Thoughts on property purchase - your opinion

I was actually more interested in the opinion on a chem. report / [Altlastengutachten]. Of course, there are really strange and stupid people, but if he really pours something over there, you have to expect that he contaminates his own drinking water or that the stuff also seeps into the nearby soil.

Hopefully there was no Eternit roof on the shed! Asbestos danger!

Ok, I asked around and he assesses the soil regarding contaminations only by visual and smell inspection. What do you think about a chemical soil report? Have you done it or just a pure soil report?

I wouldn't rely on visual and smell inspection.
If there are concerns that there might have been contaminants in the soil (waste disposal, factory, cemetery, etc), the geologists also take soil samples and have them analyzed. Of course, based on your instructions.

We personally have not done a chemical one, since it has always been farmland here.

We personally have not done any chemical testing, as we have always had farmland.

Hi Yvonne, for us it’s no different, it has always been field and meadow. Only if the neighbor simply dumps his construction debris on the property, then one would actually have to expect that it is so hollow and also pours some substances there. Or how would you see that. This is just our concern.

He demolished an old shed, which according to aerial photos from 03/2014 was still there, but no longer is. The idiot just drove all the inventory (sink, water heater, bathtub, etc.) onto the neighboring property, nicely under the trees so it wouldn’t be so noticeable.

He tore down an old shed that, according to aerial photos from 03/2014, was still standing but no longer is. The idiot simply drove all the inventory (sink, water heater, bathtub, etc.) onto the neighboring property, nicely under the trees so it wouldn't be so noticeable.

Hello Peter,

I wonder where this is supposed to lead? More goal-oriented are rather the following questions:

1. Will he take responsibility, meaning: will he clear away the items within a foreseeable time - yes or no?
2. If no - can it be proven that it is his material?
3. Is there any Eternit or similar material at all? If so, a small piece can be broken off, sent by mail from different spots and tested - costs IIRC about €100, and then you know what is there. Fundamentally dangerous with asbestos or similar is the dust - if the stuff is lying on the roof or elsewhere, that is not nice but initially harmless, and disposal in one piece is afaik unproblematic. Only when the material is cut and fine dust is created, which can get into the lungs, must it be disposed of professionally. Sure - that should not be downplayed, but if there are a few Eternit sheets lying there, in my opinion that does not necessarily lead to permanent soil contamination.
4. As far as you have described it so far, the clearing of the property is the responsibility of the previous owner? So initially that should not be your problem. In case of doubt, I would consult a soil expert to find out whether the superficially stored materials can cause any permanent soil contamination at all.

Best regards
Dirk Grafe

Hello Dirk,
I think you misunderstood me. I am aware of everything you wrote, and yes, the rubble is disposed of by the previous owner, so it’s not our concern.
Why it matters to us:
If the neighbor just drives his trash to the left and leaves it all there, in my eyes, that’s just antisocial. There’s really everything lying around, completely crazy.
That’s why I can well imagine that if he maybe has old oil or gasoline or something else that he can’t use anymore, he might go back over to the property and maybe in a cloak-and-dagger operation just empty his gas and oil tanks on this property.
If that comes out later, we’re the ones screwed, since we are the owners and then have to bear all the costs. That’s what it’s about.
Of course, he will never admit such a thing, and you can’t be really sure just because the neighbor’s wife said she saw him dumping his rubble there. Sure, she might have a grudge against him, for whatever reason, but still, it leaves a bad taste that should be checked because if he does that with rubble, I also believe he is capable of something like that. He probably doesn’t care what happens or lies beyond his garden fence, that’s why.