Rental Property Investor · La Pine, OR · Member since 2016 · 35 posts · 12 votes
Hey guys,
I need help! The buyers are getting hung up on the fact that in order to access the back of the property they need to drive over the septic leach lines. I spoke with the home builder and he said you can drive over them but shouldn't do it often or make it a habit. The buyers want to build a shop in back and need constant access.
Can anyone help me get creative in finding a way to drive over those lines? Maybe a steel plate used in road cunstruction could be buried a few inches and covered with gravel or dirt? I know that may sound a little crazy but it's all I can think of at this point.
There are no other access points so going over the leach lines is the only way.
@Zachary Critchett When it comes to drain fields they need to breath and any kind of cover can not allow this to happen. Not that you can't cover it and its going to work great for years! Its just not ideal per manufacture. Now.. since you are in a pinch. Give a call to the city and or the manufacture and see what they recommend if you had to cover and use to drive over. I'm thinking that there first response is going to be not to cover, just explain your situation and they might just have a solution...
A steel plate will rust and become useless. Perhaps a few inches of stone and a concrete driveway will do it. How long does the "bridge" have to be? Get a road building contractor to look at it, not just any concrete guy.
@Zachary Critchett Do you think you could find another buyer if this deal falls through? I love creative solutions, but roads and septic systems are both very expensive, and if you could find another buyer they likely wouldn't have the same needs it might be the more cost-effective solution. On a side note, I own a rural rental where the gravel parking pad is on top of the leach field. It may not be ideal but somehow the system is still kicking after 40 years.
@Anthony G, I could find another buyer but I need to sell this house to free up the remainder of my VA loan so I can purcase a multi family property early next year with 1099 income. I won't spend an arm and a leg to get creative but I'm willing to work with them so we can all have what we want. Thanks for the reply.
@Zachary Critchett When it comes to drain fields they need to breath and any kind of cover can not allow this to happen. Not that you can't cover it and its going to work great for years! Its just not ideal per manufacture. Now.. since you are in a pinch. Give a call to the city and or the manufacture and see what they recommend if you had to cover and use to drive over. I'm thinking that there first response is going to be not to cover, just explain your situation and they might just have a solution...
Use plywood or a steel plate for construction purposes. Don't bury. If they need constant vehicular access after construction, they will want to go around if possible, if not, and it is light travel, #57 washed stone will work as it will breath and also allow H2O to drain. If its being used regulary, I have used permeable pavers. The link below is one that will bridge the drain lines, and allow water to flow and grass to grow. Don't let this stop your sale, and don't be scared off by opinions.
@Mike Dittman@Zachary Critchett Agreed don't let this stand in the way of the sale. Its all about how you present it to them as a solution. I like to give my clients two options. That way they can decide what option works best for them and there family..
Thank you everyone for the replies! I was struggling to figure this out with a stressed out realtor who couldn't do anything but focus on the problem. I was tired of hearing about horror stories from the past and told her to start giving me solutions instead. So she went to city and asked about moving just one of the leach lines to create enough room. Turns out it's a lot cheaper than she thought. She had initially steered me away from that idea stating it would be way to expensive.
We offered a second idea to the buyers of putting a retaining wall on the east side of the house to allow access on that side as well. Both projects are very similar in cost so I gave them the option, they made their choice and now everyone is happy.
Lesson learned: when you get creative and bring up ideas to your team, don't let them tell you "that's not possible" until they go and do their research and give you all the information you need to make a decision. Also, it's not their choice it it's "too expensive" or not, it's yours. Be confident and ask your team to do their job. If they are hesitant to find information there's a good chance you need to replace that person.
Thanks again everybody. I really appreciate the support.