Hello... About four years ago I purchased my home with an FHA loan, here in Indiana. I have since realized that the septic system utilizes an open, above ground drain field. This is merely a long shallow ditch that runs across the middle of my back yard. This would normally be underground. This ditch runs the entire width of my yard, goes under a gravel road through a big pipe and across the outer edge of the neighbor’s yard and into a pond behind their house!
While walking the property while I was having the home inpection, my realtor casually told me that the ditch was for a perimeter drain system that received rain water from the roof gutters. While it might have worked like that at one time, it also, without doubt, is connected to my septic tank!
I don't know for sure, but I strongly suspect that a septic system, DESIGNED to dump raw sewage water (unfiltered overflow from septic tank) on the top of the ground, is illegal. What do you think?
My question is this. Are there any laws protecting me, as a first time FHA home buyer, from being responsible for this? I had a home inspection and they didn't even notice that I had an illegal septic system. I don't get it. Also, an FHA inspector came out and gave this house his OK. The FHA inspector made me scrape all the loose pain on the house and paint it before he would give the house his okay, but somehow he missed the fact that raw sewage water gets dumped out on top of my yard!
I will GREATLY appreciate any advice that I can get. I want to know if I have a case here.
Thank you!
Jimfox
While walking the property while I was having the home inpection, my realtor casually told me that the ditch was for a perimeter drain system that received rain water from the roof gutters. While it might have worked like that at one time, it also, without doubt, is connected to my septic tank!
I don't know for sure, but I strongly suspect that a septic system, DESIGNED to dump raw sewage water (unfiltered overflow from septic tank) on the top of the ground, is illegal. What do you think?
My question is this. Are there any laws protecting me, as a first time FHA home buyer, from being responsible for this? I had a home inspection and they didn't even notice that I had an illegal septic system. I don't get it. Also, an FHA inspector came out and gave this house his OK. The FHA inspector made me scrape all the loose pain on the house and paint it before he would give the house his okay, but somehow he missed the fact that raw sewage water gets dumped out on top of my yard!
I will GREATLY appreciate any advice that I can get. I want to know if I have a case here.
Thank you!
Jimfox