There is one thing everyone should know about- hoarders absolutely love their stuff. So, if you buy something that was previously owned by a hoarder- get ready for them to wage a war against you for that. At that point in time, it wouldn’t even matter if you paid them for the item already. And this is what exactly happened to u/throwaway5638134– who purchased a house from a hoarder- all the way back in the May of 2018.
The house that OP purchased is quite huge- with 6 bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms. While the first month was definitely sweet sailing, the problems with the previous owner came up mighty fast. Although OP definitely has the legalese on their side, is the harassment worth it?
“When I bought it, the contract stated that I take ownership of the house and everything in it. The lady who owned it died, and her heirs could not deal with the stench and literal mountain of junk and waste in it (you could only open the door not even 8, and some rooms had the junk filling them wall to wall and floor to ceiling). Well, it took me these last 4 years to finish cleaning, fixing, and updating it. While doing the cleaning I made sure to check everything before throwing it out. Ended with more than $20k of money, some nice jewelry, and antique furniture, and finally a stunning 40s style, lace-covered wedding dress. This woman took care of that dress until she couldn’t anymore, and it took just some minor work to restore it.”
Read: After neighbors destroy a fence multiple times, man builds one that destroys 5 of their cars
Hoarder’s Family Calls Out Woman For Doing The Right Thing
As one understands, not only did OP have to purchase the house in the first place, but they also had to spend money fixing it. Fortunately, a lot of what the hoarder owned seemed to sell pretty high. Finders keepers, losers weepers, am I right?
“I currently don’t have a partner, but I decided that it would be the dress I will be wearing if I ever get married. While doing the cleaning, I reached to the heirs to pass on some pictures and mementos (Christmas personalized ornaments, some kid artwork…), and because of that, I had one of them in my FB friends list. After repairing the dress, I put it on with the jewelry and posted a pic on FB. Well, this woman saw it and asked for the dress and heirlooms back. I refused to give them back, and legally they can’t do anything. Also if they meant that much to them, they should have cleaned the house on their own, not sell it to me. Now she, and all her family, are calling me out on social media.”
This does look like a very trivial situation where one party is simply being insufferable. And as OP mentions, if the hoarder’s family wanted the heirlooms back, they should have cleaned the house themselves before selling it to a stranger. This post made its way to r/AITA, where it was judged by the teeming millions.
Read: This Woman Inherited $4 Million And Her Boyfriend Asked That She Cover Their Bills, Sparking A Huge Debate
What Does The Internet Have To Say
u/zakatekaluka commented, “Recovering hoarder here. Legally, you are in the right. Morally, you are also in the right. And though I cannot speak for the woman whose things you now own, I can give you insight into how I would feel if I died before I could find homes for my treasures- I would want someone who cared enough to restore and respect the items to have them. You saw the beauty in them, as did she. You didn’t just chuck it all in a dumpster. Take them, wear them, and be happy to honor the original owner. Her family did not view these things as anything but a hassle.”
u/AGirlHasNoName2018 also wrote, “It’s a lot to clean a hoarder’s house. They could have hired a service if they were mentally unable to do it but instead, they dumped it on someone else who paid them to take the house and all that’s in it. If they cared about the items they should have offered you money or asked you to keep an eye out. It’s yours, you did the work. I don’t care how cheap you got the house, it probably doesn’t even out like someone said because hoarding houses are…disasters, simply put and it takes a lot to clean and restore them.”
Keep Reading: “I Offered To Let My Mom Live With Me Under The Exact Same Terms I Lived With Her As A Teen”
Sources
- “AITA for refusing to give this woman her grandma’s wedding dress and jewelry back?” Reddit
Attention: These stories are based on posts found on Reddit. Reddit is a user-generated social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where registered members submit content to the site and can up- or down-vote the content. The accuracy and authenticity of each story cannot be confirmed by our staff.
