I always give names to the bank-owned foreclosure properties assigned to me.  Instead of the street name, I call them “The Rat House” or “The Chicken House.”  This has proven to be the easiest way to get my husband to understand which property I’m talking about during a wine-induced rant. There has also been  “The Crack House,” and “The Mold House” and yes,  “The Shit House.”

But nothing prepared me for what was soon to be known as “The Junkyard”.  This property consisted of four tenant-occupied homes on five acres of farmland high up in a secluded valley. The back of the property was completely covered in construction trailers, shipping containers, abandoned cars and trucks, huge boats, building materials, and so much more. The foreclosed owner was obviously a hoarder.

To prepare the property for marketing, the first step was to remove the tenants.   This is usually accomplished by negotiating “cash for keys” with the tenants. They really didn’t want to leave, despite living in deplorable conditions with rats and raw sewage. They had become accustomed to living there for free.

Looking back, I realize now that having all the tenants vacate was a huge mistake and I learned a very valuable lesson. We had no way of knowing what was to come.

Word spread fast. There were things to be stolen on this property and the thieves came in droves. There was no keeping them out. Each time I went to the property I would find several groups of people rifling through the homes, cars, and containers. They were stealing old carnival rides and games, hundreds of potted palm trees (and ripping other plants out of the ground), car parts, and household goods. Anything and everything.

The neighbors began complaining and I would call the police, but the thieves would all scurry away like cockroaches before the cops arrived. I enlisted the help of a neighbor who agreed to keep an eye on things. She even cut the trees that blocked her view of the property and offered her services as a “security guard.”

In an attempt to keep people out, I put yellow tape across the front of the property.   It was immediately torn down. I put a chain across the entry and it was chopped off. I bought an even thicker chain and it was cut, too. I posted “No Trespassing” and “Do Not Enter” signs.  Nothing worked.

When I returned to the property a few days later, I was shocked to discover a wall of cars blocking the entry. Yes, cars piled on top of each other in front of the driveway. The neighbor told me she saw someone drive up in a forklift, pierce the sides of the cars on the property, stack them up, and drive away. There was a large threatening sign at the front of the property apparently left by a theft ring warning everyone else to stay out. The neighbor reported arguing and gunshots at night. She said she thought it was out of control now and she was scared. Apparently, there were two gangs fighting over the items remaining on the property. She said that I better “be careful.”

Later that day, my trusted neighbor/friend/security guard accidentally butt dialed me. I heard her telling people that they could take whatever they wanted.  “The agent won’t be back today.” I had been fooled.  It had taken me far too long to figure out that the neighbor was actually working with the thieves, and she had been acting as their lookout.

Once the cars were removed and access to the property restored, I put the property on the market. Up went my new, and very expensive, “For Sale” sign.  It promptly disappeared never to be seen again. Soon thereafter, vandals spray-painted my office building with their gang markings. Now it was getting personal and I couldn’t fathom what was going on or how to stop it. What would happen next?

The following Sunday afternoon, I found a crowd of people with several large trucks at the property. When I confronted them they said someone had sold them various things on the property and they were there to pick up their purchases. I was furious. I told them all that it was a scam, that they were stealing and I was going to the police. After clearing everyone out, I drove to the police station and filed a report.  The cop at the desk told me to expect a call from a detective.

The thieves continued unimpeded for several more weeks until there was nothing left to steal. They dismantled one of the homes and literally drove off with another. To this day, the police have never contacted me.

Once everything of any value at all was gone, I thought the nightmare was over and hopefully I could get it sold soon and move on. I was wrong.

Early one morning, one of the abandoned shipping containers was set on fire. The fire department put it out and I received an irate phone call from another neighbor. I tried to explain that I don’t know who did this, why they did it, or what I could have done to stop it.

A few days later one of the remaining homes was set on fire and burned to the ground. Tow trucks started bringing in abandoned cars and dumping them all over the property in the middle of the night. Next came hundreds of old tires and other items that are not accepted at refuse facilities. There were truckloads of rotten fruit and hundreds of unopened boxes labeled “fish” dumped in huge piles. The smell and flies were out of control. And it just kept coming. The property was now the neighborhood junkyard. I would routinely find people doing drugs or just hanging out. About half would leave as soon as they saw me drive in. Others were confrontational and threatening. For some reason, they thought they had every right to be there.

We finally found a Buyer willing to assume the mess at a greatly reduced price.   While in escrow, we received letters from both the City and State demanding that the property be cleaned up immediately or face $10,000 per day in fines. Luckily, we were able to get the deadlines extended so we could close on the property and the Buyer could begin the massive cleanup.

I have a new foreclosure assignment. It has some bird droppings in the bedroom.  The neighbor was quick to come running over to tell me it was the worst thing she has ever seen and how could I ever deal with anything this horrible.  I giggled, thanked her for her concern, and got to work on “The Pigeon House.”

🔑 Don’t automatically assume that it’s a good idea to get rid of the tenant if the property is in a high-crime-risk area and it is expected to be vacant for any amount of time.