Are we liable as home inspectors for removal of the oil tank and soil cleanup if needed if missing oil lines leading to an in ground tank ?
Better talk to your insurance. That can be a spendy issue to correct.
Were they visible at the time of inspection?
Going strictly by NACHI SOP, you might have a way out…
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No, you shouldn’t be liable.
You’re PIA should state that you’re not inspecting nor responsible for anything underground.
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I did not see them however the buyers have indicated they were visible. I however I have no idea or proof that may of been blocked by storage.
Thanks for reply yes I saw that in NACHI SOP, Does the state SOP overide NACHI SOP?
Absolutely yes if you are in a licensed state. Does your state SOP address underground tanks?
Yes it does, we are not responsible for in ground tanks in CT however there is a grey area as to whether we are responsible for pointing out the oil line if present .
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How would you know it is an oil line if you cannot trace it to an oil tank??
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Good point, thanks
I’d get your insurance company involved asap. In some cases, this can be a very high ticket item.
You should also get a look at the disclosure statement from the sellers. If the sellers disclosed the tank, that will help your case tremendously. If the sellers didn’t disclose the tank, but knew about it, your client may have a more “fruitful” path than going after you.
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Thanks the homeowners claim they were not aware of it ( big surprise there)
Yes l already have been going back and forth with insurance reps I just wanted to get more points of view from home inspectors
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Yeah sure, they never wondered what those lines were for, lol.
I would think your insurance company would deny their claim based on what you said about your SOP, and Jeff’s comment above about just the presence of lines not really proving anything. But, that doesn’t mean the buyer won’t still come after you.
…and this is why you should take a lot of photos. 
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Exactly. A pipe sticking up out of the ground means zilch.
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Yup. Could be the old transmission cooler lines from the owners old pickup truck that he replaced and just tossed them into a heap in the yard! Metal lines in and of themselves mean nothing!
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I think you should pay attention to your required SOP.
Hell yes!
If you can’t see it, how can you report it?
Are you qualified to ID oil lines? Hopefully better than your buyers.
What we have to say is irrelevant. You know what they say about “Opinions”.
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Bob, that is what they typically do when decommissioning the oil lines when they replace the heating system.
Agree with the others that this belongs in your agreement. You ultimately should not be responsible if you’re state SOPs exclude underground tanks. I don’t know what could be gray about the lines to the tank. Offer to cut the lines off at the basement wall and patch the opening if they want to be so literal.