The Historic District

Just wondering how many have had oil tanks removed and what there experiences were like with this saga. OK so digging one out is not that complicated, either lots of digging or hiring a machine but we have all heard the horror stories about them leaking and of people being made to dig to china and the expense of getting rid of contaminated soil. Pretty sure lots of us have them. They devalue your property if you don't take them out and they are just one of those things that tend to get swept under the carpet. How many have the typical steel lines that terminate at the basement walls?

No personal experience, but my in-laws had to have their buried tank removed as a condition to selling their old house. The tank was still in operation and not leaking, but the mortgage (or poss insurance) company of the buyer insisted upon its removal. I dont believe they had any contamination issues to deal with but the process was not cheap (though I do not recall how much). I do know that the new tank was smaller than the old (250 gal as opposed to 500) and the oil company charged them to take the difference between the two tanks away!

When I sold my parents' house, the buyer (or his insurance company) required that the tank be legally abandoned. This is a process whereby the tank is thoroughly emptied and then filled with sand (or something) by a company that has qualifications to do this work. The tank was only 15 years old, so it was almost certainly not leaking. I'm not sure whether this is a state thing or governed by federal EPA regulations.

I recently dealt with this as a real estate agent. I had the buyers so we asked that the seller split the cost for removal. The tank was above the ground in the basement and probably had a very small leak. We had a company who deals with underground gas tanks, etc. remove and they assured us there were no permits or anything we needed to remove the tank. It hadn't been used in ages but they had to drain it and cut in half to get out the basement door...easy peasy...or so it looked.

About a year prior to selling what had been rental property (a 1967 split foyer), I had the underground tank removed. It should have been "abandoned" and filled with sand by a licensed company. That's according to state regulations. The house is in a rural area, no close neighbors, I just had it dug up with a backhoe and installed an above ground tank.

When my parents bought an old house that had them, we bought a backhoe, dug them out and capped the lines. Nothing was leaking, so done deal and I got to learn how to use a backhoe. I would dig them out and see what you have before you call anyone. I am not one to dump waste or what have you, but think thsese types of situations are just ways of making money for cities and contractors. If they are not leaking, then cbackfill and call it a day.

You need to start by making sure they are empty so you are not making the situation worse if they are leaking.