S08.E13: Sandy and Len

[Tara Ariano]

Sandy’s sister, Nona, owns the family home where Sandy has lived her entire life. Nona hasn’t been inside the home in 10 years, but when code enforcement issued her a citation, she decided it was time to confront Sandy about how she’s been living.  Len lives in a home stuffed full of garbage bags where he keeps all his belongings. If he doesn’t clean up his family fears his house will kill him.

[Primetimer]

One hoarder has never met a 'reusable' shopper he didn't like; the other must get a sweet discount on American's favorite tote.

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[kellinatorjones]

I think that was truly the worst final screen I've ever seen. I didn't think Hoarders could still shock me. Clearly I was wrong. 

[auntieminem]

I hope other hoarders take note.  It helps to put everything in bags.   I like Dorothy, she can be pretty tough but she was so sweet with Len when he needed it.  

 

Sandy, what the heck was that?  She hoards because her mother threw out stuff?  I wonder if she gets a discount at LL Bean so she can buy lots of stuff cheap.  I don't understand why her family did not intervene sooner.  From the picture of her with her mother she had already started messing things up.  

[OSM Mom]

Was it just me, or is Sandy a bit.. Um.. Slow? Special needs? Childish? I'm not sure how to phrase it.

[briochetwist]

Kudos to Nona, I thought she was gonna blow when Sandy was all 'ok, I wrecked your house, but what about me dammit?'.  Poor Nona.  Poor Sandy.  So depressing.

[Lightning]

I thought Len was a little "slow", too.  But, maybe it was from his heart attack. It can be overwhelming to have everyone at once "helping" you and making sure that you know every 5 minutes that they are "helping" you.  It's like "these people have a mental illness.  Let's make sure we turn up the 'noise' a few decibels".  

Edited March 14, 2016 by Lightning

[LittleIggy]

I loathed Sandy. She destroyed the house her sister owned and rendered it uninhabitable. I didn't believe that she had any friends she could move in with. Sandy said her sister never visited her, but didn't Nona say she came by the house a couple of years ago and Sandy wouldn't let her in?

Dorothy was really sweet with Len.

[Mrsjumbo]

Len made me cry. He had that look that labs give you(not trying to be disrespectful)- not quite looking you in the eye, embarrassed. You can tell he holds everything in. I just felt so sorry for him.

Sandy, in the other hand, made me very angry. Not once did I hear "I'm sorry" for ruining the family house, instead it was all about her. I give her sister credit for showing some restraint. Sandy just had this disconnect- the home wasn't "taken away from" you, YOU ruined it! Couldn't believe at the end where it said she snuck back in. She truly needs mental help.

And could Dr Zazio get any more orange? She's giving Donald Trump a run for his money.

[Josiah Bounderby]

I love Dr Zazio so very much. However, her hair color and condition is really troubling right now.

[Twiz44]

Dorothy Breininger is an angel on earth.  What a kind and compassionate woman she is.  Sometimes she seems way more intuitive than the "doctors".  She's honest, forthright, doesn't mince any words or do anything to disrupt the process but her compassion is sincere.  The doctors' sincerity often seems gratuitous.

[stillhere1900]

Kudos to Nona, I thought she was gonna blow when Sandy was all 'ok, I wrecked your house, but what about me dammit?'.  Poor Nona.  Poor Sandy.  So depressing.

 

"poor Sandy" my ass!   She completely ruin that house and was not sorry at all!!  Then she snuck back in and "re-hoarded one room"  I didn't believe for one minute that she called a friend to stay with. NOPE!!! 

[funky-rat]

"poor Sandy" my ass!   She completely ruin that house and was not sorry at all!!  Then she snuck back in and "re-hoarded one room"  I didn't believe for one minute that she called a friend to stay with. NOPE!!! 

I thought the same thing when I saw her pulling out somewhat hurriedly in her hoarded car.  I figured she'd lay low somewhere until everyone left, then come back.  Either that, or she really does have a friend or two, who may be as unstable as she is, who told her that she had squatters rights, and she's trying to make it difficult for the sister to sell the house.  She needs to be living somewhere that she is monitored.  She needs help.

[zillabreeze]

 

Len made me cry. He had that look that labs give you(not trying to be disrespectful)- not quite looking you in the eye, embarrassed. You can tell he holds everything in. I just felt so sorry for him.

I've seen every hoarder show ever and Len was the first one to give me leaky eyes.  He seemed so very broken.  Dorothy hugging him again and again seemed very genuine and he knew it.

 

"poor Sandy" my ass!   She completely ruin that house and was not sorry at all!!  Then she snuck back in and "re-hoarded one room"  I didn't believe for one minute that she called a friend to stay with. NOPE!!!

My DVR cut off, so I didn't know that Sandy snuck back in.  Not a surprise though.  Entitled bitch.  When I saw her carrying blankets and pillows to go to a "friends" to stay, I thought no way in hell she would bring anything she owned into my house.  Wonder why we haven't seen any bedbug covered mattresses?

[stillhere1900]

I've seen every hoarder show ever and Len was the first one to give me leaky eyes.  He seemed so very broken.  Dorothy hugging him again and again seemed very genuine and he knew it.

My DVR cut off, so I didn't know that Sandy snuck back in.  Not a surprise though.  Entitled bitch.  When I saw her carrying blankets and pillows to go to a "friends" to stay, I thought no way in hell she would bring anything she owned into my house.  Wonder why we haven't seen any bedbug covered mattresses?

 

Mice probably eat them

[LittleIggy]

Nona couldn't even sell the appliances since Sandy ruined them too. That fridge was revolting.

[pagooey]

I replayed the Zaz's mouse freakout probably ten times. Lord love you, Dr. Tonya Hoarding, that was gold. I would totally do the same...although you'd think she'd be a bit more inured to vermin in the mayhem, by now?

Sandy's flat affect and absolute incomprehension of how dire her situation was made me mostly sad; I get the impression that she's never been Quite Right, and losing herself in what appeared to be a sea of shitty (literally) fantasy-romance-vampire-baloney novels, for 50 years, suggested a blank loneliness I can't wrap my head around. She and Nona both looked to have lived hard lives. What a disaster. I was appalled but not surprised, if that makes sense, that Sandy drove around the block or whatever in her hoarded-up car and slunk right back. She literally doesn't have any idea what else to do.

I found Len utterly charming from the get-go, and it's clear that his god-family loves him and is committed to working with him. Got a good feeling about Len's future! And St. Dorothy is one of my favorite people on earth. My house isn't even messy (thanks, Hoarders! years of this have vastly improved my housekeeping!), but I'd love to have her over just to shoot the shit, and maybe straighten up my garage?

[Yokosmom]

If Nona ends up on Dateline as a suspect in her sister's "disappearance", I would not be surprised.  (Nor would I blame her.)  I'm a bit confused by the house being designated as unliveable, because, I swear, we've seen houses even worse than this (Augustine, anyone?), sailcats and all, that were not viewed as unliveable.

 

I have a friend who bought a house for her brother to live in (she felt sorry for his kids) and is now kicking him out.  (Kids are almost grown now). Holes in the walls, non-working appliances, didn't pay rent, etc.  And he isn't even a hoarder.  I wonder if there is some sort of passive aggressive behavior that goes on when relatives try to help out in that way.

 

I don't have great hopes for Len without intensive therapy, but at least he has some god-relatives in his life.  He needs some serious treatment for his depression and lack of self worth.  Poor man seemed so shut down--not the totally flat affect of some hoarders, just Depressed with a Capital D. So glad that Dorothy gave him a hug.

[Cherrio]

Dr. Zazio likes rats. She adopted one from a previous hoarder.   I think she named him Hoardy or something like that?

[operalover]

Last week the place was mice infested, crawling on her head at night and they fixed they place spotless. The big rat infestation, the same/ This time they didnt even mention rats in the beginning and the place is hopeless. Not sure how she destroyed it so badly- how does one create such squalor? I guess if you never cleaned up after eating and tracking in dirt and threw all your trash on the floor it could be done. 

 

The backstory of Len was the most tragic I've heard, I mean mother killed at age 8 and then dad dies of cancer. Sad and his sadness was going to manifest in some way= I think a lot of people would become addicts of some sort. I also hoard plastic bags! Its the one thing I hoard, cause whenever I need a good bag I can go to my hoard...but it also kind of kills me to actually USE the bag cause then I won't have it anymore in my hoard!!!!!

[funky-rat]

Last week the place was mice infested, crawling on her head at night and they fixed they place spotless. The big rat infestation, the same/ This time they didnt even mention rats in the beginning and the place is hopeless. Not sure how she destroyed it so badly- how does one create such squalor? I guess if you never cleaned up after eating and tracking in dirt and threw all your trash on the floor it could be done. 

I got the impression that it might have been a bit run down when she moved in to help her mother.  The one photo had stuff piled up in the background, and I don't know if that was because of Sandy, or before Sandy got there - they didn't give a good context to the photo.  And if it was already a bit rundown or needed some attention that wasn't being done, it could go bad fast.  That stuff tends to snowball.  I know they mentioned black mold in the bathroom, and she didn't have any hot water.  Around here, if you're caught with a utility or two that isn't running to the house, that can be enough to get you condemned until service is restored, so some of it just might be the area, and their rules.  Plus, they didn't show all of the house.  Some of it might have been much worse.

[Galloway Cave]

Nona also said she didn't have any money to repair the house, so without working plumbing, hot water, appliances and general repair, the house was not livable as it was left by the crew.

 

Of course, Sandy didn't understand any of that and considered four walls and a roof to be a viable option for a living space.

[LittleIggy]

Rolled my eyes when Sandy said she needed those wallpaper brushes to sweep things up! Yeah, as if that ever happened!

I agree that the house was deemed unlivable because there were no funds to make the necessary repairs. Ironic that the mother left the house to Nona so Sandy's debts wouldn't cause it to be lost to the family. The best laid plans...

[Tosia]

Last week the place was mice infested, crawling on her head at night and they fixed they place spotless. The big rat infestation, the same/ This time they didnt even mention rats in the beginning and the place is hopeless. Not sure how she destroyed it so badly- how does one create such squalor? I guess if you never cleaned up after eating and tracking in dirt and threw all your trash on the floor it could be done.

The backstory of Len was the most tragic I've heard, I mean mother killed at age 8 and then dad dies of cancer. Sad and his sadness was going to manifest in some way= I think a lot of people would become addicts of some sort. I also hoard plastic bags! Its the one thing I hoard, cause whenever I need a good bag I can go to my hoard...but it also kind of kills me to actually USE the bag cause then I won't have it anymore in my hoard!!!!!

I think the lack of maintenance, coupled with the filth will ruin a house. Leaking fridge, hot water heater, roof, and vents covered and filled with feces and stuff, foundation cracks, etc., just aging and weather impact a house greatly. When I think if the $ that we put into our home in the past 10 years, and it's only 20 years old, I worry abt future repairs. We need to do the foundation this summer. Houses need love and care too--not just you Sandy!

You like bags? I like nice boxes. I do use them, although I have several smaller ones that I have saved for a few years, that need a purpose. However, watching Hoarders helps me purge, as does reading Minimalist web sites. I took 3 bags to the thrift store yesterday.

[briochetwist]

My DVR cut off, so I didn't know that Sandy snuck back in.  Not a surprise though.  Entitled bitch.  When I saw her carrying blankets and pillows to go to a "friends" to stay, I thought no way in hell she would bring anything she owned into my house.  Wonder why we haven't seen any bedbug covered mattresses?

My DVR cut off too! I only saw the info for Len. I wasn't surprised at all, she didn't seem like she'd actually have any friends. I can't hate her, she's too pathetic.

[stillhere1900]

I think the lack of maintenance, coupled with the filth will ruin a house. Leaking fridge, hot water heater, roof, and vents covered and filled with feces and stuff, foundation cracks, etc., just aging and weather impact a house greatly. When I think if the $ that we put into our home in the past 10 years, and it's only 20 years old, I worry abt future repairs. We need to do the foundation this summer. Houses need love and care too--not just you Sandy!

You like bags? I like nice boxes. I do use them, although I have several smaller ones that I have saved for a few years, that need a purpose. However, watching Hoarders helps me purge, as does reading Minimalist web sites. I took 3 bags to the thrift store yesterday.

 

I am a card-carrying minimalist.  : -)      I wish you could see my house.

[auntjess]

I don't understand how Nona let it slide, when Sandy wouldn't let her in.  If I had to come back with the sheriff, if it was my house, I'd get in. How near did Nona live?
I wasn't sure about Sandy--her ability, her livelihood, either.  Did they say, and I missed it?
Len was likeable, and lucky to have people who cared about him.
 

[Empress1]

I wanted to give Len a big long hug. When he said he was lonely, my eyes welled up. I have been going through a hard time, and loneliness is part of it. People underestimate loneliness, I think. (When he said "Someday I might find somebody to play some games with," the tears welled over.) And it's possible to have people (Len really did have a nice support system, and thankfully so do I) and still be lonely. 

 

ANYWAY. I totally understood why he kept stuff. He lost his family! And he was really a sweetheart, you could tell. I hope things keep getting better for him.

 

Sandy though? Not a sweetheart. A very ill woman, and I was trying to sympathize because she is clearly unwell, but I was with Nona when she was like, I get that she has a sickness but can we get this shit together? And I didn't rewind Dr. Zazio jumping up when she saw the mouse, but I did rewind when she threw a side-eye and and "What are you saying? You want to keep that?" The "Girl, what?" subtext was awesome.

 

As long as I live, I will never understand how these cleaning crews are in these houses in tank tops or shorts. I would be in a hazmat suit and hairnet, I swear.

[Mojeaux]

Just watched this episode.

I’m meh about Sandy. She’s not all there. She moved back in to take care of mom. Where was Nona when the mom needed help? Where was Nona in 10 years? You’ve got a house and you don’t go look at it?

Sandy says, “You didn’t come to see me in 10 years!” (Subtext: So now you show up and act like you care? Seriously?)

And Nona says, “Because I didn’t want to get through this!” (Subtext: I knew this was like this ten years ago and I ignored the problem until people started making complaints and forced me to do something.)

Ten years. Ten years she knew what was going on. Did NOTHING. Nope, don’t feel sorry for her at all. And no, I don’t believe she’s concerned about Sandy. She was mad because the municipality nailed her and she was under the gun.

And I still want to know why there was no mention of Nona taking care of the mom. Who left her the house. Who abandoned it to Sandy.

There was way too much bad blood there for me to believe it was just the house.

Poor Len. Oh he just broke my heart, especially when he said he kept the stuff from feeling lonely and now that it was gone, it was worse (or something like that). I’m a minimalist (fam’s not) and even *I* was grieving the loss of his stuff.

I thought it was QUITE obvious that Len withdrew when they were teasing him, and I did think Dr. Green could have said, “Perhaps it would be helpful if we respected his feelings of embarrassment and not make it worse,” because he was up front about that. But they were kind and loving otherwise. Other than the teasing, which makes me think the family is close enough to be comfortable with it (although Len wasn’t), I liked this family.

[Peace Please]

I love Dr Zazio so very much. However, her hair color and condition is really troubling right now.

She really needs to lay off the hairspray, man.  Her hair never moves.  Aside: I worked a call center once and one of her relatives (by marriage) called in and I told her than everyone online calls her "Tonya Harding".  Thought she was gonna bust a gut!!  Too funny.

 

Dorothy Breininger is an angel on earth.  What a kind and compassionate woman she is.  Sometimes she seems way more intuitive than the "doctors".  She's honest, forthright, doesn't mince any words or do anything to disrupt the process but her compassion is sincere.  The doctors' sincerity often seems gratuitous.

I'm not an angel subscriber but she really is a wonderful people person.