Tap tap tap. “Is this thing on?”
::Taps microphone. Awkward screeching echo ensues::
Me, awkwardly: “Oh. Okay. Just checking.”
Because you may have given up on us by now.
::Music stops. Runs awkwardly off stage::
Pull out the popcorn, this one’s gonna be good.
Once upon a time, we purchased a house. If you’ve been following along on the money pit, you know the story. But we can give you the fast forward {I-DVR’d-a-show-I-like-to-watch} version in case you’re bored already.
Because we certainly are:
Couple has big dreams to change their family, by moving their business and lives to a new location.
It takes one year for couple to sell house. Because progress takes time and absolutely horrible markets. Couple loses mind and goes to Disney World 5 days before deciding to do so. Couple sells house whilst at Disney. Because life.
Couple panics, gets back from Disney, and packs belongings to go straight to Nashville one day later. Almost all listings have sold before couple can make 4 hour drive. Couple stumbles upon house in Franklin even though they almost didn’t look at it after Ashley pitches a fit about small yards being dumb. Ashley is hangry and has a vacay hangover. Don’t be like Ashley.
Fall in love. Sign on the dotted line. Couple thinks waiting is over. Couple is excited. Kinda crazy how it all worked out.
Visions. Dreams. Progress. WHEEEEEE!!!
Couple waits.
And waits.
And waits.
Couple is told they can not touch the existing footprint without approval from septic. Even though septic was pumped and inspected before purchase of the house. {WHAT.} Couple is told that they can not touch the basement, because that is expanding the square footage until they have a thorough inspection, and if a new septic is needed, this will be an additional 15-20k tacked on to the {non existent} budget. Also, they are told anything touching the existing square footage can not be touched, including the main floor because they would be taking out walls and that would be expanding the square footage.
{WHAT.}
Are we making this up as we go? Apparently.
So couple begs. Couple appeals to person above initial inspector. Couple tries to be rational – ask and repeal the initial inspection. Couple is finally given permission.
Couple is grateful.
I’ll switch over from third person now because I kept waiting for the natural transition but that was getting old and I am not Arya Stark:
So we started demo. For which, we were so glad. Even though we can’t touch the basement, and ultimately, this will cost us more. We began the process of studding out the new arrangement, and then we waited some more. And some more. And some more… Seriously. Hashtag Williamson County.
We wanted the kids settled by the time school started. The house has been sitting, progress-less for weeeeeeeks. Like, wiring since the fourth of July, and that’s it. It’s probably our kiddos’ biggest transition ever, in all this. It’s been a doozy, {for instance, yesterday was rough} so we wanted them to feel like they have a home to call their own.
We’ve had to hurry up and wait. And that’s where I last left you.
So, in the meantime, we’ve embraced where we are {yet again} and just really focused on being grateful. Deep breaths and namaste and stuff. Which was fine, until we finally found out {when we had to once again ask after waiting for two weeks beyond the initial five week waiting point for a land survey-does your head hurt yet? Because mind is about to explode} what the actual new timeline was with local inspectors and all things approval.
All. Because. Of. A. Septic. Tank.
I could tell you about the ways we’re hauling it 35 minutes across town every morning from our apartment so the kids can go to school. Which is amazing, and oh so worth it. Or how last week, the basement flooded in a rainstorm while holding all our product for the house, because that’s where we’re storing it… in the basement… all because the previous owner decided to point a drain pipe right at the door {WHAT}. Which everything is fine because we caught it on time, and it was just another addition to the comedy. Although Jamin didn’t think digging a new 20 foot trench away from the house in the heat was all that funny. Kind of like the time he dug out the patio pavers.
But I won’t tell you about that. Oh wait, I just did.
The funny part is, all that is fine. It’s just that we want to feel normal again.
So we’ve been waiting on septic, and then five weeks for a land survey.
Said land survey finally happened.
We pulled up one day in the driveway and we were thrilled to see stakes in the yard. Even though they didn’t do it as we requested. Even though we’re paying for this required survey.
When they finally had the survey finished, it was passed on to a soil scientist. Because science. Who then two weeks later, informed us that they were another two weeks out from passing it back to septic who’d take two weeks, then tell him it was wrong and take another 2 weeks to sign off on it. If you’re keeping tally we are looking at two months out from this point, on giving us the go ahead for anything. Not finishing. Just starting. Wheeee!
We’re not unreasonable people. We’ve been very patient.
But we feel like this is… well… we can’t use those words here.
We also made the choice to do this, so I get it. But enough is enough. And this isn’t even bringing the bank into the equation because we’re on a timeline that we agreed to.
No, I still have no idea why I’m not a millionaire.
We get that inspectors are there for a reason. I’m not negating that fact. We get that we live in a hot market. We have tried so hard to wait. It’s just that 2.5 years later as we have made the needed steps and behind the scenes provisions to make this change, that’s how long it’s been. Stepping back to look at our incredulous timeline in a very long process of a journey, we’re tired.
So we’ve said screw it.
We’re taking control of what we can, and moving forward.
We have permission to work on the main and upper levels. As I explained in a previous post, we didn’t know where to run the pipes. Which affected the drywall. Which made us wait, because were they going to the old {in the back?} or the proposed new septic in the front yard? {The new can not go with the old because of science and stuff.} Why can’t someone just tell us already!?
Poop just isn’t that important, y’all.
I’m putting that on a t-shirt.
So we’re running the pipes like we think they should be run. And when they finally get around to letting us know what they think we should do, {at this rate, Christmas !?!?!?!?!} we will have to re-route the pipes if we’re wrong. Our contractor {bless him} can do it from underneath the house. Which will cost us at least 1k extra.
All because people can’t give us answers.
Which at this point, in the grand scheme of things, having our home ready so we can move in and get the kids adjusted and enjoying life at a normal pace… we’re over it, and deciding to move forward.
Screw it.
Couple pretty much takes a big bag of money, and tosses it over a bridge.
It all hurts. So that’s where we are. Moving forward, so that our children can get settled and we can feel normal again.
Hopefully some new progress will be coming our way, soon.
Enough already.
Cheers.
Sue the septic company. Most of the time, I think that folks sue for the silliest of reasons and at the drop-of-a-hat, but in this case, I AM NOT EVEN KIDDING. Get a lawyer, and sue for the loss of money to your business and the loss of money/advertisement/time to the businesses supporting your family and your business. Folks at this septic company (and whomever else involved in this delay) need to be held accountable for this very serious issue that has not only affected you and yours, but possibly have, or could, affect many others in very serious/harmful ways. This should not be acceptable.
A parental unit of mine suggested that a letter from a lawyer may be helpful. But actual courts take so much time and money. We have considered it, it’s so ridiculous. They actually pride themselves on being difficult… it’s a known thing here. Which is sad, really. Our hesitation is that if they want to make our lives miserable down the line with future clients, whom we very much intend to work with, they absolutely can. We intend to grow our business here and they have very much put a giant hold on everything. This is our biggest hesitation. The entire thing has been extremely upsetting. They are affecting everything about us right now. We’ve tried to have a good attitude but it’s very difficult.
Aww man.. that side of the coin is so understandable, too. Uhg. Double-edged-sword situation here, huh. I would try to offer some kind of encouragement, like “hang in there, you’ve got this!,” but, uhh, you kind of have been doing that for so long already. I definitely feel angry with you, though. Not because I am a content hungry, impatient consumer, etc… no, not that. Contrary, we are content over here, because you have continued to provide lots of yummy content and stories for us every day during this waiting-for-new-house-progress period! But, I am angry with you really just because the way this septic company has been operating is JUST NOT RIGHT for sooo many reasons. And, also.. possible retaliation after standing up for what is right, like you fear, is not right and should not be tolerated either. But, again, I do see that this is a double-edged-sword issue for ya’s.
Either way, I am so excited for you that you and your contractors have found a way to progress and carry-on, regardless of the oppression you have been under from this septic company. #can’tholdyadown #dontstopwontstop #dancepartay
Your words mean so much, Courtney. Thank you. Very much.
Holy cow, guys. I’m so sorry. I’ve been in development professionally for fifteen years and I want to tell you that you’re completely justified when you say this isn’t acceptable. I know you guys are wonderful people and you probably don’t want to ruffle the feathers of the people whose approval you need to finish your house, but I think you need to escalate this. You are losing a lot of time and a lot of money waiting on these approvals, and while some waiting is to be expected, your situation is unacceptable. You are not a corporation. You are a family who is losing money and has no home and is trucking your kids to school on the other side of the city. If I were you, I’d head down to county office and sit in it until the chief official agrees to meet with you. Get an attorney involved if you need to. I know it sounds dramatic, and you might be tempted to keep waiting since you’ve already made it so far, but these people are taking advantage of you, they’re not doing their jobs, and if you don’t make that known to the powers that be, they’ll do it to another family after you. This is so terrible and I feel for you; people don’t hesitate to advocate for yourselves here – I wish that wasn’t how this business goes, but it is. My prayers are with you!
I also want to assure you it’s very unlikely that anyone you call out will later be able to hold this issue over your head and make life harder for you in the future. I know it might feel like you’re making enemies, but this kind of “hardball” dynamic is just the way the game is played. Developers in suits with fancy lawyers and contractors with booming voices – loud voices are the ones that get heard. I wish that wasn’t the case; I wish patience was rewarded, but you’ve got to advocate for yourself.
Thank you so very much, Kelly. We are definitely looking into more of our options. At this point, we’ve waited so long… We’re comforted that we can at least get the ball rolling from here. :/
I’m so sorry to hear about your troubles. Frustrating beyond measure. Amazing that every step takes so long. I guess if everyone that wanted to move there knew about all the idiocy, they would change their minds and go elsewhere! All you can do is hang in there, which you’re doing. Good luck to all of you. You will survive this madness!
Awe thanks so much Cyndi. It’s refreshing to have some empathy! HA! We had friends who tried to warn us. We just had no idea it would be THIS bad. But I can honestly say, we would still buy the house. Guess that makes me cray cray but I would. ;} We love it and the area so much.
I am in agreement with the other commenters…Its time to play hardball. Nobody should be essentially homeless because a group of government regulations and their self important enforcers are on a power trip. Local municipalities are still beholden to higher state over sight. Give these guys one last chance to make it right in a very specific time frame and then take it to the next level. You might not make any friends in the inspections office, but you will all around town. You will come to be known as the one that can actually get something completed.
(((hugs))) to you all. Know that the kids may have rough days but they will be fine. They are resilient by nature. Probably more so than us grown ups.
Very true, Teresa! I always have to remember the kids are more resilient than we are. Thank you so very much for the sweet words and recommendations. We’re definitely looking into our options for sure.
That sucks. Namaste and all that, but UGH. Some day this will be a funny story-I hope you get to that point sooner rather than later!!!
YES it will! Thank you so much. I’m taking deep breaths with Namaste …and some expletives after HA!
One option that I haven’t seen mentioned is to figure out who your local government district representative is and contact their office for help. Most every time I’ve reached out to our County Supervisor for help with some local regulatory issue, I’ve been amazed (and very happy) with the immediate response. They hold an elected office and tend to be much more responsive to constituent problems, especially if you are a business owner as well as a home owner. Helping small business is a double plus for them at election time. Here in regulatory he** California, I’ve found that a call or email from my Supervisor to the official who has been ignoring me for months generates an apology and a response that actually resolves things, sometimes on the same day. Using the system to work for you is cheaper than hiring a lawyer and can be very effective.
This is an excellent recommendation, Kandi. Thank you for that. It’s with a third party contractor right now {that they – the county} are working with now. So as soon as it’s back??? Guess we will see what happens. Thank you for your sweet words!
Oh no! I’m so sorry you guys are being treated this way! Why would they want to pride themselves on being difficult! What has happened to kindness! I agree with the other comments that something needs to be done to get them to MOVE on this.
Thank you so much for your sweet words, Elizabeth!
Holy cow….I’m not even involved and I am sitting here seathing in anger for you poor things! If I could I’d go all bad **s on them for you, even though I do not know you from Adam 🙂 At some point people will choose to live elsewhere because of the difficulty they have getting things done – not to mention the houses that will come into disrepair because people can’t afford to keep waiting to fix things. Cuh-rayyy-zee!!
Awe thanks Kim. Right? At least we have the ball rolling again… even if it is slow. Hopefully we will be in soon. You are too sweet.
I’m with Kim (previous commenter) and I’d be happy to be “the heavy” for you. We live in Ga, so it wouldn’t be a bad drive. I’ve had similar issues – not with septic, but the “regulators” as it were. It took my husband, me, our contractor and the sub contractor going to the office to raise a little cane for our project to get moving and our project wasn’t affecting our livelihood!! Power to the little people….I’m here and I’m angry for you.
Prayers and best wishes! Let me know if you’d like some muscle from Ga to come up there! Lol!
HAHA! You’re too sweet! Let’s start a motorcycle gang and make threats. What??? It’s with the third party contractors now but as soon as its back with the county we hope to check in and move it along. Just ready to get in, for sure.
I feel like you’re not getting the results in a timely fashion, which this seems like the furthest thing from timely, that you need to start dragging your elected representation into the equation. Perhaps it’s time you make friends with whichever local representation at your town/city level represents your district and give them a timeline of everything. I’m quite serious. I understand being patient and accommodating but this seems ludicrous.
We are definitely doing all that we can. Thank you so much for your sweet supportive words, Julia. If anything, it’s refreshing to know I’m not the only one who thinks this is ridiculous. Jamin has stayed cool as a cucumber but I’ve pitched a few fits for sure – just trying to make sure we’ve exhausted all avenues ;} HA!
We are also renovating our house and towns and all their rules are very annoying. Anytime the government gets involved the process is unenjoyable. It feels like you are trying to improve things and all they do is stand in the way and make it harder than it should be. Also, they want to charge lots of money for permits! I wish you guys the best! In the end you’ll have a beautiful home and you’ll live happily ever after. These are first world problems, at the end of the day, at the end of the annoyances and waiting, it’s all great problems to have. It could be much much worse!
Very true, Susan. Very true. From one person living through redoing their home to another… thinking of you!!! HUGS
I completed get! We are in the midst of total remodel that started in May and facing the same challenges, including the flooded basement! We are in Brentwood, but thank God we are Davidson County which is a little less crazy than Williamson.
MAN! We {tried to} get started in May, too. Is this a Nashville thing? The kitchen I posted on today – they are in Davidson. So I tried to warn them and said it probably wouldn’t be half as bad. {Hopefully???} Thinking of you!!!