Disclosure and records

Sewer work is often undocumented, and where it is documented the paperwork frequently stays with the contractor rather than the property. A disclosure is a starting point rather than an answer.

What this page cannot establish

a disclosure records what was stated, not what is true
nothing disclosed does not establish that nothing occurred
SewerOwner cannot tell you what a disclosure obligation covers in your jurisdiction
nothing here is legal advice about a disclosure

What to ask a seller for

invoices for any drain clearing, however routine
invoices or proposals for any repair or replacement
inspection reports and any footage
permits and closeout documents
warranty terms for any work performed
correspondence from the sewer authority
anything they were told by a contractor, even without paperwork

What each of these can establish

Property disclosure

A statement made during a transaction about known property conditions.

Reliably shows: what was stated at the time of the transaction. A disclosure records what was known and said at a point in time, which can matter well after the transaction closes.

Cannot establish: that the statement was complete; the condition of the line; that undisclosed work did not occur.

Permit record

An official record that work was permitted.

Reliably shows: that a permit was issued for a described scope on a date. Permit records are held by an office rather than by a contractor, which makes them durable in a way that private paperwork is not.

Cannot establish: that the work matched the permitted scope; that the work was performed well; that no other work occurred without a permit.

Repair invoice

A bill describing repair or replacement work performed.

Reliably shows: that work was billed on a date; what the contractor described as done. A repair invoice is the boundary marker for future work. The next contractor needs to know where the previous one stopped.

Cannot establish: that the work was performed correctly; the current condition of the repaired section; that a warranty remains enforceable.

Prior owner statement

Something a previous owner said about the property.

Reliably shows: what the prior owner said, if it was recorded. It can point toward records that do exist — a contractor name, an approximate year, a permit to search for.

Cannot establish: that the statement is accurate; the condition of the line; that work described actually occurred.

Absence of disclosure is not absence of history

A seller may not know. Routine clearing is easily forgotten, work done by a previous owner may never have been mentioned, and a line can have been repaired without a permit.

The independent check is the permit history, which is held by an office rather than a person. It will not show unpermitted work — but where it does show something, it is a fact rather than a recollection.

What would change the answer

the property disclosure from the transaction
any invoices, permits, or reports the seller holds
the permit history from the local authority

What to do next

The permitting authority’s record is independent of what anyone chose to disclose.

Check the permit history independently

If your situation is different

You are the seller assembling records: Selling with known sewer history

Prior work
What to do with records once you have them.