Who needs doors? : Rooftop Views

Rooftop Views

Who needs doors?

We had an amazing thing happen to one of our listings the other day. We do lots of REO listings (REO stands for Real Estate Owned and are homes owned by lending institutions after foreclosure). We have one where the home was just deeded to the bank last week. But we had been talking to the former owner and letting him know what was going on.

In driving by the house we knew he was in the process of moving out and, on the day the bank took title, we investigated the house and it was vacant. So we called our locksmith to meet us there the next day to get the house re-keyed so we could take possession and secure the premises. That process was completed about 4 pm or so and we returned home.

The next afternoon we got a call from the neighbor across the street. Seems the former owner had returned, broken into the house, and had removed the exterior doors! They STOLE THE DOORS. Now, admittedly, the front door was a very nice wood door with an oval glass insert and the storm door was all glass to show off that nice front door. They, at least, installed other doors they took from the garage so the house wasn't left open. But we now had to get the locksmith back out to pick the new locks (they had conveniently locked the doors when they left) so we could again secure the premises.

We got the locksmith back out the next morning and changed the locks on both sets of doors. While there, the neighbor across the street came over and drained the boiler because the house has hot water heat and he is a heating and air conditioning contractor. But we think that in all this confusion, some pipes may have frozen because it has been below zero for several days.

It gets worse. That very night, the former owner came back to break in again. What is left? A very old, ugly stove and a clothes dryer with a kicked in door and lots and lots of trash. Luckily, the neighbor across the street saw them and called us. We immediately called the police. By the time the police arrived the former owners were gone - hopefully never to return.

And people think this is an easy job....