Mend Your Diet

Can Health Department Kick you out of house?

Our septic tank has issues and overflows. It overflows due to our field lines being under natural water. Well our local Health Department has been called to our house several times due to it over flowing into our neighbors yard. We have already spent about 3000 dollars just pumping the thing. And we have been told that it would cost us atleast 20k just to have a private sewer put in. We were told today to connect to the sewer in ten days to fix the problem and I have told them that we don't have the money as well. Can the Health Department kick us out of our house if we dont connect to sewer in ten days like they want us to? Ok I guess I need to add some detail... the Health Department knows about the natural water and stuff and has told us all they can do is tell us to keep pumping it every month. Who can afford 250 a month for pumping something. We've gone to lawyers and everything and all they can say is to keep pumping it as well until you find something else. Its like we've done all that we could and now we are just stuck in this rock and hard place. We'll we've been given on ten days and have ten days to come up with 5000 bucks. And that is going to connect us to the sewer so that would fix the problem. The health department guy said that the only way the ten days are going to be exteneded is if we are doing something to correct the problem. the only two things we are working on right now which should extend the issues is the easement for the neighbors and money. So fingers crossed!

Public Comments

1. They can condemn your house and yes kick you out until the problem is fixed. Thereby stopping any more sewage issues from that house. Or they will fix the problem and you will pay them back double for doing so
2. Yes
3. I assume the problem is real based on what you describe. It is a serious health issue. There are several options that the Health Dept can take. I suspect they will receive a court-backed order to hook you to the sewer line and place a lien against your house for the costs involved. Also, your neighbors could sue the pjs out of you if you do not rectify the situation post haste. You could also face suits from a variety of environmental groups. Best deal with the real issue.
4. Are outhouses banned in your community? I would check it out. Maybe you should build one just behind your house. I sympathize with you. I once bought 3 acres and I was not allowed to build on the property because I didn't have a 50' right of way for the fire trucks to enter out driveway. The main road to our driveway was only a 30' right of way, but they said they built it before the law was in place and it didn't matter we could not have a permit to build. Nice free country we have, but sometimes it is so unfair to some people its hard to take. You will have to do what they are saying, and YES they can kick you out of your house and condemn it for a bad septic. Good Luck.