSTRUCTION

• Property Line – 10 feet
• Septic Tank – 50 feet
• Drain field – 100 feet
• Septic tank drain field reduced to 75 feet if allowed by local authority
• If the subject Property line is adjacent to residential Property then local well distance requirements prevail.
• If the subject Property is adjacent to non-residential Property or roadway, there needs to be a separation distance of at least 10 feet from the property line.

NOTE: Distance requirements of local authority prevail if greater than stated above.

Local building code requires at least 10 feet distance of the septic tank from the home. FHA does not seem to address this at all, and I am not sure whether to call it out or not. What do you think? Thanks in advance.

I believe the septic just needs to be code and FHA is fine with that