Originally posted by @Sandy Sciales:Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.Our Fernandina Beach short term rental has had a last minute booking and the neighbor told the guests that they shouldn't be here, go back to where ever they came from and that the other neighbors feel the same.

Sandy

Originally posted by @Sandy Ruiz:Thank you Jack!

Usually, only heating oil USTs associated with commercial properties are regulated. thus, most home heating oil tanks may and often are taken out of service without any oversight from state regulators.Second- the rules that are in effect for heating oil tanks are usually less stringent than for diesel or gasoline tanks since heating oil tends to thicker and may not migrate as far. as a result, many states just require tanks to be cleaned out. they may also require the tanks to be filled with sand or concrete to prevent collapse. but sampling may not be required.Third- the key to determining if a tank has leaked is to collect soil samples from around and beneath the tank (groundwater also if groundwater is shallow). another quick way to see if a tank is leaking is to "dip" it with a stick that has a paste that turns color in the presence of water. generally, if water has gotten into a tank, it can mean oil has leaked out of the tank (although a certain amount of condensation may be present even where there is no leak so this is not a infallible test).Fourth- if there is currently a tank in the basement, ask the owner if there used to be a buried tank (a/k/a underground storage tank).Fifth, If the tank has impacted the soil, the cleanup generally varies from $25K to $50K though the costs will depend ont he depth of the contamination. i once had a home with a heated pool that had pressurized piping and used diesel. the contamination went down 40 feet and the consultant went crazy excavating the soil to the tune of $400K!!!

I'd be careful with what type of soil it is on.

Soil conditions are real.. tax's high.. where we got stung was values rising faster than appraisers were willing to give value for and we were in FHA markets so you get stuck with that appraisal. 

If the vapor is coming from the soil, wouldn't the proper way to remedy the situation involve actual soil removal/clean up?

In CA, your inspection clause allows the buyer to bring in inspectors to determine the condition of various portions of the house.Home inspector inspects the general well-being of the propertyGeo engineer inspects the soil of the propertyetc.In CA, buyers have 17 days to get all inspections done and sign off on the inspection clause. 

The bent beams have lost most of their strength to resist the soil and water loads against the foundation. 

They provided us with an estimate for septic system repairs done by a reputable company; however, when we had our usual company come out to do the repairs they found that the soil was not suitable and they would have to reach out to the county to run (perc) tests and to give the "okay" to continue work.