QOD for W/E 06-25-11 #1

[Robert J. OConnor]

This question is actually very sticky for an "old easy exam question" ...

The (most) correct answer is A ... the presence of the buried oil tank should be mentioned in the report

Answers B and C can be eliminated because standards require an inspector to at least describe the fuel source.

Answer D would not be correct just based on the information given. You would have to inspect and/or test a buried oil tank to definitively say it needed to be replaced, which is beyond the standards and specifically excluded.

Most inspectors will include additional comments about getting any paperwork on the tank installation to determine the type and age, special homeowners insurance that is needed, inspection and testing of the tank by a specialist before the close of escrow, and budgeting for replacement if it turns out to be an older tank in poor condition. But that is not simply a replacement recommendation. The website www.inspectapedia.com has some good info on this subject.

Sorry Marcel, the article you linked recommended special insurance if there is a buried tank, and even the Maine regulations you referenced recognize that the newer fiberglass or cathodically protected steel buried tanks do not require replacement ...