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OrganicMama
So in love with my little man!
Member since 6/08 5172 total posts
Name:
Mama
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Misrepresented listing
So I'm reading over our appraisal on the house we are buying and it says there's a cesspool, but the listing said sewer. I'm a little pissed that this was misrepresented! I don't even know what's involved with owning a home with a cesspool, except that it needs to be emptied on occasion. I checked our inspection report and it says nothing about a cesspool. WWYD? This definitely wouldn't have been a deal breaker for us, but I'm pissed because it was misrepresented, and the listing agent has been asshat about basically everything, and I'm sure this is her doing because she's a flipping idiot.
Message edited 5/7/2014 8:56:17 PM.
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Posted 5/7/14 8:55 PM  |
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Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate
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MegZee
My bunny
Member since 5/06 8777 total posts
Name:
Meaghan
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Re: Misrepresented listing
I'd be flipping out. Do you know how old the cesspool is?
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| Posted 5/7/14 9:04 PM |
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Re: Misrepresented listing
Are you sure the appraisal report is correct and not the listing? A lot of times the appraisers rely on a lot of info from the listing, and in preparing a report (or a listing, for that matter), it could be easy to "key in" the wrong thing (because everyone has computerized forms these days with drop downs.
I find it odd, if there is a cesspool, that the home inspector didn't ask about the location of it or give you maintenance suggestions, and that type of thing. I mean, they can't inspect it, but they will usually walk over the ground where it is and take a look, and at least comment on it.
Where is the house? Most areas of Nassau have sewers and most areas of Suffolk have cesspools (with the exception of areas closer to the water... e.g., I sold a house in West Islip last year that had sewers, I think Centerport does).
I don't know that there's much you can do. What would you want to do at this point?
I mean, you can definitely verify if you have sewers or a cesspool. But as far as recourse, in this area, it's pretty much "buyer beware." You really have to verify everything on your own (or use a buyer's agent to help you), because there's no real oversight as to what goes on listings. It's usually not deliberate misrepresentations, if info is wrong, but just mistakes. Some listing agents lack knowledge, some are lazy and don't take the time to confirm the accuracy of what they represent on a listing... But I always give my buyers a due diligence checklist of things they need to be aware of and check into (taxes are prime example.. they are often listed incorrectly).
Sorry that this happened!
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| Posted 5/7/14 9:06 PM |
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OrganicMama
So in love with my little man!
Member since 6/08 5172 total posts
Name:
Mama
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Re: Misrepresented listing
Posted by MegZee
I'd be flipping out. Do you know how old the cesspool is?
No clue, this is I first I'm even hearing of it.
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| Posted 5/7/14 9:10 PM |
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MegZee
My bunny
Member since 5/06 8777 total posts
Name:
Meaghan
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Re: Misrepresented listing
Posted by OrganicMama
Posted by MegZee
I'd be flipping out. Do you know how old the cesspool is?
No clue, this is I first I'm even hearing of it.
Did you close already?
Maybe try asking the neighbors if they know when the last time the cesspool was pumped. How old is the house?
You really don't need to do anything unless it fills up. Unless it's super old. I wonder if the dept of health could tell you the age?
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| Posted 5/7/14 9:13 PM |
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OrganicMama
So in love with my little man!
Member since 6/08 5172 total posts
Name:
Mama
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Re: Misrepresented listing
Posted by Century 21 Dallow - Christine Braun
Are you sure the appraisal report is correct and not the listing? A lot of times the appraisers rely on a lot of info from the listing, and in preparing a report (or a listing, for that matter), it could be easy to "key in" the wrong thing (because everyone has computerized forms these days with drop downs.
I find it odd, if there is a cesspool, that the home inspector didn't ask about the location of it or give you maintenance suggestions, and that type of thing. I mean, they can't inspect it, but they will usually walk over the ground where it is and take a look, and at least comment on it.
Where is the house? Most areas of Nassau have sewers and most areas of Suffolk have cesspools (with the exception of areas closer to the water... e.g., I sold a house in West Islip last year that had sewers, I think Centerport does).
I don't know that there's much you can do. What would you want to do at this point?
I mean, you can definitely verify if you have sewers or a cesspool. But as far as recourse, in this area, it's pretty much "buyer beware." You really have to verify everything on your own (or use a buyer's agent to help you), because there's no real oversight as to what goes on listings. It's usually not deliberate misrepresentations, if info is wrong, but just mistakes. Some listing agents lack knowledge, some are lazy and don't take the time to confirm the accuracy of what they represent on a listing... But I always give my buyers a due diligence checklist of things they need to be aware of and check into (taxes are prime example.. they are often listed incorrectly).
Sorry that this happened!
I'm not positive either way, but it seems the appraisal is correct because it says "cesspools are common to the area. The subject appears to be operating properly". I can't believe the engineer didn't catch this! We used Tauscher Cronacher, they come highly recommended!
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| Posted 5/7/14 9:14 PM |
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OrganicMama
So in love with my little man!
Member since 6/08 5172 total posts
Name:
Mama
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Re: Misrepresented listing
Posted by MegZee
Posted by OrganicMama
Posted by MegZee
I'd be flipping out. Do you know how old the cesspool is?
No clue, this is I first I'm even hearing of it.
Did you close already?
Maybe try asking the neighbors if they know when the last time the cesspool was pumped. How old is the house?
You really don't need to do anything unless it fills up. Unless it's super old. I wonder if the dept of health could tell you the age?
We haven't closed yet. I actually am friends with the neighbor on FB, maybe I'll ask her.
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| Posted 5/7/14 9:15 PM |
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blu6385
Member since 5/08 8351 total posts
Name:
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Misrepresented listing
I kind of understand how you feel. The listing for the house we bought said there was plumbing already done for an upstairs bathroom and that was not the case once the inspection was done he told us it wasn't. it wasn't a deal breaker for us cause I felt the house was still worth what we offered and we offered less than asking price. What really pissed me off was the taxes were listed wrong. they were listed about $1000 under what it really was . I have no idea where they got the number because when I called the town the number listed on the listing wasn't even what it was with star or what the current homeowners were paying. I found this all out about 2 days before closing and I was livid. Would I have still bought the house probably but I would have maybe considered other options. (in the long run it probably should have been caught long before closing and it probably was my own fault too)
If the cesspool is not a deal breaker than I would find out all the information from the homeowners about it. how old it is etc and take it from there.
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| Posted 5/7/14 9:19 PM |
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OrganicMama
So in love with my little man!
Member since 6/08 5172 total posts
Name:
Mama
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Re: Misrepresented listing
Well the neighbor said hers is sewer so hopefully ours is too! I'll have our agent call to check tomorrow :)
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| Posted 5/7/14 9:25 PM |
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thiadora
Happy Little Girl
Member since 5/05 3830 total posts
Name:
Thia (Cynthia)
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Re: Misrepresented listing
Posted by OrganicMama
Well the neighbor said hers is sewer so hopefully ours is too! I'll have our agent call to check tomorrow :)
Did you have a title search done yet? Have the title company run a sewer search. That will definitively tell you if there is a hook up or not. (If there is a sewer, you'll still want this search done.)
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| Posted 5/8/14 12:12 AM |
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OrganicMama
So in love with my little man!
Member since 6/08 5172 total posts
Name:
Mama
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Re: Misrepresented listing
Posted by thiadora
Posted by OrganicMama
Well the neighbor said hers is sewer so hopefully ours is too! I'll have our agent call to check tomorrow :)
Did you have a title search done yet? Have the title company run a sewer search. That will definitively tell you if there is a hook up or not. (If there is a sewer, you'll still want this search done.)
Thanks, I'll look in our title search and see if it was done.
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| Posted 5/8/14 11:22 AM |
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drewsgirl
My loves
Member since 5/05 3221 total posts
Name:
Amanda
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Misrepresented listing
Can you call the town and check? Our house listed as cesspools which I didn't love either, but then I forgot what happened, ended up checking with the town and was told they were hooked up to sewers..ours was an estate sale so don't think the sons knew when they listed it since they never lived there
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| Posted 5/8/14 1:27 PM |
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ave1024
I Took The Wrong Road
Member since 12/07 6153 total posts
Name:
That Led To The Wrong Tendencies
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Misrepresented listing
Could it have been an abandoned cesspool and now you have sewer?
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| Posted 5/8/14 1:33 PM |
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babymakes3
Almost there!
Member since 7/06 7376 total posts
Name:
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Re: Misrepresented listing
Does the homeowner get a sewer bill? Maybe call the sewer district and ask about that address?
My last house was in a sewer district but we were still on cesspool. We paid sewer taxes but didn't have the monthly (or quarterly) sewer bill because we weren't hooked up.
We got quotes for $5-10k to hook up. Granted we had a partial driveway they would have had to dig up. Something to consider if you are still on cesspool and want to hook up to sewer down the line.
The inspector should have addressed sewer or cesspool. I'd question the inspector too.
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| Posted 5/8/14 9:23 PM |
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sunnyflies
LIF Adult
Member since 9/09 1757 total posts
Name:
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Misrepresented listing
And, if it is a cesspool, it is cement or blocks? If blocks, you will have to replace it.
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| Posted 5/8/14 11:24 PM |
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maymama
my little loves
Member since 8/08 18453 total posts
Name:
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Re: Misrepresented listing
Posted by ave1024
Could it have been an abandoned cesspool and now you have sewer?
this was my first thought, likely abandoned and now sewer.
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| Posted 5/13/14 1:50 PM |
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OrganicMama
So in love with my little man!
Member since 6/08 5172 total posts
Name:
Mama
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Re: Misrepresented listing
Posted by maymama
Posted by ave1024
Could it have been an abandoned cesspool and now you have sewer?
this was my first thought, likely abandoned and now sewer.
The owners said it was switched over in the 70's, so all is well :)
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| Posted 5/13/14 8:19 PM |
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