I need your opinion!

My wife and I bought our first home about a year ago. This january the towns sewer backed up into our basment wich is finished since that time it has happened two more times, not as bad as the first time. The town has been great about everything as far as payinf for damages and restoration. Our concern is when we sell thr house later down the road and we have to disclose that this happened will we lose value? Apparently this happened six years ago but was not disclosed to us. What steps do we need to take to protect our investment? Thanks

You didn't indicate which state you live in, but many across the country do in fact require a seller to properly disclose existing property conditions on an itemized Seller Disclosure. This is an itemized disclosure which (depending on which state you live in) clearly discloses any previous property conditions, such as the flooding you've mentioned, termite damage/infestation, leaky roof, or faulty plumbing, for examples. Again, depending on the state you live in, this disclosure should be present at the time you list your house on the market and in fact handed out to any potential buyers. Not only does it protect your future borrower, it will in fact protect you as a seller should any future problems arise from those pre-exsting conditions after you've sold the home. Should you ever decide to sell your home, it's very much in your best interests to have this disclosure added as an addendum to your purchase agreement. Any future borrowers will have acknowledged by their signature that they were aware of these conditions prior to signing the contract. At that time, you and your prospective borrower can discuss any repair or remedy conditions, or to in fact accept the property "as is." Again, it would be prudent have those terms incorporated into your contract.

You may want to contact a real estate attorney to inquire whether your state requires a seller disclosure. If one was required when you purchased your property and if in fact your seller never provided one, you may have possible recourse. (There may also be a time limit involved.) An attorney can easily answer any questions you have.

The simple fact that a city sewer occasionally backs up in heavy rains shouldn't lower your property value. That's determined by the sales of other homes in your area and by what amenities each home has, i.e. room count, square footage, lot size and the like (even your finished basement.) If, however, your property happens to lie in a particularly flood-prone area, it may well turn out that a potential buyer simply isn't willing to pay what you're asking, considering there may be future repairs involved down the road.

Just curious here..do you have 'overhead sewer' insurance coverage on your homeowners insurance policy? You may also want to check in to that as well to help offset any expenses your city doesn't reimburse you for as well.

Good luck to you.

Simply go to a real estate broker and ask if it is required by you to attach a disclosure before you sell any property. If one was required when you purchased your property and if in fact your seller never provided one, you may have possible recourse.

Of course you ARE required to have a disclosure list on your sale of a house when you go through a realtor. But if you plan to live there another year, the best thing to do is FIX IT.

Look up Sewer Backflow Prevention. This is what you get:

Sewer Backup Prevention
It is very important that the maintenance of your home include sewer backup prevention. When sewage backup occurs, not only does a foul odour permeate your house, but there is also a huge mess to clean up and expensive repairs to be effected. Most often, it occurs in the basement. Replacing carpets, sanitizing and repainting the entire room will most likely be necessary. It is a financial, physical and emotional hassle that can be avoided by simply installing a sewer backflow prevention valve which will prevent water and sewage from flowing into your house. There is a wide variety of valves available on the market today, manual or automatic, and with different seals. Two of the most common ones are Flap valves and Gate valves.

Flap Valves
Flap valves, also known as check valves, allow water or sewage to flow out of the house, and will automatically close should the water flow reverse. They require no manual operation, but should be periodically tested to ensure functionality.

Gate Valves
Gate valves require manual operation, but are often considered more effective than other valves as their seals are the tightest. However, someone must be present at the time of the backup emergency in order to operate it. It may not be convenient for the common household, but it is highly effective all the same.

Common Causes of Sewage Backup

Service Blockage: A build up of soil and grime in the pipes that lead from your house to the City’s main sewer line is most common, and will hinder proper water flow. Other related causes are items such as rags, sanitary napkins and cooking oil or working grease that have been flushed down a house drain. Less common problems are poorly aligned joints and pipe collapses within the city.So if you live in a very old house, use a toilet cleaner at the last cleanout location every six months or yearly depending on the amount of grease going down or flush your outbound sewer lines with a high pressure hose yearly.

This solution requires a plumber and might cost some money for a backhoe to get to the outbound line, but the house will always be habitable... without you having to clean up a sewer mess where your kids and grandkids might play.