Mar
16
2010
Striking Oil. Oil Tank Locate Update.
By Charles TurnerLast week I wrote about the oil tank locate inspection I attended. The result was inconclusive. There is no DEQ record of the permitted tank being removed but no tank was found. Alpha Environmental had a nagging feeling that a second look was in order. The tank was found on Sunday! The tank was located on the far side of the house from the furnace and oil lines, not on the near side which would be the logical location.
Last week we had another tank found under the asphalt driveway.
We just had an oil tank inspection done on a property we made an offer on. The home was built in the 1940′s and has had one or two owners since then. The report came back negative, but how can that be? There’s was no city report that a tank was decommissioned. Should I get a second opinion?
Without proof that the tank is or isn’t there there is always the chance that it is (or isn’t) there. You have to use what you know to make a decision of what to do next. Real estate involves risks. There is no way to mitigate all of them.
I agree Charles. I suppose having a couple more oil tank inspections just for peace of mind is the best thing we could do. We also found out the sewer needed to be completely repaired. Lots of root intrusion, broken pipe, etc. Our agent didn’t recommend this inspection and I had to asked for it just from hearing about it from a friend. The bid came back at $6,500. I wouldn’t have been happy to find out about that after purchase. No wonder the home buying process is so stressful for first time homebuyers! I feel like I am being pushed into a sale by my agent.