We are not lawyers and this is not legal advice. But we see the same situation often: a tank is found during a sale and everyone starts talking at once. A short list of questions, taken to your real estate attorney, keeps the conversation useful. Facts to bring The sweep report and any photos. Any […]
Many buyers assume the home inspection covers everything. It does not, and the oil tank is a good example. What a home inspection does A general home inspection is a visual review of the visible and accessible parts of a house: roof, structure, plumbing, electrical, heating and so on. It can point out clues, for […]
Home heating oil tanks get most of the attention, but plenty of New Jersey businesses, churches, small offices and mixed-use buildings also have buried heating oil tanks. The rules depend on size. The line The NJDEP’s homeowner FAQ answers a question from a business owner. Unregulated heating oil tanks are all residential heating oil tanks […]
A sweep finds buried objects. Not every object is an oil tank, and one of the most common look-alikes is a septic tank. Here are the usual differences, and why you should confirm before acting. What each one is A septic tank is part of a household wastewater system. It collects waste from the house […]
If you want to understand why so many older New Jersey properties have buried oil tanks, look at the day the heating changed. The conversion day A homeowner decides to switch from oil to natural gas. The installer removes the burner and the boiler or furnace, connects the new system and leaves. The oil tank, […]
If you read anything from the state about a home oil tank, you will meet the phrase “unregulated heating oil tank,” often shortened to UHOT. It sounds like a loophole. It is a category. The definition According to the NJDEP’s homeowner FAQ, unregulated heating oil tanks are all residential heating oil tanks and non-residential heating […]
You do not have to do much for a sweep, but a few things help the technician see more of the property and find tanks more reliably. Clear the way Move vehicles off driveways and out of the areas to be searched. Unlock gates and tell the crew about dogs. Trim brush and move debris […]
The report is what lawyers, lenders and buyers will read, so it should be written for them. A sweep that ends with “we did not find anything” and nothing else leaves everyone guessing. What a good report contains The property and date. Address, date of the sweep, who did the work. The area searched. Often […]
“My soil samples passed, so we are done” is a common assumption. Sometimes it is right. Sometimes the rules require one more investigation. When groundwater has to be investigated According to the NJDEP’s homeowner FAQ, the Heating Oil Tank System Remediation Rules, N.J.A.C. 7:26F, require a groundwater investigation when: any part of the heating oil […]
If a tank is taken out and oil is found, the next step is sampling the soil. The state’s heating oil tank rules, N.J.A.C. 7:26F, set the basics, and the NJDEP explains them for homeowners. How many samples According to the NJDEP’s homeowner FAQ, for a discharge from an underground tank at least five soil […]