Reduce house offer because of undisclosed sewage pumping station in the garden

Freddie1980

Freddie1980

Freddie1980

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Joined
25 Sep 2009
Posts
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Location
Billericay, UK
We found out last week that the property we are purchasing has a sewage pumping station at the front of the property. When we viewed the property the owner told us that the area was a water pump run by the water company and was needed as the way needed to be pumped up hill. At the time we took his word on it and we eventually agreed a price.

We're a bit annoyed this information was only now been disclosed, there's nothing about it on the title deeds and everyone (agents, lawyers, sellers etc) is playing dumb saying they don't know anything about it. I'm thinking of pulling out but my other half wants to ask for a reduction.
 
Is it on your property, or adjacent? Are you concerned about noise/smell/appearance/maintenance work?

Ultimately it's a judgement call for you - how could it affect you, is it enough to pull out, or if not what do you consider a reasonable reduction?
 
dlockers said:
What difference does it make?
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Pump stops working, maintenance work outside your house.

Pump explodes, poop outside your house, then maintenance work.

There's probably a vent nearby too, that'll be nice in the summer.

Linden homes built a new estate near us, there were loads of open drains and pumps everywhere on the development. The residents were not amused.
 
randal said:
Pump stops working, maintenance work outside your house.

Pump explodes, poop outside your house, then maintenance work.

There's probably a vent nearby too, that'll be nice in the summer.

Linden homes built a new estate near us, there were loads of open drains and pumps everywhere on the development. The residents were not amused.
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OP thought it was a water pump, so #1 on your list is the same. I guess 2 is another "maybe" issue. Is 3 for real?
 
julianhj said:
Is it on your property, or adjacent? Are you concerned about noise/smell/appearance/maintenance work?

Ultimately it's a judgement call for you - how could it affect you, is it enough to pull out, or if not what do you consider a reasonable reduction?
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There's a private driveway that leads down to the house and there's a strip of land on the right that belongs to the property were buying where the pump is located. The pump which services 3 other houses on the cul-de-sac is about 10 metres away from our front door.

I'm worried about it breaking down, flooding, smells etc. when we've been down there we've not smelt anything but the pump does make a bit noise.
 
the drainage survey search doesn't/didn't reveal anything,
our group of 20 properties have a private underground cesspit which is pumped automatically as needed - never had any smell, 100yds up the road;
however another place in village, on my regular run, often has a sweet/sickly smell I associate with some kind of sewerage processing/disguising ... which I wouldn't want to live next to.

e: knock on the door of neighbours and ask ?
 
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ask his potential neighbours, of any issue smell/overflow .... ?!

just googled smell (from elsewhere in village) ... now I know what it is
Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless, flammable gas that smells like rotten eggs at low concentration levels in the air. It is commonly known as sewer gas, stink damp, and manure gas. At high concentration levels, it has a sickening sweet odor
 
If it had the potential to smell I'd pull out.

This goes for many situations in life!

There's a sewage smell that randomly emanates from a underground something or other in the local park. 19 times out of 20 you wouldn't know it's there. But every now and then it absolutely hums.
 
Quartz said:
What else has the owner not disclosed?

Walk away.
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He has debt secured against the property, not sure what happened but he has a CCJ from 2006 against him which the creditor agreed to take a charge on his house and he's been accruing interest on it ever since. We need to get his solicitor to agree to an legal undertaking to pay the debt upon completion and that needs to be in place before we exchange.
 
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Freddie1980 said:
He has debt secured against the property, not sure what happened but he has a CCJ from 2006 against him which the creditor agreed to take a charge on his house and he's been accruing interest on it ever since.
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Oof. Sounds like he has been living up poop avenue without even a paddle!
 
Crazy a) that people either lie or don't even understand what's on their property and b) that all this info isn't revealed in searches after paying a not insubstantial amount of money for supposed professionals to do this work.
 
Pumping **** uphill should not be an issue, ask neighbours obviously.

Treatment plant would be a big no no though, especially when the wind is blowing towards the house.
 
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