Hoarders

Apparently the people who lived in our house before us had a serious hoarding problem. To make a long story slightly shorter, the old couple living in the house were not married to each other. They both had kids with different people before they moved in together and apparently the step-siblings did not get along. The house was owned by the lady and when she died, I bought it we bought it (sorry, still getting used to being married) from her kids. They were stalling us for a while, saying they were going to have an estate sale to make money off all the stuff that was left there. So, I made them a deal, I increased our offer, on condition they leave everything in the house and we close within 30 days, they accepted. We didn't end up closing for well over 90 days and they took a lot of stuff out of the house in that time. We wanted the house, so we put up with them not honoring our agreement.

Finally, we closed on the house and we thought that was the end of the story, we were wrong. A few days later, a neighbor approached me and told me that he was friends with the son of the man who used to live in the house and the son wanted stuff from the house that belonged to his father. Most of the stuff left behind was junk, but there were a few handguns that I found hidden and some tools that I wanted. The legal situation was tricky and if they decided to sue, it would've taken a lot of time and money to fight them. Additionally, the guns had been reported as missing to the police department, so I couldn't register them in my name. We decided that the best option was to make a deal with the son, we would give them the guns and some of the other stuff that obviously had belonged to his father, on condition that they leave us alone, they agreed. So, I spent a over a week packing up tons of stuff that I didn't want (and a bunch I did want, but didn't want to fight over) for him to pick up.

Spending all that time going through the junk and packing stuff up, kept me from actually getting any work done on the house, but on the plus side it got the house a lot cleaner and less smelly. I was happy to get them off my case and ready to get working on the house, without any more distractions. Would that it were that easy. One night I got a voicemail from the lady who sold us the house. She remembered that there was something of her mother's in the house that she wanted. I called her back today and told her that I hadn't seen it and if it was there it was not where she left it, it was probably boxed up with all the other stuff and I don't have time to go through it now. She said "well, if you see it and know it doesn't belong to you, please return it". I was shocked at her gall and didn't know how to respond. Fortunately I had an important business call come in on my work phone, so I said "gotta get this call, bye" and hung up. While I was on the business call, she called me back and left another voicemail "If there's a cane in the house, I want that too, it has a lot of sentimental value". So much sentimental value that she didn't bother taking it in the three months she had to take whatever she wanted? I don't particularly care to keep either of the items she asked for, but WTH?! How long am I going to have to deal with these crazy people and their demands? I think our only option is to turn down their requests and ignore them for now on. They got their money, they had their time to take what they wanted, all we want is to be left alone, is that too much to ask?

I thought this was the and of the story, once again, I was wrong! I got a call from one of the lady's sons, telling me he thinks there's cash hiding in the house somewhere, b/c otherwise the step-siblings wouldn't be so upset about not being allowed in the house after their father died. A few days later, I received a subpoena (what a stupid word!) to testify in a lawsuit between the step siblings and I was ordered to being documents relating to my purchase of the house and what I found in the house. I accidentally missed the date I was supposed to testify and when I called the lawyer to apologize, I was informed that the case was settled already and they don't need me anymore. Nice of them to let me know!

Hopefully this is the end of the drama, although if I do find cash, I won't complain!

Here's some pictures of the contents of the house.

What was this used for?

Just a small percentage of the garbage they left us. 

Wonder where this gun is hiding!