How to handle an abandoned pool

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DeadAquaRite

Well-known member
Mar 29, 2012
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My neighbor has just informed me that they are losing the house to foreclosure. Within 60 days, his 16x32 pool will have no power indefinitely. Also, it's an SWG system with a dead salt cell that was "converted" to powdered chlorine last fall.

Short of filling it in, I'm not particularly concerned with the legalities and/or what the agent/bank thinks. I recently saw an abandoned pool where they built a 2x4 frame over it and stapled a tarp on top of that to form a semi-rigid cover.

Any suggestions for how to deal with it?
 
If the bank doesn't care for it, report it to your local authorities. It's often covered under local laws because of mosquito issues, and the bank will probably be unwilling to take the legal risk of an unattended pool.

No cheap/easy way to handle it IMO.
 
I'm not worried about the ability to recover it, I'm worried about the 15x32 swamp that's about to develop 50yrds from my backyard oasis...

I'm pondering dumping 50# of HTH in there the day they leave.
 
In many areas it's law that the banks or whoever owns it, can't abandon the pool. They don't need to keep it clean but they do need to keep it free of skeeters and such. It can become a health hazard so the city, county or state usually has some kind of law governing how abandon pools can't be a health hazard.
In my case, my house was a bank owned and they were forced to at least keep chemicals in it. The bank had to hire a pool guy to keep it free of skeeters. It was green when I finally moved in but it wasn't a bubbling swamp even though the house hadn't been lived in for well over 6 months.
Check the local laws and perhaps you can have a hand in forcing the bank to keep it up.
 
Tell the bank you'll take care of it if they buy the chlorine! Then just have them get you twice as much as needed!

Oh, I mean JUST as much as needed. Yeah, that's what I meant. :grin:

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
 
Check the local ordinances. I was reading mine the other day and there is an ordinance against having green pools. Basically it states the water has to be maintained so that you can see the bottom of the pool at all times, and it lists a contact for reporting violations. Find out what bank/financial institution will be managing the property so you can report violations to them and report on them if they don't comply.

You can also get some mosquito dunks to throw in there that will keep mosquitos at bay.
 
DeadAquaRite said:
My neighbor has just informed me that they are losing the house to foreclosure. Within 60 days, his 16x32 pool will have no power indefinitely. Also, it's an SWG system with a dead salt cell that was "converted" to powdered chlorine last fall.

Short of filling it in, I'm not particularly concerned with the legalities and/or what the agent/bank thinks. I recently saw an abandoned pool where they built a 2x4 frame over it and stapled a tarp on top of that to form a semi-rigid cover.

Any suggestions for how to deal with it?
Click to expand...

If you're around Atlanta, I have a cover for that size pool I'll give you. It would be a hassle & expensive to ship it anywhere.
 

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Hmmm, why is it I see the purchase of a large tub of trichlor pucks in your future, and maybe a game of who can hit the swamp with them.

Ike

p.s. On a serious note, there are non traditional pesticide mosquito control products that can be added to stagnant water that prevent mosquito eggs from growing.

check out

http://www.spartanchemical.com/products/product/321600

The only downside of this product is it is only sold by the pail, which would be enough to treat that pool a number of times. (my family owns a janitorial and chemical supply company that is a Spartan dealer, so if you just need a little of the stuff let me know and I may be able to get a sample pack from the Spartan dealer rep)
 
"For most nuisance codes, the primary contact is contact Eldridge Gunn , the Special Projects Coorinator (770)719-4067 or Tony Haponski, the Building Official (770)719-4068." From Fayetteville's web site, (but the link to the Code does not work for me): http://fayetteville.govoffice.com/index ... _LIST&SEC={96EABA29-D4F1-40B2-931E-E7A393769F30}

I would just call Eldridge or Tony and get their take on the situation, then maybe find the applicable Code citation. Keep in mind, there is a code for grass height, which is 12 inches, which may give your an idea of what you are looking at for required maintenance (probably very little).
 
I've seen people add goldfish and kio to abandoned swimming pools and they eat the bugs. The biggest thing though would be dead leaves and sticks getting in their and making it really flifty. So they could possibly add a bird net or a net tent over the swimming pool to keep out leaves and sicks. But Kio and Goldfish could be kept a live with a few solar powered water features in the pool.
 
As a follow up, it remained empty for about a year and a half. Calls to the bank proved fruitless. A call to code enforcement ultimately got it covered.

It is now occupied, but the new owners had to deal with a ladder that was sawed off and the stubs beaten into the deck.
 
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