S09.E06: Sandra

[Morgalisa]

My first thought when I saw the exterior of the house was "Grey Gardens."

[Toaster Strudel]

She was sane enough to go to the bank and get re-mortgaged.  The bank paid her 1.9 but only recuperated $415,000 from the sale... minus legal fees and hassle.  She's way ahead of the game!

[Muffyn]

Shout out to the editor who cut to a shot of a doll bent over with its head hidden in the hoard as Dr. Zasio explained to us that Sandra was in denial. 

This is the first time I ever saw Dr. Zasio panic.  After all the shit boxes Zasio has been in, this as the one where claustrophobia and fear of the walls caving in on her won out.  I think if Matt could have seen her face, he wouldn’t have found her calling out to him as funny. 

It was like Sandra’s brother had been reading these boards when he pointed out she hadn’t seen things in ten years but now she wanted them. 

I wanted to feel sorry for Sandra.  I understand she’s sick.  But damn if I wouldn’t have locked her in the Sherriff’s car and asked him to drive off.  She needs serious help that she is not going to get on a TV show. 

Somebody needs to find a river for her to park her van next to so she can fulfill her dreams of living in a van down by the river.

[Morgalisa]

I wanted to know what happened to the junk on the pickup and the trailer. Also, Dr. Z said her crew were volunteering to help her. Who were these people willing to work for her for free? They were a very odd work crew. One of the ladies was quite elderly.

[slasherboy]

4 hours ago, Ms. Bubba said:

7000+ square feet! 

They said it was 10,000 plus square feet.

3 hours ago, Boofish said:

Now I want a reality show based on Michael & Eric restoring that house and moving in with their kids

Twin girls.  I wish we could have seen them, but not in that environment.

[kittyglitter]

57 minutes ago, enoughcats said:

Any sympathy I had for her just took a serious hit:  She's gone through 1.9 million in less than ten years. 

 

Hmm...that does change my view a little bit. She's clearly with it enough to navigate that shady mortgage jungle. Something about this still has me all teary-eyed, though. I do tend to see historic houses as living, breathing creatures, and maybe it was seeing that gorgeous house hoarded until it popped that played with my emotions. Four years ago, I bought and rehabbed my little 900 sq ft 120-year-old house that had been lived in by someone who had neglected her badly.

I never met the folks who lived there (they were tenants who'd been evicted, and the elderly owner didn't do shit to fix it up before I bought it). Still, I got kind of emotional when I found a couple things the people had left behind in nooks and crannies: various things that could be used to smoke drugs, a few children's toys, a bag of off-brand candy, and brochures from a predatory for-profit college halfway filled out. It painted a portrait of sad lives -- granted, people's choices played a part in their lives being sad, as Sandra's certainly did -- but still....the feels.

I can't wait to see what Michael and Eric have in store for this beauty.

Edited January 23, 2017 by kittyglitter

[dwarmed]

I don't think this process helped Sandra at all. It only enabled her delusions. If they were going to allow her to participate, they should have clearly defined how much she could keep, how it would be moved, and confirmed that the space was available BEFORE even starting the process. Allowing her to spin her wheels and hoard up the street only made for exploitative tv (and free clean up for new owners). If the new owners really wanted to be kind, they could have sold items at auction and given her proceeds and/or let brothers save some stuff for her without involving Hoarders. New owners and show producers must have known she was too far gone for this to work. That said, it was quite something to see what happens when the hoarder's home/hoard can't be saved and the show can't pull a miracle out of a hat. If someone is that adamant in not accepting help, but not mentally ill enough to be committed, they should face the consequences. All those people playing her game just made it worse. I don't think that nasty piece of work derserved any sympathy, ill or not. 

[mamadrama]

4 hours ago, Boofish said:

Now I want a reality show based on Michael & Eric restoring that house and moving in with their kids

Who can we pay off to make this happen?

I was totally mesmerized by this episode. I've seen them all but, as the daughter of a hoarder, I honestly feel that this was one of the best and most accurate depictions of the hoarding mentality. This woman was my mother to a T, to the point that I had to pause the show and walk away for a break on several occasions because it was like watching my life. 

I NEED that house. You know, without all the stuff. Although Michael and Eric can stay. Hell, we could have separate wings; they wouldn't even know I was there. 

[misstwpherecool]

4 hours ago, Ms. Bubba said:

A box of SAND!!! a friggin' box of sand!

Know someone like that. They're a senior with some physical issues along with their hoarding issues. Had to clean out a laundry room filled to the ceiling so they could do repairs on her washer. Found an eaten box of bird seed and mouse droppings on the floor. She had to think about keeping or throwing out the plastic container with bite marks. And everything, repeat EVERYTHING handled period had to go by her. Her landlord told her to clean her cluttered porch. She brought in a 40 pound bag of potting soil into the apartment rather than dumping it in a garden right outside her unit. TIP of the iceberg

The sand in the box was just defiance. These types are highly manipulative and put on a show of being in control. Part of that show is being assertive and decisive. Many seniors in general are defiant because they fear losing control of their life. Sandra was senior citizen defiant times 10.

[misstwpherecool]

57 minutes ago, dwarmed said:

I don't think this process helped Sandra at all. It only enabled her delusions. If they were going to allow her to participate, they should have clearly defined how much she could keep, how it would be moved, and confirmed that the space was available BEFORE even starting the process. Allowing her to spin her wheels and hoard up the street only made for exploitative tv (and free clean up for new owners). If the new owners really wanted to be kind, they could have sold items at auction and given her proceeds and/or let brothers save some stuff for her without involving Hoarders. New owners and show producers must have known she was too far gone for this to work. That said, it was quite something to see what happens when the hoarder's home/hoard can't be saved and the show can't pull a miracle out of a hat. If someone is that adamant in not accepting help, but not mentally ill enough to be committed, they should face the consequences. All those people playing her game just made it worse. I don't think that nasty piece of work derserved any sympathy, ill or not. 

I was wondering that too. Why the new owners didn't sell it for her keeping her informed. But knowing a person like that they are control freaks, manipulative, arrogant & defiant. They too came from the right side of town and get quite upity although they constantly deny being rich or snobby-unsolicited. Yet they reminisce about the private school and college they went to.

They are very good at fooling strangers too although some pick up on their crap right away. It's about control-maintaining control and the appearance of being in control. If people can put that much effort into their act they put that much effort into cleaning up their act, literally. If they won't accept help or advice a buh bye is the correct response.

[notyrmomma]

6 hours ago, Court said:

Here's some info on the court case:

http://www.greensboro.com/news/local_news/owner-of-julian-price-house-caught-in-legal-tussle/article_56a26aa7-7efa-5c51-9f7f-f67aa7e4ce8b.html?mode=jqm

I'd love to see the house renovated!

The article states that the house was sold on 1/11, which was like less than two weeks ago...so when was this filmed, last week?  I don't have direct experience with this, but I have heard that buying a foreclosure under normal circumstances could be quite a process, I wonder how long Michael and Erik have been trying to buy this house?  Although they were trying to be nice, you could tell that they were completely over Sandra's bullshit.  I still maintain that the most compassionate thing they could have done was remove her from the property, but I think that in order to do that (and Matt more or less says this on his FB page), they would have had to arrest her/put her in jail for trespassing.  The Sheriff can't just put her in the car and drive her around town for a couple hours or drop her off in a field somewhere 100 miles away.  They didn't want to do that.

 

edited to correct - sorry, I got my years wrong (between the storms we had last night and this stupid show, I didn't sleep much last night)

Edited January 23, 2017 by notyrmomma

[Spooneroonie]

The article was from December of 2015. So when Sandra was rambling about another court date in February, Im guessing she meant February of 2016.

 

$14,000? I'm surprised they even got that much

[Court]

It looked to me they had set goals for Sandra. She agreed to them before filming. She then changed her mind. She wasn't going to agree to anything unless it involved her staying in the house with her hoard.

[Primetimer]

The de-hoarding of a sprawling North Carolina mansion proves emotionally wrenching for hoarder and expert alike.

View the full article

[ChippedLaps]

The rain killed my satellite towards the end, dammit.  So what finally happened?  Did the trash on the street get moved or picked up by the trashman?  Did she leave the property for good? Where did she go?

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

Funny, they didn't strike me as business professionals.  I mean COME ON- they were crying at the end when they were throwing the trash out.  

I'm missing something--what do those things have to do with one another? I am a professional but stuff outside of my job has made me cry. People do lots of things in their personal lives that they wouldn't do at work. We merely watched this on TV while those guys were there with her and actually felt for her, which doesn't affect how they do their completely unrelated jobs.

ETA: I did just cry at my job a little bit! My favorite cat at the shelter where I volunteer has been adopted. I am happy for him, but also sad for me. For months, I had been trying to figure out a way I could adopt him without turning my own two-cat (brothers) home upside-down and I just couldn't. 

Edited January 23, 2017 by TattleTeeny

[notyrmomma]

8 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

I'm missing something--what do those things have to do with one another? I am a professional but stuff outside of my job has made me cry. People do lots of things in their personal lives that they wouldn't do at work. We merely watched this on TV while those guys were there with her and actually felt for her, which doesn't affect how they do their completely unrelated jobs.

Now this sounds cold, but you would think that he would be a hard-ass business man and used to having to break a few eggs to make an omelet.  I actually thought they were both artists or trust fund kids.  Apparently they have been playing Sandra's game for at least a year now as the bought that house in January 2016!  One year is a long time to let a $400k investment sit and potentially degrade (she could have done a lot of damage in one year! That place could have gone up in flames, look at last week's episode).  Just surprises me that a savvy businessman would have a reaction like that, even with all the compassion in the world.  I would have been crying tears of joy at the end of that mess.

[TattleTeeny]

Hmmm, maybe it was a mix of sad and joy! Oy, I think I'd be full of all sorts of conflicting emotions, judging by my dramatic reactions from my own couch in a neat and orderly home! Still, though, it was a whole different kind of omelet than a work-related one.

I know someone who's headed down this road, and I would probably be one of the people to be called upon to help if she moves. While I feel compassion, I don't know that I could actually step up to the job. Ugh.

Edited January 23, 2017 by TattleTeeny

[Broken Ox]

11 hours ago, enoughcats said:

Heck, I felt so sorry for her two old dogs; they are old and really shouldn't be confined to one van, in the heat, in North Carolina when vehicles can get unpleasantly hot almost every month of the year. First she should have secured their dog food.  And water.  And walk the poor things.

I was much more disturbed by the scene of the dogs crammed on that cluttered van front seat with her than just about anything else. I was thinking, "She really expects them to live there with her???" Poor pups.

Edited January 23, 2017 by Broken Ox

[Ocean Chick]

11 hours ago, aquarian1 said:

She's so delusional, it so hard to fathom.

She has an answer for everything.  A wrong answer, a lie, a delusion, but still an answer.

She IS the Trump of Hoarders!  Or maybe just the Conway of Hoarders.

[shockermolar]

Mr. shockermolar and I suspect that Luther is a minister and the other helpers were parishioners. I suspect that they have been involved with assisting her for awhile - maybe through meals on wheels or some other social service outreach type deal. I'd venture to say that she's spent time spinning some stories to them about how she's being persecuted, people are stealing from her, the state is kicking her out, her family doesn't help, that kind of thing. It's really the only thing that makes sense. And Pastor Luther, wherever you are, you are a good man. And the reason I suspect all this is my mom.

The old lady defiance was SO familiar to me. My mom is not a hoarder but has the same thing going on when challenged. She's tell a lie or mis-remember something and when you correct her or call her on it she responds EXACTLY like Sandra. On the outside supersweet old lady, and on the inside mean as spit. So she ALWAYS has these cadres of "friends" that help her with stuff. They bring her food, or go shopping for her, or give her cars, or help her move furniture in her room. Most of them are deeply religious church people and they really seem to think they are helping her as christian duty. But then they don't do something to her specs, she loses her shit with them, and next week some other folks have taken their place. It's like a revolving door. And the way Luther spoke to Sandra, and the way that other guy just couldn't handle it anymore and left, I looked at Mr. shockermolar and was like "Damn, glad mom isn't a hoarder on top of everything else!"

Eric and Michael - SAINTS! Maybe they did, to a certain extent, do this for the free cleanout. And I'd venture to guess that Michael has had to deal with Sandra over the years of lawsuits more directly than Eric. He had the same look in his eyes as her brothers - they KNEW this wasn't going to go well. But my lord, sweet Eric kneeling beside her as she goes through her bag of nasty old Christmas ornaments and gentling arranging them into a box for her as he tells her that maybe with the money from auction she can buy NEW ornaments. Argh. Broke my damn heart.

I would also LOVE to see this home redone in style. A&E, make it so!

[shockermolar]

http://www.greensboro.com/go_triad/film_tv/hoarders-tv-show-to-spotlight-historic-julian-price-home/article_5f384da4-32a9-5f90-b666-108905b3cd14.html

A bit more information (and some more alternative facts from Sandra), as well as a photo of the outside of the home taken last week.

[goodbyeglittergirl]

I am SO SAD this could be the last episode. Please, please let it come back. I will miss Matt, but there's still so much more content out there, I just know it!

[pakalolo]

Was I the only one that noticed Sandra had crack pipe burns on her lips? She tried to cover them with lipstick most of the time but they were gross.

[Mysteris]

I had the hardest time feeling any sympathy for this woman.

She didn't strike me as ill so much as stubborn and used to getting her own way. I found the way everyone kept giving in to her to be frustrating. More than once I just wanted the actual owners to say "fuck it. Call the Sheriff." Just throw her out and let her deal with losing her hoard. I don't think there's anything else that would get through to her. Even at the end, she got to keep a truckload of crap and it just seemed more hassle than it was worth. Sell her stuff, use it to pay for the renovation, and have the Sheriff make her hit the bricks.

I suppose that might make me a bad person.

[Muffyn]

9 hours ago, misstwpherecool said:

I was wondering that too. Why the new owners didn't sell it for her keeping her informed. But knowing a person like that they are control freaks, manipulative, arrogant & defiant. They too came from the right side of town and get quite upity although they constantly deny being rich or snobby-unsolicited. Yet they reminisce about the private school and college they went to.

They are very good at fooling strangers too although some pick up on their crap right away. It's about control-maintaining control and the appearance of being in control. If people can put that much effort into their act they put that much effort into cleaning up their act, literally. If they won't accept help or advice a buh bye is the correct response.

This is the key thing, being good at manipulating people.  So much of this was like seeing my mother in action.  Such a sweet old lady who desperately needs help until you question her.  Then the claws come out.  Sandra is sick but she is also horribly  difficult to deal with.  I will bet she has treated people like garbage for a very long time.  The hoarding just made her issues more visible. 

Michael and Eric were very kind.  I think they fell for her act, although Michael was a little more over it by the end.  Eric was having a harder time of it.  There is the reality that an elderly woman had lost all of her belongings and no longer has a place to live.  It's a shame they couldn't get her into supportive housing, but she would have to admit she needs help. 

Since she had borrowed someone's truck and did not have a place to take all of her junk, I am betting some poor good Samaritan's driveway is now filled with her belongings.  She is never going to find a place to put it all. 

I can't wait to see the house all cleaned up.  Fortunately she seemed to be a fairly clean hoarder.  There will be some mold issues from where the hoard was right against the wall and moisture built up.   The tunnel was bad but would not actually be that horrible to clear out.  They would not want to make it into usable space. 

If this the last episode, I was weirdly verklempt that it included someone who wanted to keep a rock.  After all, it's the title of the quotes thread, "I had plans for that rock!"  also, to quote @ZaldamoWilder, "I like "lemme see that" -  um, why now? you ain't seen it since 1981. "  That summed up Sandra's house too well. 

[JudyObscure]

On ‎1‎/‎22‎/‎2017 at 11:42 PM, enoughcats said:

There are many degrees of being classed as an "old lady".   I know, 'cause I'm one.  I've known kind ones and some that make you question the existence of evil.  For kind ones, the whole town turns out for their funerals.  For the other kind, only family turn out. 

  I'll be lucky to have five people at my funeral.  I'm cranky but not really evil.

I am sorry for Sandra.  I heard some hints of that  snobbery when she said she would never live in an apartment, and she was plenty mean to everyone by the end, but then I understood that she was exhausted and sick and tired of Matt and Dr. Zasio telling her the same things over and over. I felt for her love for that house and her denial about the death of her business and the reality of losing her house.  I have hope that her dogs will keep her going until she buys that airstream and finds a new life somewhere.  Those old arthritic dogs didn't look comfy in the van, but the main thing for them will be being with their  beloved alpha bitch. 

"Hoarders," has been my all time favorite show, ever.  I'm nearly in tears over it ending.

Edited January 24, 2017 by JudyObscure

[Toaster Strudel]

I wonder who Sandra married to buy such a mansion...

[AuntTora]

7 hours ago, notyrmomma said:

Here's some info on the court case:

http://www.greensboro.com/news/local_news/owner-of-julian-price-house-caught-in-legal-tussle/article_56a26aa7-7efa-5c51-9f7f-f67aa7e4ce8b.html?mode=jqm

This sounds veeeeeery familiar to another hoarder on this show or the other one:

Quote

Starting in 2009 and continuing for four years, she spent nights and weekends caring for her father at his home. While she was gone, burglars broke in, ransacked her home and stole items. They filled the foyer with contents from throughout the house, with plans to return for it, Cowart said.
To block their return, she said, she gathered discarded furniture and other items she had picked up from the streets and piled it in the covered carriage porch in the back. 
She said she then piled miscellaneous items on top of more valuable items to conceal them.

I think it was a lady in Florida (whose daughter was hoping to take over the house) who blamed the mountains of trash on break-ins? I just paid a thousand dollars to have a security system installed after an attempted break-in...I WISH I'D THOUGHT OF JUST BRINGING IN GARBAGE! /not

Edited to add -- people keep describing her as a little old lady, or elderly. According to the article she's 73. That's not all that elderly! I mean, I know my perspective has changed quite a bit since I became AARP-eligible, but....

Anyway, there were a lot of saintly characters on the show this week. I hope I can keep it together a little better when I hit 73, but mostly I hope I'll have people in my life who will be willing to reason me out of my Funkos....

Edited January 23, 2017 by AuntTora

[camom]

I would have had more sympathy for Sandra if Michael and Eric had kicked her out when they bought the house.  They bent over backwards to accommodate her and she appreciated none of it.  She had years to do something with her crap but chose instead to live in denial that she had lost the house.  And the fact that she went through nearly $2 million in 10 years and didn't think she was obligated to pay back the money she borrowed.  

[Court]

7 minutes ago, AuntTora said:

This sounds veeeeeery familiar to another hoarder on this show or the other one:

I think it was a lady in Florida (whose daughter was hoping to take over the house) who blamed the mountains of trash on break-ins? I just paid a thousand dollars to have a security system installed after an attempted break-in...I WISH I'D THOUGHT OF JUST BRINGING IN GARBAGE! /not

OK so I've been watching reruns and there was a lady that started hoarding because she was raped. Or that's why it got out of control. He sister already had custody of the older girls. I don't know if it was this one or the other one, either.

[Cherrio]

I am in the I do not feel sorry for her camp.   She has that obnoxious southern belle routine that some women perform down to a science.

I thought she was cruel and treated her so called crew like shit.  A old woman with a walker who could barely move?   I bet those people did not get a penny from Sandra.   Just some grandiose lies.

You can bet none of her crew would of EVER been invited to her house in the good old days.

I would of demanded to see proof of Sandra paying them and also proof of the warehouse before the work started. No proof, out she goes.

[Ocean Chick]

I felt sorry for Eric and Michael, as they really seemed to care about what would happen to Sandra.  Really sweet guys.  But yes, they really needed to grow a backbone at that point.  Sandra was so used to charming her way through life, and when that didn't work, becoming a demon that people couldn't stand to be around.  She had plenty of time to "rescue" what she wanted.  Time was up.  I'm just thankful that that hoard didn't seem to structurally impact that lovely building.  I hope Eric and Michael have a long and lovely life there with their daughters.

Some people you just can't save.  They don't want to be saved.  Sandra was listening to the rest of the people when they told her her time was up.  She just wasn't hearing them.  She was living in an "alt reality".

[Morgalisa]

3 hours ago, shockermolar said:

http://www.greensboro.com/go_triad/film_tv/hoarders-tv-show-to-spotlight-historic-julian-price-home/article_5f384da4-32a9-5f90-b666-108905b3cd14.html

A bit more information (and some more alternative facts from Sandra), as well as a photo of the outside of the home taken last week.

I learned a couple of things from this article.  Sandra had already moved/or been evicted from the house for several days before Hoarders came.  She had taken several truck loads of her stuff to God only  know where.  She was invited back after Michael called Hoarders (because the show needs the angle  of the actual hoarder to interact with the therapists and Matt.)  Also, at the end of the show, they said she was living in her GulfStream I believe.  The article said she is living with various friends.  When renovated, the house will be used as a designer showcase (and the boys will donate the money to charity) for a time before the family moves in. I really hope we get to see the pictures after the renovation.

[annewithaneee]

17 minutes ago, Morgalisa said:

 

3 hours ago, shockermolar said:

http://www.greensboro.com/go_triad/film_tv/hoarders-tv-show-to-spotlight-historic-julian-price-home/article_5f384da4-32a9-5f90-b666-108905b3cd14.html

A bit more information (and some more alternative facts from Sandra), as well as a photo of the outside of the home taken last week.

I learned a couple of things from this article.  Sandra had already moved/or been evicted from the house for several days before Hoarders came.  She had taken several truck loads of her stuff to God only  know where.  She was invited back after Michael called Hoarders (because the show needs the angle  of the actual hoarder to interact with the therapists and Matt.)  Also, at the end of the show, they said she was living in her GulfStream I believe.  The article said she is living with various friends.  When renovated, the house will be used as a designer showcase (and the boys will donate the money to charity) for a time before the family moves in. I really hope we get to see the pictures after the renovation.

 

The main thing I learned was when the episode was filmed, and my empathy for Robin and Matt increased about tenfold. 

I can't imagine having to be at that hoard, dealing with Sandra, on the morning of November 9th. Assuming that I was even able to peel myself out of my hotel room bed, that would've been the day I got arrested for assaulting an old lady.

[cpcathy]

That was filmed on November 9th? Oh heavens, no wonder the breakdowns all around.

[BostonBlonde]

12 hours ago, dwarmed said:

I don't think this process helped Sandra at all. It only enabled her delusions. If they were going to allow her to participate, they should have clearly defined how much she could keep, how it would be moved, and confirmed that the space was available BEFORE even starting the process. Allowing her to spin her wheels and hoard up the street only made for exploitative tv (and free clean up for new owners). If the new owners really wanted to be kind, they could have sold items at auction and given her proceeds and/or let brothers save some stuff for her without involving Hoarders. New owners and show producers must have known she was too far gone for this to work. That said, it was quite something to see what happens when the hoarder's home/hoard can't be saved and the show can't pull a miracle out of a hat. If someone is that adamant in not accepting help, but not mentally ill enough to be committed, they should face the consequences. All those people playing her game just made it worse. I don't think that nasty piece of work derserved any sympathy, ill or not. 

They paid enough already in legal fees, delays & aggravation...Hoarders probably helped immensely, cost wise. Not to mention free help. 

 

14 hours ago, Toaster Strudel said:

Keep!  Keep!

Bwhahahahahha. 

 

These dudes need a blog or something for this remodel. I know its a ton of work but what a steal for $ 415,000

Edited January 23, 2017 by BostonBlonde

[Galloway Cave]

Eric and Michael were very generous allowing Sandra to sell items. Some of the things that were being pulled out looked pretty unique and would have fit in the style of the home after it was renovated. Unless things had mold or had been damaged by critters, I would have been been acting all hoarderish myself! "Keep! Keep! Keep!" I wonder if someone can suggest they show the progress on a FB page, the way the W. H. Dorrance House owner does. She bought her 1880 Victorian home in Camden, NY for $100,000 and is documenting the renovation online.

[FormerMod-a1]

https://www.facebook.com/julianpricehouse/

[Galloway Cave]

Yeah, probably should have done my own search! Thanks @aquarian1

[enoughcats]

Linked in the Facebook link above is the application for placment on the Register.

http://www.hpo.ncdcr.gov/nr/GF0019.pdf

 Lots of architectural details there.  Some things that I found interesting are the placment of the house on a bluff..we didn't see that. 

Both of the Cowarts were on that application.  After it was granted, it would have been almost impossible for Mr. Cowart to have torn it down. 

The original owner was quoted detailing the difference between a crook and a lazy man as far as doing useful work.  It was quoted without a smidge of irony.

When the original owner died, his son inherited the house.  He left it to a major local church to use as a manse.  The church decided it was a bit too grand for a manse.  Thus the most recent owner. (And their application for official historic status indicated use being both commercial and residential.) 

The application referred to the exterior as half timbered, which indicates that the timbers are major structural members.  But the original description of the house indicated Faux Half Timbered, which is not the same (and harder to do repairs on.)

The house has a website on the Guilford County historical society website and a great representation of the house, which had its own postcard. 

[AuntTora]

2 hours ago, camom said:

And the fact that she went through nearly $2 million in 10 years and didn't think she was obligated to pay back the money she borrowed.  

Wasn't there discussion of some "sovereign citizen" style beliefs? Something about Fannie Mae and the gubmint and "invalidating" a loan? Those people make me craaazy.

[ZoloftBlob]

Quote

I found the way everyone kept giving in to her to be frustrating. More than once I just wanted the actual owners to say "fuck it. Call the Sheriff." Just throw her out and let her deal with losing her hoard.

Sure. Then, in this case, they're the new gay couple in the southern town who have thrown the long term town resident and grandmotherly looking elder woman out onto the street after she fell on hard times. I so want to be in their shoes!

More seriously, I appreciate that they were trying to be nice about it but I was more surprised that there wasn't more legal prescence and more legal threats. Once that house was bought, she had no right to be there, and had no right to consider whether any item was saved or not. Matt tried and failed to make the point. Personally I think it would have been less stressful for all if Sandra had been hauled off. Because ultimately a bunch of people had utter breakdowns on this show over a woman who will never be grateful and who will always consider herself the victim in this. This wasn't a hoarder who wanted help - there was no saving the house.

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Wasn't there discussion of some "sovereign citizen" style beliefs? Something about Fannie Mae and the gubmint and "invalidating" a loan? Those people make me craaazy.

This goes to how Sandra probably isn't that nice grandmotherly elder. She's probably had the property tied up for years in frivolous attempts to get out of paying the loan and losing the house. This is never ever going to be her fault. The only thing that would make her happy is getting to keep the house and the hoard. Anything less, and she's the victim.

[Court]

I trust nothing Sandra says.

I also think they were going through the process with Sandra because they truly wanted to help her. So her next place doesn't become a hoarded up disaster.

[dwarmed]

4 hours ago, pakalolo said:

 

Was I the only one that noticed Sandra had crack pipe burns on her lips? She tried to cover them with lipstick most of the time but they were gross.

 

Was that what it was? I was wondering what those marks were. I thought she might have fallen on her face when trying to drag items from the dumpster or climbing around her house.

 

2 hours ago, BostonBlonde said:

They paid enough already in legal fees, delays & aggravation...Hoarders probably helped immensely, cost wise. Not to mention free help.

I agree. I didn't mean to imply they didn't do enough for her. I mean they should have saved themselves the aggravation of playing into her manipulative games. It would have been generous enough of them to sell some items for her or allow some items to be taken by relatives. They didn't need to allow her to be there. If the only reason for her being there was to get free help cleaning out the hoard from the Hoarders crew, the show shouldn't have agreed to it. They say their intention is to help the hoarder, not be a cleaning service. There was no way they were helping that lady. I'm not sure it was worth the saved costs for the new owners. It seemed like it was painful for them. I kept wanting them to just throw her out of there as soon as she strayed from the plan.

[Ocean Chick]

I'm truly surprised if this is the first time either Dr. Robin or Matt ran into someone who they Just.  Couldn't.  Help.  I mean, therapists dealing with hoarders must come across cases like this quite often.  As well as cleaners who work with hoarders.  Mental illness can not always be "cured".  So why were they both breaking down onscreen?  It's sad, but not the fault of anyone there.  Anymore than you can save everyone who gets cancer.  Or has a heart attack.   Some things are just incurable, for whatever reason.

[bethster2000]

Luther needs to have his own show.  Immediately.

Michael and Eric are two of the most compassionate human beings I have ever seen on television.

Me, I'm not so compassionate.  I would have had Sandra removed at the very beginning and not permitted back on the site.

I really felt bad for The Zazz this episode.  Matt didn't need to apologize for how he spoke to Sandra.

ETA: Did she really go behind Michael and Eric's backs and attempt some legal shenanigans so she could take back ownership of the house? Did I see and hear that right?

Edited January 23, 2017 by bethster2000

[cpcathy]

Luther's show can be called "Luther Talks Good Sense."

[ZoloftBlob]

Luther really was just a breath of fresh air, wasn't he?

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Did she really go behind Michael and Eric's backs and attempt some legal shenanigans so she could take back ownership of the house? Did I see and hear that right?

Kinda sorta yes but not in any way that would realistically have helped. Reddish haired homeowner went right to the lawyer when he heard her yapping about it with some "By doing this with her, are we giving her grounds to continue suing us??". There was some genuine panic in his eyes but the lawyer shut that down fast.

[MelissaMinion]

18 hours ago, Toaster Strudel said:

My recorder cut off a bit of the ending.  $14K? Wow... that's peanuts.  I guess there wasn't much that the auctioneers picked up.  Maybe they were only there for the first day?

Given the state of the house, if she had any more good pieces, they were probably too damaged by mold and dog poop to keep or sell.