I am looking at a property in south Florida area and there is something that
concerns me.

The owner told me all the houses in the neighborhood are on septic tanks.
But his house is not. His house was originally built and owned by the city
engineer at the time, and he had a lift station installed on the property.
He showed it to me, it looked like a well with a handle to open and close
the valve. He told me this property has a direct connection to the city
sewer and there is a primary pump and a back up secondary pump to pump the
waster water to the main sewer line. The main sewer line is not far from
the property, but the city is slow in getting them connected (he said the
city has been saying they will be connected "soon" for seventeen years).

He said he has someone that comes by to service/check the lift station once
every quarter, and he has to go out and check to see if it is ok every month
himself to make sure the pump continue to work.

I am not sure of all the specifics of what is involved to check to see if
the pump still works, is this a maintainance nightmare I am getting into or
this is a neat feature to have? Does having a "lift station" enhance
property value?

MC

I would ask:
Who owns the lift pump? Leading to who
is responsible when it breaks?
When the city puts in local sewers, how
much will it cost me?
I would talk to the city.

miamicuse wrote:
I am looking at a property in south Florida area and there is something that
concerns me.

The owner told me all the houses in the neighborhood are on septic tanks.
But his house is not. His house was originally built and owned by the city
engineer at the time, and he had a lift station installed on the property.
He showed it to me, it looked like a well with a handle to open and close
the valve. He told me this property has a direct connection to the city
sewer and there is a primary pump and a back up secondary pump to pump the
waster water to the main sewer line. The main sewer line is not far from
the property, but the city is slow in getting them connected (he said the
city has been saying they will be connected "soon" for seventeen years).

He said he has someone that comes by to service/check the lift station once
every quarter, and he has to go out and check to see if it is ok every month
himself to make sure the pump continue to work.

I am not sure of all the specifics of what is involved to check to see if
the pump still works, is this a maintainance nightmare I am getting into or
this is a neat feature to have? Does having a "lift station" enhance
property value?

MC

Unless there were some other VERY compelling reason to
buy that particular property, I think I'd be having
second and third thoughts about it. If it was a plus
to have, you'd see that in the price of the house. Is
the price lower/higher than expected? How about tax
assessments compared to neighbors?
I guess you could always opt right away to put in a
septic and forget about that thing for now. Then you
could do it either way, whatever happens. But I'd
never feel comfortable with something I knew so little
about. I understand the concept, but 17 years makes it
sound like a "forget it" to me. Can you find out if
there are any municipal annexations in the works?
Still, I'd pass unless I could get them to drop the
price by whatever a septic install was going to cost.

Just my two cents.

Pop


"Art Todesco" wrote in message
m...
I would ask:
Who owns the lift pump? Leading to who is
responsible when it breaks?
When the city puts in local sewers, how much will it
cost me?
I would talk to the city.

miamicuse wrote:
I am looking at a property in south Florida area and
there is something that
concerns me.

The owner told me all the houses in the neighborhood
are on septic tanks.
But his house is not. His house was originally
built and owned by the city
engineer at the time, and he had a lift station
installed on the property.
He showed it to me, it looked like a well with a
handle to open and close
the valve. He told me this property has a direct
connection to the city
sewer and there is a primary pump and a back up
secondary pump to pump the
waster water to the main sewer line. The main sewer
line is not far from
the property, but the city is slow in getting them
connected (he said the
city has been saying they will be connected "soon"
for seventeen years).

He said he has someone that comes by to
service/check the lift station once
every quarter, and he has to go out and check to see
if it is ok every month
himself to make sure the pump continue to work.

I am not sure of all the specifics of what is
involved to check to see if
the pump still works, is this a maintainance
nightmare I am getting into or
this is a neat feature to have? Does having a "lift
station" enhance
property value?

MC

The property owner owns the pump. He pays for it to have it serviced. I
have no idea if he owns the pipe that connects to the city sewer, since part
of the pipe is under his property and part of it is not. We asked him and
he does not know. I suspect if that pipe is clogged he will be responsible
to have it fixed since it only inconveniences him.

He did tell me there was a new house being built across the back alley, that
they did not want to put in a septic tank, so they asked to see if they can
connect to his lift station and pay him a monthly fee, but they declined.

MC

"Art Todesco" wrote in message
m...
I would ask:
Who owns the lift pump? Leading to who
is responsible when it breaks?
When the city puts in local sewers, how
much will it cost me?
I would talk to the city.

miamicuse wrote:
I am looking at a property in south Florida area and there is something
that
concerns me.

The owner told me all the houses in the neighborhood are on septic
tanks.
But his house is not. His house was originally built and owned by the
city
engineer at the time, and he had a lift station installed on the
property.
He showed it to me, it looked like a well with a handle to open and
close
the valve. He told me this property has a direct connection to the city
sewer and there is a primary pump and a back up secondary pump to pump
the
waster water to the main sewer line. The main sewer line is not far
from
the property, but the city is slow in getting them connected (he said
the
city has been saying they will be connected "soon" for seventeen years).

He said he has someone that comes by to service/check the lift station
once
every quarter, and he has to go out and check to see if it is ok every
month
himself to make sure the pump continue to work.

I am not sure of all the specifics of what is involved to check to see
if
the pump still works, is this a maintainance nightmare I am getting into
or
this is a neat feature to have? Does having a "lift station" enhance
property value?

MC

"miamicuse" wrote in message

He did tell me there was a new house being built across the back alley,
that
they did not want to put in a septic tank, so they asked to see if they
can
connect to his lift station and pay him a monthly fee, but they declined.


In theory, the design is a good one. The question is how well executed it
is and what condition the equipment is in. Ejector toilets, pumping
stations and the like can work very well if properly installed. I'd not
take any crap from by neighbors though.

"miamicuse" wrote in message
...
I am looking at a property in south Florida area and there is something
that
concerns me.

Does having a "lift station" enhance
property value?

MC



It probably does not enhance anything, but I don't see it as a big negative
either.
My in-laws live in a small town, on the far edge, where the city sewer
happens to be pretty close to the surface. All their neighbors have lift
pumps for their sewers. They have a float switch tied to an alarm. If the
waste level in the pit gets too deep, from a failed pump, A buzzer comes on
in their house. They check the pump and buzzer once a month or so.
Greg

Not sure why you're thinking this is such a negative. Personally I'd much
rather have a sewer (even with a 'lift station') than septic.

-Tim

"Pop" wrote in message
...
Unless there were some other VERY compelling reason to
buy that particular property, I think I'd be having
second and third thoughts about it. If it was a plus
to have, you'd see that in the price of the house. Is
the price lower/higher than expected? How about tax
assessments compared to neighbors?
I guess you could always opt right away to put in a
septic and forget about that thing for now. Then you
could do it either way, whatever happens. But I'd
never feel comfortable with something I knew so little
about. I understand the concept, but 17 years makes it
sound like a "forget it" to me. Can you find out if
there are any municipal annexations in the works?
Still, I'd pass unless I could get them to drop the
price by whatever a septic install was going to cost.

Just my two cents.

Pop


"Art Todesco" wrote in message
m...
I would ask:
Who owns the lift pump? Leading to who is
responsible when it breaks?
When the city puts in local sewers, how much will it
cost me?
I would talk to the city.

miamicuse wrote:
I am looking at a property in south Florida area and
there is something that
concerns me.

The owner told me all the houses in the neighborhood
are on septic tanks.
But his house is not. His house was originally
built and owned by the city
engineer at the time, and he had a lift station
installed on the property.
He showed it to me, it looked like a well with a
handle to open and close
the valve. He told me this property has a direct
connection to the city
sewer and there is a primary pump and a back up
secondary pump to pump the
waster water to the main sewer line. The main sewer
line is not far from
the property, but the city is slow in getting them
connected (he said the
city has been saying they will be connected "soon"
for seventeen years).

He said he has someone that comes by to
service/check the lift station once
every quarter, and he has to go out and check to see
if it is ok every month
himself to make sure the pump continue to work.

I am not sure of all the specifics of what is
involved to check to see if
the pump still works, is this a maintainance
nightmare I am getting into or
this is a neat feature to have? Does having a "lift
station" enhance
property value?

MC

miamicuse wrote:
I am looking at a property in south Florida area and there is something that
concerns me.

The owner told me all the houses in the neighborhood are on septic tanks.
But his house is not. His house was originally built and owned by the city
engineer at the time, and he had a lift station installed on the property.
He showed it to me, it looked like a well with a handle to open and close
the valve. He told me this property has a direct connection to the city
sewer and there is a primary pump and a back up secondary pump to pump the
waster water to the main sewer line. The main sewer line is not far from
the property, but the city is slow in getting them connected (he said the
city has been saying they will be connected "soon" for seventeen years).

He said he has someone that comes by to service/check the lift station once
every quarter, and he has to go out and check to see if it is ok every month
himself to make sure the pump continue to work.

I am not sure of all the specifics of what is involved to check to see if
the pump still works, is this a maintainance nightmare I am getting into or
this is a neat feature to have? Does having a "lift station" enhance
property value?

MC



You have a lot of good answers on this post, but I will add my
two cents.

The lift pump is your connection to the sewer system.
Otherwise this house would be on a septic system. Although
septic systems last for years, they can have problems and they
must be integrated into all future changes in your yard and
house. Replacing or repairing septic systems is not an
inexpensive proposition.

The lift pump, OTOH, is all one would have to worry about with
a lift station. If it works, everything is fine and your
effluent flows to the city sewer where it is their problem to
maintain. Replacing a lift pump, by comparison, is a small
investment financially.

If it were my choice, and I liked everything else about the
house, I would not let this item change my mind. You would
have a house on city sewer (no septic), with a pump (which are
very reliable) being the only difference.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX