Very irritating day

[bruce drake]

Went by the old house this morning to pickup any straggler mail from the move to the new house and found that someone had broken into through a back window and had proceeded to destroy the downstairs walls. Thankfully, they must have been scared off before they got to the copper pipes or were dissuaded by finding Plex piping in a couple of the holes they punched into the drywall. After they saw that I didn't have any copper for them to steal, they proceeded to kick in 14 holes in the drywall with their feet and a pole from outside before departing the house.

I reported the break-in immediately after clearing the house (1911 in 400 Corbon with a 185gr Cast boolit in pipe) and after waiting 45 minutes for the Sheriff's Deputy to appear, filed a police report on the break-in and damage. They only have two Deputies covering the entire northern section of a 20x20mile county.

I spent the entire day cutting out the damaged sections of the drywall and cutting and patching the holed sections of the walls.
Tomorrow I'll sand and apply a final coat of mud before painting the rooms over again at the end of the week (the end of the month can't come too soon right now.) I also cleared up the broken window in the frame they used to access the house. That window will be at Lowes by Sunday. Right now there is a plywood cover on the window to keep the rain out.

Later this afternoon while taking a break, I caught sight of the three local troublemakers in the neighborhood peeking out from some nearby bushes across the street. I walked over to the three and told them that I can't directly prove that they did it right now but that the Deputy Sheriff took the wooden pole and fingerprints from it and the broken street sign the vandals used would tell the police soon enough who was behind the damage and force a restitution from the little coward(s). Either the 3 realized the gig would soon be up or their eyes bulged by seeing the 1911 in my waistband and they skedaddled.

I also made a point of walking over to their parent's houses and talked to each of their mothers and two fathers to please keep an eye on my house while I am in the process of moving out from the neighborhood and explained to them what happened to my house.

I also told the parents that I saw their boys observing my repairs from the treeline which makes me wonder if they knew more than they let on to the local Deputy when he spoke to him about what they might have seen since Tuesday (when I my wife came by to check on the house) Marti will be carrying a 4" Taurus 357Mag revolver in 38Spl (200gr RN) Manstopper should she need to come by this old house in the next few weeks before we return it to the leasing agent.

So far, the cost of repairs was nearly $200 dollars for drywall materials and an entire day off from work for me which (accounts for another $150 after taxes) Tomorrow, I'll be replacing the kitchen shelves and cupboards and that will be another $200 and since I'm doing all the work myself, the little thugs have already exceeded the criminal mischief level and could be a felony conviction if I exceed $500 (which I have at this point) and I haven't yet had the double-paned glass replaced.

Since its rental unit, The leasing agent was very apologetic about the damage and just told me to patch and tape the lower holes and they would do the rest to include painting but I'll put a coat of paint on the patches first.

Thankfully, The little SOBs only damaged the downstairs rooms. None of the rooms in the other parts of the house were in touched.

[country gent]

Thats hard to walk into the feeling of violation is tremendous. And the clowns will have no real remoarse for what they have done. They will act sorry be apologetic in front of the judge and police, but in reality will be laughing and joking about it for years. If minors wen they turn 18 records are expunged and they have a clean record like nothing ever happened. In reality let the police handle this, there is no way to win a confrontation against minors no matter how clear cut it is, and in this climate and current administrations they will be little angels who could do no wrong. Sit back relax and make the repairs check renters insurance or insurance and see if it is covered. Around here they steal the aluminum siding from the back sides of houses and buildings, copper wireing and plumbing, the copper ground wires from telephone poles. One guy broke into a sub station to steal copper but that ended appropriatly when He was electrocuted. When cornered you never know what these types are capable of. Dealing with the after math of a confrontation one is bad enough but also being injured is worse.

[waksupi]

Very true. Some years ago a couple brothers had been pulling burglaries on summer homes during the winter. One of the local business owners who was well liked, was checking on one of the properties. He was shot dead, by the older brother in a wheelchair. His brother was the leg man, the murderer was the look out. Larry had no suspicion that a paraplegic would shoot him.

[Plate plinker]

Well that friggin sucks. Hope the next day is better.

[fatelk]

That stinks. I can't stand a thief. We had someone clean out a bunch of stuff from the family farm years ago. You just feel violated. What makes these dirtbags think they have the right to take/destroy someone elses belongings? I would rather give away $100 than have $10 stolen.

A few years back a friend of mine bought a small farm a few miles from his place. The house sat vacant for a few weeks as he did some cleanup. One day he arrives to discover the buckets of brass and copper fittings and aluminum irrigation pipe that came with the place were missing. He was fuming mad!

The officer that came out to take the report was ticked too. He said he knew who did it- a couple of local low-lifes. He'd caught them red-handed doing the same thing before, arrest them, they'd get another line on their rap sheet and be out with a slap on the wrist. Small-time property crimes were not something the court was concerned about in the area.

My friend even snooped around at the scrap yard the officer told him the perps were known to use, and actually found his stuff! The cops made the scrap yard guy show him the receipt and guess what- the name on the receipt was one of these guys. He didn't get his stuff back because he couldn't actually prove it was his. Whaddayado? These guys probably lived like this their whole lives. Petty theft, skulking in shadows, taking anything they could when it suited them without regard for anyone else, with general impunity. They get caught, so what?

A month or two later after my friends loss, I heard on the radio about an accident the night before out in the rural area near where he lives. Two guys in a stolen car, with cans of stolen gas in the back, took a curve too fast and rolled it into a ditch. Upside down, trapped inside, the car caught fire. Passers-by tried to help them but couldn't get close due to the flames. All they could do was listen to the screams as these two guys burned to death. Who were they? Yep, same guys. I can't feel too sorry for them, but that's a BAD way to go. :(

Hopefully the punks who messed up your house will be able to learn some important life lessons before they go too far down that road.

[JeffinNZ]

Clearly they have no idea of the details of your CV!

[fatnhappy]

Very true. Some years ago a couple brothers had been pulling burglaries on summer homes during the winter. One of the local business owners who was well liked, was checking on one of the properties. He was shot dead, by the older brother in a wheelchair. His brother was the leg man, the murderer was the look out. Larry had no suspicion that a paraplegic would shoot him.

I swear to God I saw a TV show about that murder. It was on 20/20 or some such show.

Bruce, I'm glad you confronted the punks and their parents.

[w5pv]

I hate dopers that take other peoples property.

[mold maker]

If you have a mail box, check for a yellow placard stating this is a vacant dwelling. Some dufus at the USPS thinks this is a smart idea. It's to help the carrier remember not to deliver mail.
It sure helps the thieves.

[Bad Water Bill]

Next time you visit moms place wear your jarhead uniform complete with salad dressing.:kidding:

Just might convince them to look elsewhere.

[bruce drake]

The repair work was done today with my 1911 on my hip. I got a lot of "Good Afternoon Sir" when the boys saw me in the front yard. One of the fathers even came over to see if I wanted any help with the painting. I told him I was doing ok but thank you anyway. Why does it have to take someone's house getting damaged before people become responsible neighbors?

Bruce

[Geezer in NH]

Never heard of insurance I bet

[bruce drake]

Rental insurance is nice but its easier and faster to get it repaired myself. I'll save my insurance bill alone since I pay enough for all the cars and the other owned house. My agent just sees more $$$ whenever I call a claim in.

[smokeywolf]

I've seen good parents end up with bad children and good children come from a home with miserable or absentee parents, but most of the time, idiots beget idiots and scumbags beget scumbags.

[lancem]

Know this won't help but feel yourself lucky, we have 3 deputies covering around 6000 square miles here in Brewster county, though you probably have a larger population in Brownsburg than we have in the whole county, 9200... Living here gives you a whole new slant about the joke that I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy, or the one about when seconds count, here the cops are maybe hours away... Sounds like a good neighborhood to be moving from, hope you escape successfully.

[MaryB]

I had a meth head trigger the silent alarm for my observatory. I went out the front door with a pistol, went around the neighbors garage and got within 40 feet when I informed he he could lay on the ground or get shot. He hadn't made it in yet but had half destroyed the lock on the door and the movement trigger the door switch. He started crying don't shoot me and laid down until the deputy arrived. He was a friend of the meth addict who used to live down the street and had been breaking into places around town. They found the garage packed with peoples stuff, they hadn't managed to sell much of it yet because they needed to take it a minimum of 30 miles or someone would recognize it as belonging to a relative or friend! Both are now doing some time for possession with intent to sell, possession of stolen merchandise, breaking and entering, and a few other charges the prosecutor managed to think up. House went up on auction and was sold because he wasn't keeping the property taxes paid(no relative had any money, entire family are druggies).

I do not miss having that scum gone for 20+ years, they stacked each breaking and entering charge instead of combining them to put him away for a long time!

[Bad Water Bill]

Sounds like you have a prosecutor with brains on your side.

[Bad Water Bill]

Their parents suddenly saw (1911) that there really could be serious consequences for their GITs actions.

Aren't you glad you live in the free state of Indiana instead of your neighbor state?

[dubber123]

I was just coming in to finish up some last minute details on a house the company I work for had built. We saw the plumber in the front yard holding a 3/4" copper elbow looking confused. Turns out some thieves had come during the night, used one of our ladders, (after cutting off the cable securing it), and climbed in through a second story window. They had cleaned out all the copper pipe in the basement. The 3/4" union in the plumbers hand was the last piece he needed to install to finish.

Bruce, I'm sorry you had this happen, but it could have been much worse if that had found what they were looking for. Another place about 20 miles from me got stripped, including them cutting off the propane supply line. Luckily there was no ignition sources in the house, as it was several days before that one was discovered.

The local scrap yards have taken to recording plate numbers and photographing the scrap loads of each seller to try and curb the problem.

[mold maker]

Around here the scrap yards process everything together very quickly and wont let you past the drop off point. They don't sell anything to individuals so no one sees what they've taken in. By the time the law gets around to looking, it's all mixed and gone.
You couldn't convenience me they aren't part of the theft ring.
Oh yeah, most have been bought out by an out of state co. Kind of like funeral homes, all being owned by one outfit, to control the price.

[bruce drake]

Yes, ever since a couple were robbed in their front doorway a few months back, I've taken to wearing one of my pistols everyday when I'm not travelling for my job (company rules against it). A 1911 does make a very visual impact when you knock on their door.

The housing subdivision we were leasing in for the last couple of years has really taken a turn for the worse lately with almost half the subdivision going into foreclosure and the homeowners being replaced with short term (1 year leases) renters. Between the turnover and the number of young men who are now teens in the community, a lot of things started to get bad in the community. Thankfully, we knew were going to be buying our final house this year so when we finally closed in the better part of town, we celebrated knowing our sons would not have to deal with the daily issues of little thugs wanting to try to fight them (and losing to them since they both know several years of karate ;) ) because we "don't belong here." I seriously hate racism and everyone who espouses that behavior and its pretty sad when I have to tell their parents of what their kids say to mine and I know they had to have learned it from them in the past yet they say that they can't believe thir kids would say something like that.

I am very happy that the damage was limited to some drywall and some broken shelving. I worked all weekend to repair the damage and tomorrow night I will be able to put the first coats of paint on the new wall patches. I'l send the receipts for the materials and the police report #to my insurance agent to see what be can cover and come the end of the month, I'll be free of that house and that neighborhood. Until then, the random patrols by me will continue and I may even spend a few nights in the empty house to keep them from returning. I doubt any of the punks want to see if I'll use the Castle Defense.

[mold maker]

It's truly sad we've come to this. I now live in the home where I was raised, with doors that had no locks. Now I don't even leave the doors unlocked, while doing yard work. I also have a former home with lights on timers, and fresh tracks in the drive daily. Garbage cans (with refuse) to the curb weekly, and a radio on, just like when we occupied it. Grass is kept up, and good neighbors watching. The only thing obvious is the AC isn't on.
I'm hoping in a year or so to have it as a first home for a Gran Daughter, unless the neighborhood deteriorates. In that case it will be sold.

[Just Duke]

Sorry to hear this Bruce

[Just Duke]

I have Pex Pipe postings at my places.

[Bad Water Bill]

Not sticking up for those parents but it does remind me of when my daughter was 9 years old (well over 30 years ago).

Every week she and her cousins would mail tape recorded messages to each other.

One day I found a tape she had not mailed so I played it and was floored with the foul language in the tape.

When I confronted her she said "that is the way we all talk to each other".

I never use that language so yes it was learned in grammar school even without parents being aware of it.

I do not think things have changed that much since then just listening to the kids talking to each other as they walk by my house.