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September 9, 2016

Selling Your North Vancouver Home? The One Requirement You Need to Know

Do you have a property in North Vancouver that you are looking to sell? If so, are you aware of one major requirement that all sellers must abide by?

The District of North Vancouver has issued a number of guidelines around oil tank removal in North Vancouver, with it being a requirement to remove any residential underground storage tanks (RUSTs), before selling your property.

Brief history

North Vancouver, along with much of Metro Vancouver, has a history of oil tanks being buried beneath residential properties, as during the 1970s they were used in the heating of homes. Now, however, they are a redundant and potentially dangerous item lurking below your property, with many homeowners being unaware of their existence.

One of the major problems with the buried tanks is that they may still contain oil, or other hazardous material, which can contaminate the surrounding soil, if and when the oil tank corrodes, or leaks. As a result, the sooner you are able to deal with your oil tank removal in North Vancouver, then the easier, cheaper and safer the removal procedure will be.

Your responsibility

If you are not selling your home, conducting an oil tank removal in North Vancouver is still a highly recommended practice, as any contamination that occurs as a result of the tank will be your financial responsibility.

You are also responsible for all costs associated with removing the oil tank, so locating an efficient and experienced company to perform this task is crucial, along with curtailing the chance of contamination and other potential problems.

Proof required

Even if you have already conducted an oil tank removal in North Vancouver, you must provide evidence that the RUST has been removed, or decommissioned, before you are able to sell your home.

The evidence must include signed documentation from the owner of the property that the tank removal has been conducted to required engineering standards, along with providing receipts to prove the oil tank removal in North Vancouver did actually occur.

In summary

Whether you are selling your home or not, an oil tank removal in North Vancouver should be conducted as soon as possible, as this reduces the chance of soil contamination and other related problems and expenses.