Friday, February 20, 2009
Septic Tank Inspection Mandatory in Home Sale?
A septic tank rule opposed by Florida Association of Realtor was voted down yesterday by a state advisory panel. The proposed rule covers the Wekiva River area of Central Florida, but it's also a possible blueprint for new septic system rules throughout the state. If enacted as written, one area of concern to Realtors is timing: It would mandate a septic system inspection as part of every home sale; and since most septic systems would fail the seepage test, they'd have to be replaced. While the advisory panel's decision carries some weight and is applauded by FAR, the vote is not binding. The Florida Department of Health will make a final decision later.
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Thanks for posting on this assinine rulemaking process that has been in the works for many years. I have followed it just as long.
ReplyDeleteYou do, however, need to clarify the boundary of the Wekiva Study Area (WSA). It is NOT limited to around the Wekiva River. Any citizen can go to the Department of Healths (DOH) website to view the map or they can e-mail their home address to the DOH to see what 'zone' they are in or if they are indeed living in the WSA. A rough boundary is Paisley to the north, Markham Woods to the east, Eatonville to the south and Lake Gertrude (Mount Dora) to the west. There are 55,000+ homes on septic located in the WSA.
The DOH is not being truthful with the governors office and the public, in general, in regards to the TRUE costs of these systems. They range from $15,000 to $25,000 PER HOME, plus monthly electric costs, plus monthly contracted, mandatory maintenance costs by a certified technician, plus yearly testing and permitting fees.
On top of that they DO NOT work when power is out. Unlike folks on traditional septic or city sewer who can use their showers, brush their teeth, etc. when their power goes out...well, you're out of luck if you have an aerobic systems installed. You can, however, at an additional cost of $2000.00 - $4000.00 have a dedicated, hardwired generator installed to run the system if you are without power for an extended period of time. Anyone remember Charley, Frances and Jeanne?
Here is a copy of a letter that I sent to the Governor, Lt. Governor, Senator Carey Baker and others. It is fact-based and contains CRITICAL information for ALL homeowners in the state of Florida. You are right, this will be implemented statewide if they can just get their foot in the door in this 'sensitive' environmental area. I DID NOT purchase a home in the WSA...the boundary was drawn after I moved in. As a realtor, don't you think that any resident in the WSA should be required to list this on their seller disclosure form? I feel the WSA will continue to have more and more COSTLY restrictive regulations placed on homeowners, to the point where we can no longer afford to live in our homes due to these restrictions alone.
I encourage everyone to contact your state representative, senator, the DOH and the Governors office. Feel free to copy my letter.
LETTER:
As I am unable to attend, as are MANY residents of the WSA, the TRAP
meeting on the 19th, I would like to once again voice my objection at the new rulemaking you are attempting to pass in regards to Aerobic Septic Systems. I have followed this process since 2004 and have attended a dozen or so meetings of the Wekiva Commission and TRAP. I can highly contradict your estimates that these 'new' systems cost on average $7700.00, as I have a quote from a well-known company that shows $9900.00 PLUS the cost to remove my current tank, PLUS the cost to install the dedicated 20amp circuit and line, PLUS the cost of permits, PLUS the yearly ONGOING operating costs of electricity and maintenance that are NOT being revealed to the residents who were 'drawn' into the
WSA. I will be more than happy to ONCE again send copies of these
estimates to your department. I feel I was dismissed by a member of your department a couple of years ago when I showed him these estimates. Your own department estimates that I received copies of support my cost claims. By the way, I live in a teeny 1200 sq/ft home with two bathrooms/bedrooms. I no doubt believe the McMansions of today would be faced with MUCH higher costs for one of these aerobic systems. Would you agree with that? Furthermore, if you wish to bath, brush your teeth or use the toilet when your power is out...well, you can't if you have one of these systems at your home. It doesn't work when the power is out. Remember Charley, Frances, Jeanne? Well, I fudged a little, you CAN use it when the power goes out...you just have to have a dedicated hardwired generator installed in order for it to operate. That cost on top of
all the other costs? $2000.00-$4000.00!
What I find even more interesting is the fact you have removed any
reference to folks located in the three different zones or am I just
missing that? Could you tell me why, considering those located in zones 2 & 3 are estimated by you to be causing 'less harm' to the aquifer?
Even without the current economic climate, you are participating in
diminishing the value of ALL homes on septic in the WSA. Thousands of
homeowners don't even know they are in this 'protected' area and will be in for a HUGE surprise when trying to put their home on the market. As a potential home buyer, wouldn't you choose a home that would not have to have this costly upgrade? Hence, making our homes even more undesirable. The DOH should be mandated to send TRUTHFUL letters to ALL homes (septic or not) in the WSA to let the owners know how these proposed rules would affect them. Homes will continue to sit on the market if this rulemaking goes on the books. Folks who are facing insurance problems (State Farm/Citizens), higher local taxes and the devaluing of their most
precious asset can ill afford to be placed under additional financial burden in the hopes of 'saving' a river (spring) that developers are currently building on the shores of. If this had EVER been anything but a political special interest movement, the science would have long ago been 100% conclusive and us folks who have worked to stop this insanity
would have been tossed by the wayside.
Take off your government mandate hat and look at this from a citizens point of view. Just how many of you folks in that office have already, in the name of 'saving the environment', installed one of these aerobic
systems at your home, without being FORCED to? If this is such a saving grace for the state then you should lead by example, don't you think? You want to 'save' the aquifer, then make EVERY home in the state with a septic system part of this rule and not guinea pigging our homes with these aerobic systems. No doubt the uproar STATEWIDE would finally put out the flame that keeps this asinine mandate brewing.
Don't 'blacklist' our homes because we just so happen to live 'near' a spring...I'm 20+ miles away and live at one of the highest points in the state. That's a WHOLE lot of filtering going on before my waste even comes close to the aquifer, let alone making it all the way to the spring. Furthermore, you certainly can't dismiss the actual onsite, real home studies of septic tanks that was done over a year ago and supports filtering/diluting of waste within very few feet of the drainfield, although you seem to be doing just that. Could I go on? Yes! It seems, though, that the
department line will continue to be toted, as I'm sure that if anyone in your office disputed this rule with common sense and science would no longer be on the public dole (don't forget, you work for ME). Maybe once you're in the private sector you'll be more apt to see the light, just as a couple of your former chums have.
As I've said from the beginning of this whole 'secret' mess...my septic tank has NOTHING to do with building a road. This mandate was snuck into the Wekiva Parkway and Protection Act by special interest environmental groups who knew that this type of mandate would NEVER have flown if introduced by itself. Us, the public, initially saw this as a road building bill...never in a million years would have guessed it would so
negatively affect our homes, our lives, our financial future and our
property values. Seems like none of that was taken into consideration
and millions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted trying to get a
needless mandate on the books. Shame on you!
(Please don't go into the fact all this was public knowledge because the meetings were announced, the act could be read, blah blah...I can make no excuses for others of the public who aren't involved. There's so much sludge in government that it's hard to tell which pile of it stinks more, thus directing the public to pay more attention to one issue over another. Whew...it can be tiring...and that's just what government counts on. FYI: I'm not tired yet.)
...rising above the sludge with the truth...
Monique Richison
"WSA Resident"