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A rural property in Stearns County, Minnesota has a septic system (SSTS) that the county inspector has determined is non-compliant. The seller discloses this status to the buyer. Under Minnesota law, what is the seller's primary obligation regarding a non-compliant SSTS at the time of sale?

Correct Answer

B) The seller must disclose the non-compliant status to the buyer, and the parties may negotiate who is responsible for bringing the system into compliance.

Under Minn. Stat. § 115.55 and related Minnesota Pollution Control Agency rules, sellers must disclose the compliance status of a subsurface sewage treatment system (SSTS) to buyers. Disclosure of non-compliant status is mandatory. However, the law does not universally require the seller to repair or replace the system before closing — the parties can negotiate who will be responsible for bringing the system into compliance. Some counties have additional local requirements, but the statewide baseline is disclosure plus negotiated responsibility.

Answer Options
A
The seller must repair or replace the non-compliant SSTS before the closing date in all circumstances.
B
The seller must disclose the non-compliant status to the buyer, and the parties may negotiate who is responsible for bringing the system into compliance.
C
The seller has no obligation to disclose SSTS status if the buyer does not specifically ask about it.
D
The seller must obtain a county compliance certificate before the property can be legally transferred.

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Related Topics & Key Terms

Key Terms:

SSTSseptic_systemdisclosurenon_compliant115.55

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