The Party is Over

Shutting Down the Party

The city of Portland has been cracking down on party sewers and other non-conforming sewer connections. What the heck is a party sewer you ask- well, in the old days the sewer lines from multiple homes were allowed to tie together before connecting to the main line. Years after such connections were no longer installed the old ones were allowed to stay as they had originally been built, but no longer. Today, with very few exceptions, every property must connect directly to the city main.

The host is the primary line and the properties tying into the host line are called guests. The guests will have to leave the party line and establish their own connections to the main. If the host is in good condition it can stay in place and the connections for the former guests can be capped.

There are other types of non-conforming sewer connections, such as private sewer lines in the public right of way and improper connections at the city’s wye, or branch. Different situations have different solutions. Sometimes an easement is needed, sometimes plumbing work is required, sometimes a new sewer line must be installed.

What to do?

There are various ways these situation can be discovered, one of which is a sewer scope during a real estate inspection. This means a technician feeds a cable with a video camera through the sewer line, kind of like a colonoscopy. Sometimes the city finds party sewers in the records as they are planning for future work. Sometimes the records are wrong! I recently had a a scare just days before closing when an ominous letter arrived from the city stating that there was a party line with additional non-conforming sewer issues. This could have derailed the sale. Luckily we had a sewer scope done and proved the records were incorrect, whew!

Since 2012 the city of Portland has been requiring non-conforming connections be brought into current compliance. If you get a letter like this, the first step is to get a sewer scope so you know what you are dealing with. If, indeed, you need to get a new sewer connection the city offers private plumbing loans if you need funds to pay for the required work.

For more information visit the city’s web page: Non-conforming sewer info.

If you need advice or a referral to a professional to do a sewer scope for you contact me. I’m glad to help.

Bonnie Roseman

Principal Broker | Earth Advantage | ADU Specialist | OR

She/Her

Hello, we’re so glad you’re here! Trish Sunderland, my assistant broker, and I are ready to answer all of your real estate questions and help you make a move when the time is right. We're looking forward to speaking with you soon! - Bonnie Since 1991, she's been delighted to assist clients in navigating the ever changing housing market: whether selling a first home or the family home, looking for a starter pad or a forever habitat, downsizing, resizing or buying and selling investment property. Having a symbiotic connection with your real estate agent is key and will help ensure a great experience. Bonnie enjoys consulting with potential clients to discover their wishes and goals, confirming the right client-agent match. Smooth transactions are the target; however, there can be unexpected bumps getting to the closing table. Bonnie excels at finding creative solutions to any mishegoss that pops up and she takes pride in an extremely low sale fail rate. A little more about Bonnie: born in Philly, raised in Berkeley, mom to an incredible young woman; her home is filled with both furry and scaly creatures, the daily driver is all electric, equality is the only pathway; she's embraced veganism for the earth, the animals and her health. Like credentials? Sweet, here you go:

• At Home with Diversity Certificate
• Earth Advantage Broker + ADU Specialist
• Senior Real Estate Specialist SRES)
• Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
• Five Star Professional Award (9 years)
• Homelight Top Producer and Top Buyers' Agent
• Nexdoor Neighborhood Favorite
• Member of the National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP)

Saving the best for last, Bender, her little second chance rescue pup from SoCal is likely to tag along. He’s snuggly, pretty cute and has jumped paws first into the real estate industry. We love your referrals, and are honored every time you connect us with your people! With each person you send our way, we will make a small contribution to the Happy Planet program at Loop and Tie, as a token of our gratitude. You get to choose whether it goes to tree planting in Tanzania or removing plastic from the ocean or from rivers. Pretty cool, huh? We will take the BEST care of your folks and send a bit of good out into the world! #pet mama, #dog lover, #cat lover, #animal lover, #empty nester, #Leaf driver, #progressive, #SE Portland, #Hawthorne, #97214, #97215, #97202, #97232, #97201,#97206,#97210,#97211, #97212, #97217, #envronmentalist, #local

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