Hoarding: Buried Alive - General Discussion

[CrazyInAlabama]

I've always wondered how 'clean' the after houses are on this show.   My suspicion is there are either full storage units, or storage containers filled to the brim.    I remember Laura, and the sons had moved out years earlier, because Laura chose the hoard over them.     The fire was because the stove was turned on during the clean up, and materials piled on the stove caught fire.       Virtually all of these hoarders have had repeated clean ups, and they all lie about when the hoarding started, and say it's a lot more recent than it really is.      I understand the ones like Laura's sons who move out and don't look back.    It is revolting to me that the show guilts these children into going back to the abusive environment they escaped from, just for ratings.   I know there is zero chance that Laura kept the house clean, and wasn't rehoarding immediately.    

[enoughcats]

41 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

 I know there is zero chance that Laura kept the house clean, and wasn't rehoarding immediately.    

Here's where we need nuances.

Rehoarding of a house probably begins with the first receipt of junk mail and a trip to the grocery store.  But those accumulations need to be separate from the filth.  Even though some hoarders seem to have found the place on the internet that sells "Instant filth" that promised one cubic yard will expand to fill 500 square feet. 

I had a momentary sad when I thought of all the used Christmas paper that is going to be folded up, stuffed in a closet and forgotten forever.  Or not stuffed in a closet. And remembered. But abandoned none the less.

[CrazyInAlabama]

My guess is that wherever the ones on this show that really clean out, are actually putting things in storage, or the parts of the house or garages, that aren't shown on camera.   Or there are multiple storage buildings they use, and then put everything back in the house.  

You notice on the show that many of the adult children, and other relatives that are dragging into helping clean up, mention how many other times they cleaned up,    True hoarders don't clean up, and keep it that way. 

They're showing reruns on Discovery Life, and I'm actually watching one I never saw before.    Dominic who actually admits his house is unsafe for the six daughters, and their children to visit.    He's another 'collector', that collects cheesy art, and all kinds of stuff.     He has over 1,000 paintings, that he apparently spent a ton of money on.   He was a lawyer, is now 60 and wants to retire soon.   $1400 a month is spent on his storage units that hold the rest of his collection.    His house is falling apart, no kitchen, no washer/dryer, ceiling caving in.    The other woman in the episode is the one who has a huge bikini collection (Katie?), and .  Her teenage daughter, Grace is trying to have a decent room to herself, in spite of a lot of junk in her room belonging to her mother.   Another mother who isn't any kind of parent.    The hoarders are such liars about when they started hoarding.   I wish the daughter, Grace, could move out with the aunts or someone who won't turn her room into a trash heap.   So Katie has severe panic attacks, but manages to go shopping all of the time, and lies about it?    

I hate how the show guilts friends, and relatives into touring the disgusting hoards, and in helping with the phony clean ups.   

I don't feel sorry for the hoarders, just their children, and pets.  And the neighbors of these people, who have houses that are impossible to sell to get away from hoarders, and their vermin. 

Edited December 23, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[atlantaloves]

Yep, I've seen that happen on these shows during the final visit, you will see things that have sheets draped over them to hide the piles of boxes....and let me tell you, they will never get rid of the bugs and rats either. 

[Jeeves]

Well, it's Christmas morning. And Discovery Life channel is treating us to a marathon of the Ten Biggest Hoards, starting at 10 AM Eastern. Rhonda's up first. Not sure that I'm up for watching this stuff today, but thought I'd share. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Well, it may not seem like Christmas fare, but some of the hoarders have had left over Christmas trees in the hoard.    Hopefully, Rudolf isn't a sail-reindeer in one of the hoards.

[Jeeves]

On 12/16/2019 at 2:06 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I hate how the show guilts friends, and relatives into touring the disgusting hoards, and in helping with the phony clean ups.   

I don't feel sorry for the hoarders, just their children, and pets.  And the neighbors of these people, who have houses that are impossible to sell to get away from hoarders, and their vermin. 

So right about the friends/family and phony cleanups. And the poor children, pets, and neighbors.

I had a quiet NYE at home, which is my idea of how to do NYE right now. I'd just finished reading a wonderful book, thought about renting the Downtown Abbey movie to watch on TV since I missed it in the theaters. But, as these things go, I didn't get around to that. When I turned on the TV it was on Discovery Life which was trashing out the old year with a bunch of repeats of their "worst hoards" episodes of this series. 

Including the episode about Beverly. She has since died, and I felt a twinge of pity for her, but OMG that was one SICK woman. She was middle-aged but such a case of arrested development. You'd think, listening to her, that she was a teenager. Her parents gave her money to help her out, because they didn't want her moving in with them and bringing her mess with her.

Beverly had three dogs. She couldn't. shut. up. about how they were her babies and she couldn't live without them. But she obviously neglected them on a daily basis because her house was literally piled with dog shit. Just everywhere. She's actually sitting on top of piles of trash and dog shit, showing the cute little outfits she bought for her dogs. 

I'm sorry she was so fucked up, but I wanted to slap her and take those poor dogs away from that hell. The woman didn't even work, but she couldn't find time to walk those dogs a few times a day? 

Just watching those hoarders and listening to their crazy talk can be useful to me. I'm going to clear out my bedroom closet today. By tonight I will have taken at least one-third of the clothing items in it, to donate to a charity shop. I was going to do it anyway, but watching those poor sick, selfish, horrible hoarders last night was a great motivator to actually DO it. NOW. Then, there will be a ruthless book-divesting sprint. I want EMPTY SPACE in my closet and bookshelves. 

Happy and uncluttered new year to us all!

Edited January 1, 2020 by Jeeves

[atlantaloves]

Jeeves, you and me both, I just made a huge pile to donate plus some clothes that were so old and ugly they are just tossed! Nothing like watching that show to do a clean sweep! I agree, I hate it more when pets are living in crap than their nasty owners. I do love this show though, it's a very very guilty pleasure. I miss the British Hoarder show, it was actually charming, their little hoarders were so polite. Ha 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Discovery Life is showing original "Hoarding: Buried Alive" shows, with mostly the original episode.   However, they are called "Buried Alive" and are supposed to have updates at the end, in this case, it's three years later.     Valerie's show was 2012.   I feel so sorry for the neighbors, like the young couple living next to "Valerie", who is told to clean up or else her house will be condemned, and either cleaned out by the city, or bulldozed.   The poor couple next door were expecting their first child, and they are horrified at what they're living next to.   The codes enforcement / health department man tells her that when her two weeks are up, that he's filing contempt of court charges.   It's amazing how nasty the seemingly sweet old ladies are when Dr. Becky wants to take their stuff.   

Right after the original clean up, the house looks great a couple of weeks after the clean up, and the condemnation is lifted.   The health department inspector comes back twice a year or so to make sure it's still safe to live in the house, in 2014 he noted that she was starting to re-hoard.    I noticed the young couple from next door didn't appear this time.   I'm hoping they were able to sell and move. 

Three years later (2015)- She has a friend trying to declutter, before the health department comes back to her crowded house.    She admits that after the original clean up in 2012, that her house looked wonderful.     By 2015, every surface in the dining room is covered, she has way too much stuff.   I'd say she's a Level One hoarder, and if the health department ever stops inspecting, she'll be back to it.     If you say you're uncomfortable with open space in your house, then you're not any better.        Jim Fenney from the Health Department was promoted higher in city government, so I hope inspections are still happening.        The health inspector was pleased to see the progress, but I'm still skeptical on long term success.  

"Surviving on Trash" with Jerry, who has a pregnant daughter who actually thinks her mother will clean up so she can move in is so sad.    They hauled five tons away, and she's still leaving junk outside for strangers to pick up.      The daughter actually thinks that Jerry will clean up enough for them to take over the mortgage, and for Jerry to move to the islands.   Jerry cleaned the kitchen out, and dining room, look decent.   But the hallway is still full.      The daughter's husband is absolutely right, the place still needs a lot of cleaning out, the home needs to be tented to get rid of bugs, and there have been rats popping out of holes in the walls,    There is no way the husband will ever agree to live in that hoard.    The bedrooms are piled three and four feet deep with trash, the back patio is full of 'yard sale' stuff', only the living, dining, and two bathrooms are clear.    Apparently, there was an uncleaned swimming pool, spawning mosquitoes for years also. 

Jerri is the one who had to lock herself in her van, and was screaming.  

I'm so glad the daughter, Traci, and the husband didn't even try to move into that house.      When Jerry says she's getting it cleaned out in a few months, the look on the son-in-law's face is classic.   When he picked up a blow torch from the back patio pile, and said he had a plan to fix everything, and Traci (the daughter) asked if he had a lighter, I had to laugh.       As I recall the daughter moved somewhere else.   

Edited January 5, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[CrazyInAlabama]

They're showing one called "I'm a Rockstar, Baby!" about Kelly Jo, a Canadian who lives above Edmonton.   One daughter disappeared overseas in Tokyo in 1997, and they never found her.   Then he started 'collecting' and the house is a level 5 hoard, but it looks clean.     Then just over a year before this was filmed his wife had a heart attack, and then had another one.   The EMTs couldn't get their equipment inside to treat her, and she died before they could get her out, and treat her.     He still has all of her stuff around, his collections, and two daughters that deserve better than a home they can't visit, or sit down in.   

Kelly was in a rock band for years, and apparently made some real money, but it's all gone.    One of his former bandmates is the poor person who has to do the visit to see this stuff, and he looks like he wants to run.  The band was called Crowbar.    He's a neat hoarder, but still a hoarder.    On the clean out, he starts out pretty well, but then he's keeping everything, including dirty containers of swizzle sticks.    He does donate some, but not nearly enough.   

I didn't realize they had more than one Canadian episode, I only saw the one with Beverly.  

(Sadly Kelly J. died in June 2019.   Here's an article about him, his musical career, and other things about him.   https://www.nicholasjennings.com/obituary-crowbar-frontman-kelly-jay-larger-than-life  )

He was the writer of Oh, What a Feeling. 

Edited January 13, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[auntjess]

5 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

They're showing one called "I'm a Rockstar, Baby!" about Kelly Jo, a Canadian who lives above Edmonton.   One daughter disappeared overseas in Tokyo in 1997, and they never found her. 

Sorry to see that he's died.
He's the one that's I'd give a pass on everything.
They believe that his daughter was taken by sex traffickers, who operate in Tokyo.
I can't imagine living with that knowledge.

[atlantaloves]

Yeah, I'll give him a pass too. Sorry he died. 

[JNK]

 

 

On 5/31/2018 at 8:07 PM, auntjess said:

An Australian hoarder dies, and a mummified body is found among his hoard.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/true-crime/wp/2018/05/31/after-a-hoarder-died-cleaners-made-a-creepy-discovery-in-his-home-a-mummified-body/?utm_term=.b932d54bfba6

I see links to other hoarding articles at the bottom.  Couldn't read much of the animal one.

I agree! Those poor animals should be taken AWAY!!! That is ABUSE! I know she is Ill but I'm just beside myself. I hope they have loving homes now. They did not choose to be there. Animals are a gift. She DOES NOT DESERVE THEM!!!!!! 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

[JLew]

She died because her hoarding became even worse. So bad that the 1st floor caved in on her in the basement. They had to use s backhoe to get to her. She needed mental help but she refused to accept that.

[Lillith]

So I've been rewatching episodes because why not since I'm in quarentine like so many others? I watched the "delight" that was Sherry again. She's awful but I dislike her husband more because he left his kids in that mess. I've seen a couple posts mentioning she died but haven't been able to find anything online. Does someone have a link? 

[CrazyInAlabama]

She died long enough ago that I don't remember where I read it.   But she did die, and it wasn't that many years after the show aired.     I hated her husband so much for leaving the children with that awful woman, in the hoard.    Just because the woman would lose her benefits isn't a reason to dump your children in that hoard. 

Also Shelley of the "my sister's purses" episode died, Beverly (younger Canadian woman) died, and Hannah from either this show or the other one died, and Kelly Jo, the rock star on this show died not too long after the show aired.   Kelly Jo's daughter had disappeared, and was presumed murdered in Japan, so his life was very sad.    

This show is over 8 years old in many cases, so I'm sure there are others we don't know about.    I think I first read about the deaths on TWOP, not here.   

Edited April 12, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[AZChristian]

2 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

She died long enough ago that I don't remember where I read it.   But she did die, and it wasn't that many years after the show aired.     I hated her husband so much for leaving the children with that awful woman, in the hoard.    Just because the woman would lose her benefits isn't a reason to dump your children in that hoard. 

I was curious enough to Google.  I can't find any proof that she died.  Any links?

[Lillith]

On 4/10/2020 at 12:58 PM, AZChristian said:

I was curious enough to Google.  I can't find any proof that she died.  Any links?

Do we know her last name? I'd also Googled it when I first heard about it but nothing came up. I'd been able to find info on most of the other hoarders mentioned above but not a word on Sherry. I'd be curious to know how her kids (clearly now adults) are doing. That type of dysfunction doesn't just disappear. I'm guessing her kids are now either total clean freaks or total pigs. 

[AZChristian]

18 minutes ago, Lillith said:

Do we know her last name? I'd also Googled it when I first heard about it but nothing came up. I'd been able to find info on most of the other hoarders mentioned above but not a word on Sherry. I'd be curious to know how her kids (clearly now adults) are doing. That type of dysfunction doesn't just disappear. I'm guessing her kids are now either total clean freaks or total pigs. 

I can't find anything on her, other than people wanting updates.

[auntjess]

Oh wow, I've just discovered, on youtube, on Crime Scene Cleanup, and hoards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO9lD1qcjD8

[JudyObscure]

15 hours ago, auntjess said:

Oh wow, I've just discovered, on youtube, on Crime Scene Cleanup, and hoards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO9lD1qcjD8

Well that was fun!  Loved the cleaner talking about how fast a decomposing body can soak through the tiles to the sub-flooring, in the same "accent," we're used to hearing talk about why the polyester skirt just doesn't work with the cashmere sweater.

I also loved seeing that hoarded-up trailer crushed by the bob-cat -- something I've wanted to see happen to so many of our hoard-houses.  I'm not surprised to find that after it was leveled you could still smell the cat pee.  I love a puddy but I know the power of the feral cat's spray.

[Lillith]

On 4/12/2020 at 11:03 PM, auntjess said:

Oh wow, I've just discovered, on youtube, on Crime Scene Cleanup, and hoards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO9lD1qcjD8

I discovered that a few months ago and watch it religiously. They really mix humor as a coping mechanism along with compassion for the hoarder and/or victim. 

 

[auntjess]

On 4/13/2020 at 2:40 PM, JudyObscure said:

I also loved seeing that hoarded-up trailer crushed by the bob-cat -- something I've wanted to see happen to so many of our hoard-houses. 

So much so.  I hate the "we have to respect her stuff."  No we don't.

[AZChristian]

10 hours ago, auntjess said:

So much so.  I hate the "we have to respect her stuff."  No we don't.

Why should "we" respect their stuff when they don't respect it themselves?  If they have to dig through piles of junk to find something, it has no value to them.

For them, it's not the "having" and "enjoying."  It's the "getting" that turns them on.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think the hoard gives them pleasure to collect, and grow.    However, I think it's also the hoarder showing everyone that no one can tell them what to do, and how to live.    It's a big FU to the relatives, neighbors, and authorities by the hoarder. 

[AZChristian]

4 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I think the hoard gives them pleasure to collect, and grow.    However, I think it's also the hoarder showing everyone that no one can tell them what to do, and how to live.    It's a big FU to the relatives, neighbors, and authorities by the hoarder. 

SO true.  We experienced this with my brother.  When he got a notice from his landlord that he was going to be evicted if he didn't clean up his back patio (senior apartment development), his response was "This is MY home and no one can tell me what I can or can't have on my patio.  Besides, LOTS of people around here have stuff on their patio."

I told him flat out that if I were his landlord, he'd have been out a long time ago.  

[JudyObscure]

Long before the Hoarder shows or Marie Kondo showing us how to fold our underwear, Peter Walsh was  my organizing expert, he used to pick stuff buried under the hoard and if someone said, "But that was my father's toothbrush!" Peter would say, "Then it should have a place of honor."  I try to remember that, if I'm keeping something just because it belonged to a relative.  Nothing is more disrespectful to an item than stuffing it in a catch all box or throwing it on the floor.

There was a skinny little old sharp tongued woman on Sunday's marathon who reminded me of Estelle Getty on "The Golden Girls."  Her hoard wasn't disgusting, just too much stuff she planned to sell at a flea market. Her grown kids were really angry and I was sort of on her side to a point.  What she needed most was actual organization and wider safer paths. In the end she was happy to have a nice living room back, but first she was mad at the show for painting and decorating when it might not be to her taste. Heh. I guess everything in the world is worth hoarding with the one exception of furniture she might not love.

[AZChristian]

37 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

Marie Kondo showing us how to fold our underwear . . . 

I've always been very tidy, but Marie took me to a whole new level.  EVERYTHING is now folded in a way that would "spark joy" if Marie Kondo were to see it.

[atlantaloves]

OH MY GOD, I HAVE GOTTA TRY THIS CRIME SCENE SHOW....THANKS GUYS AND GALS... looks too gross even for me. But, I shall give it a try.

[Jeeves]

21 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

Long before the Hoarder shows or Marie Kondo showing us how to fold our underwear, Peter Walsh was  my organizing expert, he used to pick stuff buried under the hoard and if someone said, "But that was my father's toothbrush!" Peter would say, "Then it should have a place of honor."  I try to remember that, if I'm keeping something just because it belonged to a relative.  Nothing is more disrespectful to an item than stuffing it in a catch all box or throwing it on the floor.

Yes, I also remember Peter Walsh saying that about things that should be honored, not buried in trash and clutter. I love Peter Walsh; have read a couple of his books and listened to one of them as an audiobook more than once. 

OTOH I can. not. stand. Marie Kondo. She is just way too precious. When her much-hyped book came out I bought the Kindle edition. I quit reading when she went on and ON about how if you don't fold your socks correctly you are injuring them and you should fucking APOLOGIZE TO YOUR SOCKS and mend your ways. I would have thrown the book across the room at that point but since I was reading it on my beloved iPad mini I resisted that impulse. 

[Jeeves]

So I finished the workday and sat down to eat and see what's on TV. Oh, a marathon of this show on Discovery Life. I've tuned in for the las few minutes of S3:E9, featuring the despicable stubborn asshole Larina who was a real pig during the cleanup. But in the last three minutes she shows her sister the house that's not all cleaned up but is notably less trashed than it was originally.

I don't remember the discussion when this first aired. Larina's sister was poised to call CPS because Larina's 9 year old daughter had no safe place to live in that hellhole. Despite the high levels of hostility between Larina and her sister, they seemed to be somewhat reconciled at the end and the kid had a room that was cleaner and usable. I just couldn't summon much empathy for Larina and I'm glad her sister kept pushing because that sweet little child should NOT have to live in those conditions Larina had created, and wouldn't have changed without severe pressure. I'm sure some people thought the sister was a bitch but at least she kept pushing so that her niece had a usable bed to sleep in, etc. 

[mmecorday]

I'm watching one I don't remember. A former physician named Seymour lives in a heavily hoarded home with millions of cockroaches. He is obviously a very intelligent man, but you can tell he had some sort of psychotic break at one point. His office was in his home and he has kept it pretty much the way it was with patient records still filed away and now covered in filth. Being in the medical field, he should know that living the way he does is unhealthy beyond measure, but it's like that part of his brain that thinks logically has shut down.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I saw the rerun of the twin sisters Betty and Phyllis.   They were removed from their previous hoard, moved into a totally remodeled house, and trashed that one in less than five years.    That's the one where the head of the cleaning crew actually crashed through the floor.     The inspector hauled everyone out, and marked the house uninhabitable, and condemned it.   So the sisters move on with only a few pieces of furniture to a place outside the city.   I suspect it was outside the jurisdiction of the city inspectors too.     I'm sure that they trashed that house as soon as they could too.  

They had the Michelle (Tacoma, Washington) who had a house trashed to the gills, with rats all over the house and yard, undermining the foundation, and she trashed the yard too.  She drove away her kids, two husbands, and the house was foreclosed on for non-payment of the mortgage and taxes (five years I think).   Two brothers bought the house, sight unseen.    The place was a mess, Michelle was totally hostile, and was actually sneaking in the window to stay in the rat infested hoard.     They cleaned a lot out, to some storage areas mostly.    The brothers who bought it had the house repaired, and let Michelle move back in, but she had to qualify for a mortgage to buy it.     

 Two years later they did an update, and Michelle hadn't totally hoarded the place up again, just partially.   However, she never qualified for a mortgage, and was going to be evicted by the brothers.   

If anyone looks at the Wikipedia about this show, take the geographic locations with a grain of salt.     For example, they listed the Herv and Janet (called 'It's Just Sex) episode location as Richmond, VA, it was in VA. but hours away from Richmond (I know someone who lived down the street when they filmed this one.   Trust me, having a Hoarders crew show up down the street from your new home is not a good day.). 

Edited May 3, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[auntjess]

8 hours ago, mmecorday said:

I'm watching one I don't remember. A former physician named Seymour lives in a heavily hoarded home with millions of cockroaches. He is obviously a very intelligent man, but you can tell he had some sort of psychotic break at one point. His office was in his home and he has kept it pretty much the way it was with patient records still filed away and now covered in filth. Being in the medical field, he should know that living the way he does is unhealthy beyond measure, but it's like that part of his brain that thinks logically has shut down.

Whichever agency is charged with enforcing the HIPAA should be able to seize and either secure or destroy the patient records.
There was a show where a lawyer had old files like that too. 

I've recorded some of the revisit shows, and fell asleep during the 3 hoarders in the apartment show.
 

 

 

Edited May 3, 2020 by auntjess

[CrazyInAlabama]

I read (I think it was before Primetimer was around, TWOP or Previously, I guess) that the one who sat in the recliner died.   The one who had the husband that deserted his kids to this hose beast and the hoard.   But I can't find any articles about her.    So she must have died a long time ago, freeing her children from the hoard.  

Was her name Sherry?    If so she's gone to that burning hoard down below.  I hated her, and the ex-husband for deserting his children to her so she wouldn't lose her benefits (that's what he said, so I don't know exactly what he meant, unless she was living off of his child support) or some other benefits.  

Edited July 6, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[AZChristian]

22 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

But I can't find any articles about her.    So she must have died a long time ago, freeing her children from the hoard.  

I specifically googled "Is Sherry from Hoarding:  Buried Alive still alive?"  Not one word about her being dead, so I'm assuming she's still alive.  I think both the kids are now old enough to be out on their own.  Hopefully, they weren't fed such a steady diet of guilt that either or both of them opted to stay with her.

They will need psychological help more than she ever did . . . and someone to teach them how to maintain a clean home.

[auntjess]

I was curious after watching Louise's update, and found something as recent as Jan.2020.
https://www.distractify.com/p/what-happened-louise-hoarders
 

Quote

In January 2020, Shea revealed that Louise’s living situation had once again changed and that she’d dealt with some serious health issues. "She is currently housed in a homeless shelter waiting for low income/senior housing," Shea disclosed.

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Geoff who lived near Lake Tahoe was disgusting.   The ex-wife who left when their two kids were toddlers was just as bad.   She left, and tried to visit once a year, bet that is more like every few years, if at all.    Geoff was mentally off, but so was that rotten excuse for a mother. 

The buyer of his house was too nice.  If I had bought that place, I would have in the documents the paragraph that possession is at midnight on the day of closing, and anything left behind would become my property.    Then put in the eviction paperwork, call the salvage trucks, and the sheriff to do the eviction.  The buyer was a fool to let that man stay on property that belonged to her.   

[Scarlett45]

I turned on tv to keep me company while doing some cleaning and this was on. I watched Hoarders and Hoarding Buried Alive in law school a decade ago but fell off. Now it looks like my cousin and great aunt (Has dementia)are living in a hoarding situation. It’s not at the “filthy” level- they are both still personally clean, and the laundry/hot water/plumbing work, but the house is filled with STUFF and you can barely walk through it. The appliances (Fridge and stove) are shot and there’s no way to get them OUT to replace them. And the hoard is growing. 
 

Im watching this to figure out how best to talk to my cousin. The entire COVID-19 situation has made it worse. I’m watching “Waste Not, Want Not”, with Terri and Bill, they are still clean etc but the stuff is too much. 

[auntjess]

I'm watching the one now, that I believe is the hantavirus one, and it's "They're Crawling,' original air date 3/20/13.
 

[enoughcats]

4 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

The appliances (Fridge and stove) are shot and there’s no way to get them OUT to replace them.

There's no easy way to get them to get rid of stuff.  But how about with their permission, renting them a "POD" and moving everything that's in the way of replacing the frig and stove into the pod, then taking the bad appliances out and replacing them with safer ones.  

Use the dementia as a way to get rid of the stove...there are stoves now with features that may help....like induction ranges that keep the surface cool. 

My new refrigerator gives the temperature of both the frig part and the freezer part which might help them avoing food poisoning.

Then it becomes their effort to move the pod stuff back in Pack it really tight and throw out expired stuff before it goes into the pod.

 

 

 

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

They had a marathon on Discovery Life today, but I missed all but two episodes of Buried Alive (the follow ups to Hoarding Buried Alive).

Bennie is the last one, lives in the San Francisco Bay area,  The original episode was 2011, and this is filmed in 2015.    Bennie has a visiting possom in the house, unfortunately his visiting 'possom' turned out to be a huge rat.        Since it's in the bay area, I'm guessing his cute little house is worth a fortune.   He hasn't rehoarded, and both bathrooms work, but I think he needs another visit from the clean out crew.    It looks like the same stuff was never gone through from the first clean out, and is till in the sides of rooms.     I really liked Bennie, and hope Dr Beaton did help him clean out more.   I think if everything was cleaned out, that he wouldn't rehoard.   

Before that was Valerie, a nice woman who had hoarded her home almost to the ceiling, cleaned up, and it looks spectacular still.     

Edited September 8, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[Jeeves]

I was checking out the onscreen TV guide yesterday morning, just in time to see the marathon on Discovery Life. But the episode on at the time was poor Louise, and I just didn't have the heart to see that one again. Such a tragic case of mental illness, and IIRC she wasn't abusing kids or animals or spouses, just really hurting herself and I suppose the landlords whose premises she hoarded up. But still, I just couldn't watch yesterday. 

[Scarlett45]

On 8/30/2020 at 4:55 PM, enoughcats said:

There's no easy way to get them to get rid of stuff.  But how about with their permission, renting them a "POD" and moving everything that's in the way of replacing the frig and stove into the pod, then taking the bad appliances out and replacing them with safer ones.  

Use the dementia as a way to get rid of the stove...there are stoves now with features that may help....like induction ranges that keep the surface cool. 

My new refrigerator gives the temperature of both the frig part and the freezer part which might help them avoing food poisoning.

Then it becomes their effort to move the pod stuff back in Pack it really tight and throw out expired stuff before it goes into the pod.

 

 

 

 

For some reason I didn’t see this. Thank you for the suggestion. My cousin doesn’t have dementia (her mom my great aunt does), but I def think my cousin is depressed because she’s the one that’s filling up the house. (looks like she’s shopping at home goods?)
 

She used to be so clean you could eat off of her floors, I’m not a psychiatrist but I know this isn’t right. At first I though she was lazy and resentful she had to take care of her mom (and that may be part of it, but that’s not all of it). I’m going back to check on them this weekend. From what I’ve been reading I have to let her be in charge of the process or the house will get re-hoarded again. 

 

On 8/8/2020 at 6:56 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

Geoff who lived near Lake Tahoe was disgusting.   The ex-wife who left when their two kids were toddlers was just as bad.   She left, and tried to visit once a year, bet that is more like every few years, if at all.    Geoff was mentally off, but so was that rotten excuse for a mother. 

The buyer of his house was too nice.  If I had bought that place, I would have in the documents the paragraph that possession is at midnight on the day of closing, and anything left behind would become my property.    Then put in the eviction paperwork, call the salvage trucks, and the sheriff to do the eviction.  The buyer was a fool to let that man stay on property that belonged to her.   

I understand if the woman needed to get away to work on her own mental health, but once she was stable she should’ve gotten her kids. If the hoard was too much for HER, why would tiny children fare any better in it long term???

Now I don’t think every woman with a working reproductive system needs to be a mother, and there are plenty of men who would do a better job as a primary care giver (with the woman paying child support, and weekend visits), but if you know your child isn’t in a safe spot, you have a responsibility to do everything you can to get them out. I’d hold a man who left his kids in that hoard to the exact same standard. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

They're rerunning the Caryn , and Teresa episode.   Caryn is a woman who moved in with her ailing parents, took care of them until they died, and then hoarded the house full.       Then on clean out day 1, Caryn finally shows up two hours late.   Caryn is so awful, I think she's one of the worst hoarders ever.     Caryn keeps whining about a beloved ring, so if she loves it so much why is it in a pile of decaying garbage?    Just another delaying tactic by Caryn.    She really made almost zero effort, and the city was still in litigation with her when this ended.   I really hope the city condemned, and bulldozed that house.    

 

Teresa is despicable.   Her daughter and grandchild left an abusive home, so Teresa told the daughter she would clean the house out, and the daughter and grandchild will move in.    Instead, Teresa went to the daughter's former home, and collected toys, and clothes for both of them, and threw it into the hoard, and in her front yard.      They show the house cleaned up, but the daughter found other housing.     The house is temporarily clean, but I don't think it will stay that way.

Edited September 19, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[AZChristian]

They're re-running Sherry.  I can't look away.  This is truly the most despicable person EVER on one of these shows.

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

On 9/19/2020 at 6:36 PM, AZChristian said:

They're re-running Sherry.  I can't look away.  This is truly the most despicable person EVER on one of these shows.

That must have been the woman that laid on her bed while they were cleaning her house. She was so nasty. Her daughter was so sweet, trying to cook on that disgusting stove. I was surprised the husband wanted to come back, because she was just so selfish and piggish. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I don't believe Sherry's husband was in that home for any longer than the filming.   When you dump your own children in a hoard with that nasty woman just so she can get more benefits, then you don't care about your own children.   I bet if he had moved in the benefits would stop, and he didn't want that. 

Edited September 23, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[CrazyInAlabama]

They're rerunning the Michelle from Takoma episode, who had so many rats the house was about to collapse from the tunnels.   The one who claimed she still needed the law books from her 10 year stint in law school.     The investors who bought the house for back taxes, (at least $20k or more) rented it back to her, and the conditions were she had to keep it clean (she didn't), and get a mortgage for it to pay the Gore Brothers back (she didn't).    I have to admire her ex-husband, he divorced her, and had full custody of both of their kids, and never came back.     Michelle also lied to Dr. Becky, and said she only started hoarding less than two years before.   

[PamelaMaeSnap]

Just watched the episode from S5, I think, with Floyd and his toddler Charlie. That one raised my hackles more than anything. And I couldn't help but wonder what the story was with the mother (who apparently is in the picture somewhere, since the older kids referenced her) because how on earth could CPS give custody to this POS? 

Looks like (from the Google) that Floyd has become a self-professed preacher and demi-god and is clearly completely off whatever rocker he might have had to start with. Poor Charlie and Lily.