After reading several articles and hearing about home owners who trash their houses when they leave; I think they should be prosecuted for destruction of property and anything else the DA can think of.

There is no reason for people to do this. I's ugly, spiteful, immoral and disgusting behavior. This goes double for those who abandon their pets to die in the house or garage.

You're right, of course. There is no excuse whatsoever for the cruel abandonment of animals. Trashing the home is already illegal, but I would imagine the reason more of these people aren't being prosecuted is because you can't get blood out of a stone. Greed is a pie, and there is a slice for ALL parties involved. Since they are presumably unable take financial responsibility, foreclosed borrowers should at least accept their slice and do what they can to atone, even if the most they can muster is to drop the animals off at a no-kill shelter and leave the home in tact.

True that a fine would be pointless but how about making them go in and clean up the mess they left?

Or if it's too late to clean up their mess...then sentence them to cleaning up someone elses mess that they left when they were forclosed on. Or, community service picking up trash in town. There are all sorts of creative things that they could be sentenced to that wouldn't involve money.

On the MSN opening page there's an article about this problem. One man left several huge pigs in the house when he left and they did a lot of damage to the foundation and destroyed a porch.

That just isn't right and they shouldn't be allowed to get away with it!

I like the idea of having them clean up there own mess. Maybe if it got around there would be less of it.

If someone did that to begin with - would you really want to allow them back into the house??? I wouldn't. I totally agree - it's SO incredibly wrong, but I wouldn't want them to be anywhere near that house again. I would like some kind of public embarrassment where ever they're movingn to.....

You can legally take them to small claims court. Take many pictures.

The last home I bought, it was a divorce case, left 7 33-gallon containers full of trash, all the drains plugged, garage full of trash, split coffee all over the counters, all the curtain throughout the house, were ripped by razor blades, etc.

What is truly sad, are those leaving pets - but, there is recourse you can do, by taking them to court.

I'm at a loss here. Could someone please explain why someone would trash a house that they are trying to sell?

some people think its funny or do it to be ignorant,its a crying shame that a new homeowner has to walk into a horible mess
In this case I would take pictures also keep the cleaning and repair bills and a notorized stament from the real estate agent and sue the pants off of them!!!
just like paws up says!!

quote:

Originally posted by Funy Girl:
I'm at a loss here. Could someone please explain why someone would trash a house that they are trying to sell?

Because they're not trying to sell it. I haven't read the articles but have been hearing a lot about people in danger of forclosure walking away from their home and mortgage. I did hear today there is a website out actually instructing people on how to do this with the least financial damage to themselves.

O.K. now I understand. so they are mad at the bank or lender, and they trash their own home because they have to move out? That's very sad.

Gosh;
I never thought that would be why!
thats soooooo sad!

One repo house I showed last month had all the appliances removed, all doors, including hinges, all outlet covers and was filthy.
When people are desperate, they do anything to make some money. Who knows where they are living now.

I bought a HUD repo several years ago. When the owners realized they were going to lose the house, they removed the new furnace that they had just installed. I got the house cheap and had time to install a new furnace before winter. They didn't trash the place, tho.

katie

I don't think it's even legal to take a furnace, is it? A furnace is, after all, attached to the real estate (house).

Well, the other day the buyer asked me to write up an offer on a 650,000 "short sale" --not a foreclosure yet. When we went back through the day I was suppose to write the offer the sauna tub was gone! Last time we went, the appliances disappeared.

Now my buyer is afraid to make an offer... even saying the house might be gone next time we go.

The listing agent said the seller feels she is entitled as these were upgrades she paid for, and the bank has not foreclosed so cannot lock her out.

Oh, brother!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: real estate lady,