Long shot... Shared septic tank problem.

[Methenyouplus4]

We are having issues with our shared septic tank, is there anyone out there who may be able to help with our query before we have to pay for a solicitor? Thank you in advance.

Excuse my ignorance - what is a charge on their house?

Well the system is not going to work properly ever unless people understand how it is meant to work, and are really careful.

they will argue it doesn't say shared equally

Well that will never stand up, unless they expect all the arrangements to be re negosiated every time one of the households changes hands.

If you continue to share a system with people who put down detergents and other bacteria killers, you will keep having to pay for it to be emptied.

repeats numerous times that responsibility is shared but I think they will argue it doesn't say shared equally

But if it wasn't meaning to be shared equally between the properties, the Deeds would specify in what proportion the costs should be shared i.e. a house divided into three apartments, the options are share maintenance costs equally or per square footage of each property at that fraction of the annual cost.

In other words, by not specifying fraction of cost per occupant or ^per toilet' or 'per appliance' (washing machine, dishwasher) then there is no other division than per property.

Anything shared is never going to be equal to the Nth degree.

Thank you all, I have arranged for a septic tank installer to come round next week and talk logistics so that we can see what we would be looking at in terms of cost for a new, individual tank. In the meantime I will instruct our solicitor to write a letter explaining how things are and requesting payment for outstanding costs.

Thank you all again, I will update you all as we go. Hopefully the letter from the solicitor will be enough to make them think more carefully about things.

I would get a quote from kingspan also,www.kingspanenviro.com/kingspan-klargester-new

I have yet to come across a better system, and you can very quickly learn to do the simple maintenance yourself, and the environment agency recommends them.

Most of our clients have switched to the Klargester system, since the environment agency have asked for all the old systems to be updated, most of area have changed, it far easier than the old tank system, and they can even go under a drive way.

A 'charge' on their house.

Say you went to court and won the emptying charge from your neighbours. If they refused to pay you can ask for a charge on their house. What this does is put you on their list of creditors so when they come to sell their house you get the money. It automatically comes to you straight from their bank. They can't not pay.

A pain because you have to wait till their house is sold.
A bigger pain for them when they come to sell as it has to be disclosed and this can put off buyers also it will show as a neighbour dispute.

Quote do you get commission

Quote- I have emailed them for a quote.

Naice- that makes sense. If it is just the cost of emptying, I'd be happy to do that. If it turns out that they aren't willing to pay for repair/replacement when the time comes, I would really need the money now as it is £££ (we would have to remortgage to cover cost). They certainly have the money to pay (or at least appear to based on holidays they have, cars they drive etc). If we do have to pay solely, then I will be pursuing the route of getting our own (if we can legally do this) as this would seem grossly unfair.

You can always just instal your own and need no permissions for that. You just leave the existing one where it is, and if you disconnect your house from it you are no longer obliged to pay for its maintenance.

No, but I should,

I run a construction and land managment company in a rural area, nearly every one of my clients and all the properties I have responsibility have had septic tank issues, the only ones I don't have continuous issues with are where they have been updated,

I hate to think how much of the 30 years I have spent dealing with septic tanks, I bloody love the klargester soultion because I noticed a massive decrease in tedious repetitive sewage related time consuming nasty work.

It makes my crew very happy not having to facilitate emergency sewer issues.

You should let them know !