Buying a home with shared well--is this a bad thing? (cost, community)
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Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by usedup
hi i live in island co. wa. we share a well with the people next door they havent paid the power bill in 2.5 years what can i do to make them pay there share
Island County WA... How much is their share of the well power bill at $0.04/KWH? $10 / yr ?
1) You need to have a RECORDEDwell agreement that lays out all the conditions. (and legal remedies)
2) have a separate meter on the well (if you MUST or are OCD)(~$60 for a meter)
3) Take care of your relationships
4) take care of your well
5) Have separate shut offs for each user.
I did not know there was such a thing. I assume there are some weird regional regulations that preclude a separate well for each property? We had a well (our own) for many years and ample water. I guess if there is no shortage, this arrangement could work, but if there is, how can you monitor the water use of others?
I wouldn't want this kind of set up, unless I had no choice.
I have had 6 places with shared wells, only one time was a problem and I put a QUICK fix to THAT,
Electric bill was not paid by 'owner', so I ran my own power to the well. ~$200 vs $20,000.
I have very specific well agreements that are filed against the deed of the property.
I don't doubt there are lots of horror stories, but there doesn't have to be...
I currently have a few props on shared well. I haven't seen a decrease in valuation, or ever ran low on water, and when there is a $6,000 expense for new pipe and pump every 30 yrs, we split it.
Your water pumps last for 30 YEARS!!!!!
While severing multiple homes.....please share the brand and model number.
Island County WA... How much is their share of the well power bill at $0.04/KWH? $10 / yr ?
1) You need to have a RECORDEDwell agreement that lays out all the conditions. (and legal remedies)
2) have a separate meter on the well (if you MUST or are OCD)(~$60 for a meter)
3) Take care of your relationships
4) take care of your well
5) Have separate shut offs for each user.
I'm glad I have decent neighbors.
I still have 4 properties on shared wells.
No horror stories (yet). 34 yrs and counting
Any day now the sky will fall.
I'm watching!
and REALLY worried... (From 11,000 miles away)
How to you "care for your well"????
Now you have good neighbors......all it will take is for one to move.....and a "not so good" neighbor to move in.
Island County WA... How much is their share of the well power bill at $0.04/KWH? $10 / yr ?
1) You need to have a RECORDEDwell agreement that lays out all the conditions. (and legal remedies)
2) have a separate meter on the well (if you MUST or are OCD)(~$60 for a meter)
3) Take care of your relationships
4) take care of your well
5) Have separate shut offs for each user.
I'm glad I have decent neighbors.
I still have 4 properties on shared wells.
No horror stories (yet). 34 yrs and counting
Any day now the sky will fall.
I'm watching!
and REALLY worried... (From 11,000 miles away)
I see you changed your post.....you removed the part about your water pump lasting 30 years.
Why???
You have a brand and model that lasts three times the national average.
Why wouldn't you share the information???
And why won't you post how to "care for" a well.......I have drilled over 500....and I do not know.
My husband and his 2 sisters has inherited all most 40 acres. We are having the land survey. But one sister wants control of the well water which is a big mistake. The well has 5 trailer houses on it. Can we put the well on community where one person isn't control of the well?
I would never buy a home with a shared well, and have passed on a few really nice (otherwise) homes that had them. I once rented a tiny house that had a shared well with the landlord's house plus 2 others. In addition, the well was underneath MY house. Everytime the landlord's grandkids visited for the weekend, I was treated to hours of listening to the well pump running from multiple showers and laundry loads. In addition, the landlord divided the bill 4 ways, even though he and the other tenants all had multi-person families, and I was the only single person tenant.
Many years ago, we rented with option to buy a place with a shared well. We were advised that neither VA nor FHA would approve a loan on a place with a shared well.
Perhaps that has changed, I don't know. We have our own well, and I would not have it any other way.
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(From 11,000 miles away)
