Hoarders - General Discussion

[knuckles491]

I've heard this expression for years, and I don't know what it means.  What is gaslighting?

[JudyObscure]

11 hours ago, Hellohappylife said:

The families need to stop using the Grand-kids as bargaining chips.  As much as I dislike margie, I Agree with her when she said, the grandkids still wouldn’t even visit often if the house was clean because they’re busy with their lives & more interested in hanging  with friends. 

I'm tired of the grandchildren thing, too. If you watched enough Hoarders you'd think it was the only reason for older people to go on living. As someone who has no grandchildren and never will, I kind of resent that.

What I would like to see is the Hoarder team push back on the illogical statements the hoarders always make:  

1. "The military took all our stuff."  My husband was military.  We moved a lot and we never went over about one third of our total allotment of pounds.  They are very generous with the amount of stuff they will move and I never heard anyone crying about having to leave something behind.  The problem came in the foreign country, getting all that American crap into much smaller houses with far fewer closets.  We didn't have any closets at all in England!

2. "My great grandfather knew somebody who was alive during the depression." My parents lived through the depression.  They valued and cared for their beautiful, mid-century modern house.  Nothing was purchased without serious thought about how useful it would be and where it would go.  My mother made lots of our clothes -- she would buy the pattern and the fabric, come home and actually make it.  She grew a big garden every year and had a small orchard.  When excess cucumbers or apples came in she would set up a sterile operation in her nice clean kitchen on her bare counters and she would actually can them.

3. "I can't throw anything away because I can't waste anything."

Hoarders are the most wasteful people on the planet!   Tell them that, Robin!  If you've gone out and bought things you don't need and thrown them into a pile never to be used you might as well have gone straight  from the store to the landfill.  When you have enough stuff to clothe twenty families, enough knick knacks to decorate fifty houses and are letting a food bank's worth of food rot in your bedroom.  You are extremely wasteful!

--------------

I loved this episode.  As Matt said this was old school Hoarders.  We had so many firsts.  When have we seen a hoarder build an enormous extension because of the hoard in the house and fill it up with new  hoard before the dry wall was put up? 

The hilarious "safe room!"

 

Edited May 11, 2021 by JudyObscure
Gaslighting is making someone doubt their own sanity. In the old movie "Gaslight" the evil husband would hide his wife's things and tell her she was losing her memory when she would start looking for them.

[ams1001]

1 hour ago, knuckles491 said:

I've heard this expression for years, and I don't know what it means.  What is gaslighting?

"Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which a person or a group covertly sows seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or group, making them question their own memory, perception, or judgment...The term originated from the British play Gas Light (1938), performed as Angel Street in the United States, and its 1940 and 1944 film adaptations (both titled Gaslight)."

The title refers to the main character's husband insisting she is imagining that the (gas) lights in their apartment are dimming (which is caused by him turning the lights on in the upstairs apartment where he is sneaking around at night looking for something).

(Though I see it used a lot lately for things that are really just lying, which isn't, in itself, gaslighting.)

[ams1001]

9 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

The hilarious "safe room!"

Yeah, I don't think she wanted a safe room. Unless by "safe" you mean "a lockable container to store important stuff." (Because all their stuff is so important.)

[CrazyInAlabama]

The best thing that will happen for the neighbors are when the hoarder, and her hoarder husband leave, and the house, additions, and out buildings are bulldozed.   Of course, that will mean the neighbors have to stand at their property line, and blast all of the vermin running off the hoarders property, and trying to move in to their home.   

I'm so glad that the adult kids, and grandkids still refuse to let their children near that death trap of a house.    I'm sure if the hoarders 'gift' anything that it's tossed immediately.   

I kind of enjoyed the one relative who realized the veggies and salsa that she had made the huge mistake of accepting from Margie was contaminated with vermin feces, and urine.     What were the relatives thinking that they accepted anything from that woman?   Everything should have been tossed immediately, and never put near a home, or car.   I hope all of their meetings were in public places, and not near their own homes.  

I don't care what the screen at the end said, I think Margie sees the cleared out room as her chance to fill it up again.    Her husband was so useless, and I bet when he stood up to her, and then caved again, was the only time he tried to stand up to her.   I bet Margie ripped the husband a new one for his opposition to her.  

I wish on this episode, and the one with Tim, that the nasty mosquito breeding pools had been drained, and in Margie's case, bulldozed, and hauled away.    I bet if Margie gets her back surgery, and recovers well, that the one room in the  house and yard will be trashed immediately.   

Edited May 11, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[bad things are bad]

22 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

What were the relatives thinking that they accepted anything from that woman?

My dad has a bit of a hoarding issue (not nearly like the people on the show, but still we will have a hell of a task when he goes). But he will let things go if he thinks they are going to be used...my sister would ask for things for her classroom just to get some of the crap out of the garage. So I could see that being a motivation for accepting something that they will just throw away themselves. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Apparently the daughter, or daughter in law, or whoever she was, was accepting and using veggies, and items from Margie.     Big mistake.  I wonder if the woman who accepted items from Margie had the fruit fly/gnat issues the way Margie's pile of garbage did?   I bet the few items Margie donates get walked straight to the dumpster. 

I bet if Margie gives something away, she wants to see it in your house after. 

 

Edited May 11, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[enoughcats]

What left me saddest, and there was a lot to choose from was the Grand daughter and her backpack.  I can totally believe that the other children in school called her "Beetle Girl" when beetles crawled out of her backpack after she visited her Grandparents and put her backpack down during that visit. 

With the heat of an Oklahoma summer and the possession of a real green house (one with glass, not fiberglass) they could have had such an excellent facility to dry peppers.  They had everything it would take to do it right,  they didn't. 

Heavens help the viewers' (our) sanity, if next weeks is a continuation of 'each week's episode is worse than the preceding week's.

[LGraves65]

On 5/4/2021 at 8:21 AM, suzeecat said:

So many hoarders argue that their stuff is "worth something".  Why doesn't the therapist or cleaner mention the fact that the world is full of things that are worth something, but that doesn't mean you need it in your possession???  Just seems like simple logic to me. 

On the late, lamented UK hoarders show, Life Laundry, they had an antiques "expert" who would evaluate the things the hoarder said were valuable.  Nine times out of ten, it wasn't worth crap.  But it sounded better coming from an expert and they usually let the stuff go.

[enoughcats]

3 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I bet if Margie gives something away, she wants to see it in your house after. 

A friend from Long Island told me about his Mother and how her friends were very artsy craftsy and they were always giving each other un-asked-for presents. 

His Mother had large plastic tubs, one for each friend, and that's where their gifts resided in between visits. And everyone always called before just dropping in for a quick visit. 

[deedee2]

58 minutes ago, LGraves65 said:

On the late, lamented UK hoarders show, Life Laundry ...

Hmm, that's a new one for me. I've watched on Youtube all the available "How Clean Is Your House" episodes, and "The Hoarder Next Door" (or whatever it's called. The one with psychologist, Stelios Kioses). There's also the Hoarder series with Jasmine something ... the woman who grew up with a Hoarder mother.

The British hoarding shows are vastly different from the American ones. More lighthearted and (imo) effective. At least the hoarders are given weeks or months rather than 3 days to address the task of clearing their home while tackling their psychological issues.

 

[RobustRutabaga]

2 hours ago, deedee2 said:

Hmm, that's a new one for me. I've watched on Youtube all the available "How Clean Is Your House" episodes, and "The Hoarder Next Door" (or whatever it's called. The one with psychologist, Stelios Kioses). There's also the Hoarder series with Jasmine something ... the woman who grew up with a Hoarder mother.

"The Life Laundry" was new for me as well, so thank you, @LGraves65 for mentioning it! I see comments like "ahead of its time for these types of shows" and "much-missed".

@deedee2 I've similarly watched all the ones you mentioned. The one you mention with a Jasmine is "Britain's Biggest Hoarders" with Jasmine Harman (all but unknown outside of the UK, but those residing there tell me she's popular and known enough there).
 

 

Edited May 12, 2021 by RobustRutabaga

[deedee2]

21 minutes ago, RobustRutabaga said:

"Britain's Biggest Hoarders" with Jasmine Harman

 

Right! Thanks. And thanks for the Youtube of The Life Laundry!

[sara1025]

"If tornado hits...you wouldn't want to be in this house"

Matt: "I wouldn't want to be in this county!"

LOL I love Matt

[CrazyInAlabama]

You could tell Margie really didn't care when she filled up the safe room in the addition, and you had nowhere to go in a tornado.    She didn't care about herself or anyone else.    The children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren should just do what Margie really wants, and leave her alone, to sit in the hoard with her vermin, and trash.   

Not having a safe place to go in a tornado could be a fatal decision in Oklahoma (I had lots of relatives in Oklahoma, they all had in-ground storm cellars).   

Edited May 12, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[AZChristian]

12 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

. . . leave her alone, to sit in the hoard with her vermin, and trash.   

. . . noshing on tortilla chips and home-made hot red pepper salsa.

[LittleIggy]

3 hours ago, AZChristian said:

. . . noshing on tortilla chips and home-made hot red pepper salsa.

And drinking bottled water from a squashed bottle!

[Cherpumple]

16 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

3. "I can't throw anything away because I can't waste anything."

Hoarders are the most wasteful people on the planet! 

A million times yes! This one gets me every time. Aside from the human (and animal) misery, the sheer amount of waste caused by hoarding- of clothes, food, furniture, money, time, health, happiness, etc. - just sickens me. And it's so rare to see any of them have a lightbulb moment of self-awareness about this aspect, too.

11 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I kind of enjoyed the one relative who realized the veggies and salsa that she had made the huge mistake of accepting from Margie was contaminated with vermin feces, and urine.

This reminded me of one of the earliest episodes I saw, featuring a man who made jars of honey in his hoarded kitchen that he then sold at local farmer's markets. Blech! It really made me rethink my buying habits.

7 hours ago, deedee2 said:

I've watched on Youtube all the available "How Clean Is Your House" episodes

One of my favorite things about that show (aside from the old-school cleaning tips) was that they actually did a scientific analysis of the germs in the houses, so the homeowners could know exactly which bacteria/viruses were lurking around them. The results were often shocking, and you could tell that many of the homeowners had "scared straight" moments. It's clearly not enough to give these hoarders hypotheticals about which nasty germs "might" be in their homes, so hit them with the facts to hopefully find one chink in their armor of denial. It certainly won't work for everyone, but it might get through to some.

[Hellohappylife]

18 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

"I can't throw anything away because I can't waste anything."

or when they try to justify buying multiples “ I got these on sale” 

It’s no longer a “good deal”, if you buy 50 of them people! 

Edited May 12, 2021 by Hellohappylife

[MoldySpiceGirl]

9 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Not having a safe place to go in a tornado could be a fatal decision in Oklahoma (I had lots of relatives in Oklahoma, they all had in-ground storm cellars).   

I was thinking that, too.  My town in Nebraska was hit by a pair of F5s, and they literally twisted up huge grain silos made of solid metal into deformed, exploded pretzels.  Thinking that having a steel room full of a foos-ball table and mouse poop will somehow protect her from a twister is just as delusional as thinking that mouse poop isn't in their creepy salsa.

[Kelly]

On 5/11/2021 at 7:37 AM, knuckles491 said:

I've heard this expression for years, and I don't know what it means.  What is gaslighting?

Its become popular the last few years. It’s actually often used incorrectly...I would recommend google for a precise definition.

[Kid]

On 4/19/2021 at 9:16 PM, fonfereksglen said:

She's an unrepentant, self centered taker.  Husband, brother, SIL, Hoarders crew, aftercare funds, home health care.   Once all the attention goes away, there will never be a family meal in that instantly filled dining room. She also never once mentioned husband's needs.  All memememe.

I can't believe she is 8 years younger than me!  She looks much older.  

I will say it again,  addicts don’t have family they have hostages!  Her sister-in-law paid her mortgage for 2 1/2 years and even wrote the checks for her because they could not trust Meryl with the money.  And Meryl thought that was just fine and dandy. Then they give her a $12,000 check that she uses on the hoard.  I don’t believe for one minute that $6000 of it went for driveways and all this other shit she said it went for. And then, the psychologist HAS TO TELL her what to say to the sister-in-law about the $12,000 check.  Meryl did not mean one word of it.
 

Luckily, the sister-in-law and brothe.r finally figured out that they were enabling her behavior as is her husband. You noticed that the brother did not put a check in that birthday card. Good for him.  Why doesn’t the husband  leave?? Do they have an Al-Anon equivalent for hoarders?  That man needs a meeting.

Meryl got to me more than most.  So self satisfied and self righteous!   That house will be filled again in no time. Because she still is not taking responsibility and she still into her addiction.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 12, 2021 by Kid

[Elizzikra]

Quote

Right? I certainly wouldn't want to eat in that house, even if (BIG "if") they managed to clean it up. Especially after seeing their response to the fact that their tablecloth is coated with mouse pee. "But it's not the part we eat on." "But we don't have those type of mice." 

And then Dr. Zasio looked shocked at this revelation, as though she had never seen an episode of her own show before...

[LittleIggy]

Those rock hard biscuits! They were like Civil War era hardtack. 🙄

[borealis]

1 hour ago, LittleIggy said:

Those rock hard biscuits! They were like Civil War era hardtack. 🙄

Just put them in the microwave, they'll soften up!!! Put some of that salsa w/"kick" (that Matt likes...) on 'em! YUM! 🤩

[nokat]

I found Hoarders on a streaming site. I usually end up yelling at the TV and the episode I'm currently watching is Carol who is just a nasty woman who is good at manipulation except for her husband's family who is having none of her crap. She turned a beautiful house into a nightmare and she won't ever look anyone in the eyes as she spews her lies and hate.

[RobustRutabaga]

9 hours ago, nokat said:

I found Hoarders on a streaming site. I usually end up yelling at the TV and the episode I'm currently watching is Carol who is just a nasty woman who is good at manipulation except for her husband's family who is having none of her crap. She turned a beautiful house into a nightmare and she won't ever look anyone in the eyes as she spews her lies and hate.

Yes - I assume this Carol? I agree with you, when I watched the episode, I thought "What a gorgeous house."  If I remember correctly, they talked about how the house was a center of attraction with people coming and going, the onetime kids' friends, etc.  It even has that great wraparound front porch.

I always think it's such a shame against the beauty of the house itself and disrespectful for the craftsmanship of those who carefully built it, cared for it before the current occupant, etc.

 

[nokat]

40 minutes ago, RobustRutabaga said:

Yes - I assume this Carol?

Yes! That Carol. Hearing about Be and how she kept it immaculate was sad.  Be's family were rightfully angry about Carol but her granddaughter was so sweet to Carol. I couldn't feel bad for her after hearing how fast she latched on to her victim and went through his savings.

[nokat]

56 minutes ago, RobustRutabaga said:

f I remember correctly, they talked about how the house was a center of attraction with people coming and going, the onetime kids' friends, etc.  It even has that great wraparound front porch.

Yes, I think that was what angered Dave's children. Thy grew up with a gorgeous house that was a focal point and there were so many happy memories. The last time I was in the house I grew up in, my sister and I were in the bedroom we shared as children and were giggling and enjoying the experience. Our house was full of kids and love and happy memories.

[ChristmasJones]

When I start to feel a bit guilty about how much plastic I put in the recycling bins that won't be recycled, I watch this show and it puts it in perspective. These people generate truckloads and truckloads of garbage - tons and tons and tons from a single person or couple. 

[Elizzikra]

9 hours ago, ChristmasJones said:

When I start to feel a bit guilty about how much plastic I put in the recycling bins that won't be recycled, I watch this show and it puts it in perspective. These people generate truckloads and truckloads of garbage - tons and tons and tons from a single person or couple. 

I'm not sure that they necessarily generate more than other people - maybe in the packaging for the hoarders that shop compulsively. But the ones that have food wrappers and soda bottles - I don't think they consume more than other people. They just let it stack up instead of throwing it away over time.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The hoarders also ruin good things, by leaving it in the hoard to rot, and get exposed to all kinds of filth.   They turn possibly usable items into hazardous waste.   They also stockpile food until it is unusable.  

They also turn their homes into a haven for all types of vermin.   Then when no one can maintain the house, the house itself becomes a victim of the hoarder.  

I'm watching some of the reruns, and "Beverly (Video tape hoarder), and MEgan (three little kids in her disgusting hoard).    There's the clean up crew cleaning the house right after they show rat poop everywhere, including the fridge.     Beverly and her equally toothless daughter really enjoy screaming at the other daughter, who finally says to Suzanne (spelling?), that she's done with the hoard, and her family.    I think that's what the sister, and Beverly were aiming for. 

Debbie, McKeesport, PA.  So far, it looks like a cleaner hoard, of shoes, clothes, and 'collectibles'.    The previews show the truth, Debbie is another one that agrees to the clean up, but won't let the crew in to work.    She hasn't worked in her kitchen for 9 years, and the bathrooms are inaccessible.  Only part of the bed is usable.   On the preview,  Zasio says "this is something we've never tried before", I wonder if that's a one room clean out they did last week at Bethel and Margie's?  

  Debbie qualified for a temporary loan modification, and the price will be going back up.  Unbelievably, Tom is Debbie's girlfriend, they knew each other from high school (50 years ago), Debbie and Tom are 68 years old.   Tom and Debbie want to marry, but apparently will have to live in Debbie's hoard.    Debbie was a single mom at 20, the daughter's father married someone else later. Daughter is named Bethany, and says house was spotless, then Bethany married, and the mother started hoarding.

Debbie's stores of choice are thrift stores, and other relatively cheap outlets.   Scott is a friend of the daughter, and mother for a long time.   In 2006, Debbie's mother died suddenly, and her husband became Debbie's responsibility.   Father had depression, and Debbie was his caregiver.    Josh is Bethany's son, and Debbie's grandson.   Debbie even took care of the grandson when he was little, and her father at the same time.   Debbie's father died in the teens, and Debbie's sister died alone in her hoarded home about the same time. 

Shopping is her escape.   If Debbie didn't spend every penny on the hoard, then I bet she wouldn't need a loan modification on the house.       

Edited May 18, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[ChristmasJones]

I would say I objectively buy way fewer items than most of these people. I also don't consume hundreds of bottles of soda every year. I don't own thousands of pieces of clothing. I don't destroy chairs and sofas and other furnishings. So, yes, I do think these people generate way more garbage and trash than the average person.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Debbie doing the preliminary walk through with Zasio says, she doesn't want to look at anything, do any work, or sort through anything, she just wants the hoard to go now.  

That isn't going to last, and I'm sure she'll turn on everyone when they want to start the cleanout.  

Debbie now turns on the crew, and making demands.    She seems to think that anyone would want to steal her trash from her house.  The new clean up guy is very nice, but Debbie is going to steam roll him.    Now she demands to keep almost everything.   Because of her location in the city, they do have a dumpster, but also those U-Haul pods.   Sadly, Debbie who claimed she wants everything gone, is keeping everything.   As the clean up guy says, he's brought out enough on Day One to fill three big construction open dumpsters, and nothing is going.   

Day Two, drama.   Debbie is in the house, and she's not coming out, until daughter Bethanny talks her into coming out to talk to Zasio and Brandon, the clean up guy (he works for Life Cycle Transitions).   Debbie refuses to delegate to her daughter, her boyfriend, the family friend.      The woman lives in a hoard that will kill her someday, but she still refuses to clean up.   

So Debbie agreed when they fill up her shoe racks, that the rest of the shoes will go (they already filled 5 or 6 plastic storage totes with shoes), then Zasio finds a stacks of shoes still in boxes in the house.   Get rid of the worn or loose ones, and keep the new ones.   This is hopeless.     I know we all say this, but if an item is precious, you don't throw them in a pile of garbage. 

Things outside go so fast, because the daughter is allowed to sort things outside.    I don't know why Zasio says 'we won't meet our goal to clean out the entire house', they never do.   

Day Three-Brandon says the U-boxes (U-haul storage pods) need to be cleaned out, so they have room to put the second floor stuff.   Good example, they have 26 pair of gloves, and she donates all but 3.   The daughter, and grandson look at the room he used to stay in, and it's trashed.    Now Debbie sees the room her grandson is supposed to stay in when he visits, but she doesn't want the room cleared out.  It's still a little kid's room, and she doesn't want it changed.    She actually says to the grandson that he won't be coming over, or staying at her house.  So I guess Debbie's man friend won't be staying over either.  

Then Debbie brings everything to a halt.   She's already insulted her daughter, and grandson.  She actually wants her closet organized, instead of her grandson's room.  (Note to Debbie, at 68, stop wearing sleeveless, no one wants to see your droopy, flapping under arms).   She finally gets working on her room, but the storage containers outside are filled with at least 100 boxes,  She has more clothes and shoes than she could wear in her entire life, and never wear anything twice.   Now, she wants to rent U-boxes of her own.    Debbie still hasn't let them empty the upstairs, downstairs, or basement.   Brandon says Debbie will need 4 or 5 U-boxes, and finance them herself.   

Day Four-Debbie goes AWOL, and wants her room done next.  Zasio's new method is Debbie is renting her own yard full of U-boxes, and the crew transfer everything from the U-boxes of keep stuff, into her rented ones.     ANybody notice Debbie talking about using a lot of pain patches, and what's going on with her purse full of cough syrup?  Is she stoned?  That would explain the mood swings. 

They can't find more U-boxes, and so they'll transfer the ones on site into her name.   The problem is the U-Boxes are mostly on the public street, and Debbie's back yard is already full of regular barn type units.    The house looks nice, but you know she's going to get everything from the U-boxes back into the house.     The boyfriend, Tom, thinks she'll keep it that way, and they can have time together there (he lives with his mother and brother).  The hoarders always have too much furniture, too many knicknacks, and junk around.      They're ignoring the hundreds of boxes in the U-box containers.   The upstairs is still chock full, Josh's old room is still packed, and only one bathroom works out of two baths in the house.     

Debbie is ignoring the expense of all of the U-boxes, and her impending mortgage modification ending.    Tom proposes, and Debbie accepts.   

BSOJ-Debbie had aftercare sessions, and quit aftercare therapy.  SHe's working with an organizer (my guess, not happening). 

Oh no!  Her grandson Josh has been diagnosed with a brain tumor!  He's undergoing treatment, and the prognosis looks good.   I'm wishing him the best, and sending prayers. 

And another season ends. 

 

Edited May 18, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[fonfereksglen]

After being bored to tears, tuned in at the end to watch Intervention.  Did they say that sweet grandson had a brain tumor?

[ams1001]

Just caught the end of Megan...what a cute little baby!

All right, season finale: Debbie! I suspect it'll be the worst yet, in one way or another. (In hindsight, it actually wasn't.)

The house looks kinda cute from the outside. (Until I got a closer look at the porch.)

"Martha Stewart does not live here." Ain't that the truth!

She seems to have some insight into what's going on with her...but I don't have high hopes.

Is this a new cleaner guy?

"I knew/hoped that a day would come..." ...the day someone else is paying for it?

She hasn't even started sorting things yet and she's already objecting to them bring stuff out.

Maybe if you stop whining about how much stuff and how much time you'd actually get something done...

Her poor grandson, having to hear her tell him to his face that she has no interest in making space for him.

"We're just circling the wagons." I think you meant, "the drain."

OMG stop saying U-box.

Wow, downstairs came out much nicer than I expected. At first I was thinking, 'wait, did I miss something that they got that all done?' and then Brandon mentioned the upstairs wasn't even close to finished.

Is this the first hoarder proposal?

[Any My-600-Pound-Lifers here? She found her Yellow Brick Road!]

Doesn't feel therapy is helping, hasn't done any more cleanup...

Grandson has a brain tumor? 😥

[camom]

Joshua was a very mature 13 year old, much more mature than his grandmother. Poor kid diagnosed with a brain tumor. Sometimes life just isn’t fair. 
 

Debbie will never clean out those storage boxes. How long will she be allowed to leave them on the street?  Eventually they’ll get hauled away for non-payment. 

[rebel2u]

Tom is in love with a fantasy and a memory.  

Didn't he say he knew who she was in high school (i.e. the homecoming queen) but she didn't know him?  Yeah, the plot thickens.  It would be just like me meeting David Cassidy (RIP) when we were both adults and falling for him essentially only because of who he was  years ago and not even caring what he was like now. Debbie seemed pretty entitled and Tom seems like the perfect man to cater to her every desire.  Yes, Debbie, dreams do come true.  An ongoing clean house?  Not so much.

[ams1001]

4 minutes ago, rebel2u said:

Tom is in love with a fantasy and a memory.  

Can't help but wonder why, exactly, he lives with his mother (and brother?). He said he moved back after his father passed away, sounded like it was because she wanted him to. Does she really need him to take care of her (I mean, at this point she must be in her late 80s, at least, assuming he is the same age as Debbie) or is there something else going on (something I would not want to marry...)?

[CrazyInAlabama]

On 5/17/2021 at 9:31 PM, camom said:

Joshua was a very mature 13 year old, much more mature than his grandmother. Poor kid diagnosed with a brain tumor. Sometimes life just isn’t fair. 
 

Debbie will never clean out those storage boxes. How long will she be allowed to leave them on the street?  Eventually they’ll get hauled away for non-payment. 

I'm not sure there's any room on her property for the U-boxes, at least 4 or 5 of them.    Debbie thinks by ignoring the return of her mortgage to the regular amount, and the end of her modification, that her financial issues will go away.   Nope, the cost of the U-boxes and her mortgage will sink her.   

The long shot when they were talking about the U-box rentals showed at least two barn style storage buildings in her yard already, and if more than two or three of the U-boxes fit in the yard, I'll be shocked.    She's going to have to either store the others that won't fit in the yard, or move them to real storage.  I'm hoping the local authorities won't put up with her leaving them in the street.      She'll never clean out the storage boxes, and the junk in them, or clear out the rest of the house. 

 The  real telling part was her claim that aftercare therapy was useless.  You know she'll do the same for the organizer too.    

I still marvel at her claiming she was using all kinds of pain patches, and taking cough syrup too.     (Tim or Tom whatever his name is, is 68, the same age as Debbie, so his mother must be late 80's).    I really think he proposed because he wants to move into her house, and escape the mother and brother's home.   

There is zero reason that she shouldn't have paid off the mortgage years ago.    My guess, I bet she's done refinances, and taken the rise in price in cash, and mortgaged to the full price again (I know too many people that have done this, and never pay off a mortgage).       She's been in the home for at least 25 years, and I bet longer, so it should be paid off.   

I feel so upset about her grandson.  

Edited May 19, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Isaiah]

I wonder if we could find out Louvina's name? I'd like to send her some money.

[enoughcats]

40 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

her mortgage

Anyone her age should have paid off their mortgage years ago. (I'm older than she is.) The boyfriend (horrible term for an old man) wants to take care of her in every way, I think he said monitarily. 

I'm not sure why I hated this episode. Two hours of her was more than an hour too much.  Such waste and I wondered at the 'dry cleaner bags' used to protect some clothes.  I don't think we see them often.

I tuned back in towards the end. The bathroom fixtures were original to the house "vintage" if you're a realtor.  I almost cheered when I saw that one toilet produced a successful flush. 

I do hope the daughter and her son have a good future, and that the boyfriend makes a few memories to carry him through old age infirmities. (She's NOT going to care for another old man; she already became miserable caring for her father.)

[LittleIggy]

Tom said Debbie was the woman of his dreams. What kind of horrible dreams does he have?

Poor Josh! I hope he has been to St. Jude’s. What a bright, personable kid. Debbie ought to feel like 💩 after the fit she pitched over him and his mom cleaning the room she said was his. Prayers and good vibes to you, Josh! 🙏🏻💕

I like Brandon. Good addition. 
How much do those U-Haul pods rent for?

[enoughcats]

24 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

U-Haul pods rent

$89.95 per month in McKeesport, for a 'move' within McKeesport; estimate a need for three of them for a normal house.

that they can be rented by the month indicates (to me) that they are aiming for a hoarders market, or people emptying their houses to look bigger with less stuff just before they put the house on the market.  Kind of hard to hide those big orange pods, though

[JudyObscure]

I don't think Debbie wants to marry Tom at all.  She hesitated so long after his proposal, then looked around at the cameras and mumbled yes.  Tom is okay for taking her out to dinner and movies,  but I doubt if she wants him around her house all the time,  taking up space that could be used for old shoes and tank tops. 

 

[cpcathy]

You guys are so spot on about Tom. He seems to still have his eyes on that high school crush, it’s about the fantasy. And moving away from his mother, no doubt an incentive!

I was dismayed by all those boxes. If something is in a box, in a pod, and you can’t see it or even access it easily, you don’t need it!

[CrazyInAlabama]

I suspect that Tom only proposed after the clean up, when he saw the nice part of the house, because he can't afford a place of his own, and her place was too disgusting to live in.   

Part of the U-box services can include storage at their facility, but Debbie will never let her garbage go anywhere.      I find it interesting that someone who's lived in that home for so many years still has a mortgage, and the monthly amount isn't pretty small by now.    My guess is endless refinancing up to the full market price, and taking money out to spend. 

 Also, I hate that someone who is spending every penny turning her house into a garbage dump gets a loan modification.   I know people who were refused modifications, and they really were in dire straits, and not spending thousands a month on junk.

The U-haul storage boxes are often taken to a storage facility, not just in the yard the way Debbie's were.    

Edited May 18, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[ams1001]

2 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

taking up space that could be used for old shoes

Hey, some of those shoes were brand new!

36 minutes ago, cpcathy said:

You guys are so spot on about Tom. He seems to still have his eyes on that high school crush, it’s about the fantasy. And moving away from his mother, no doubt an incentive!

How bad must it be living with his mother if moving into a hoarded house (even if half of it has been cleaned up, probably temporarily) looks like a better option? That kitchen did look pretty nice at the end, from what I saw. Another "clean" hoard (partly why I said it wasn't the worst, in hindsight; I was expecting worse just because it was the season finale and I figured they go for max drama on all fronts). I didn't notice any obvious damage once the stuff was removed.

36 minutes ago, cpcathy said:

I was dismayed by all those boxes. If something is in a box, in a pod, and you can’t see it or even access it easily, you don’t need it!

I just watched a youtube video over the weekend where the guy did that thing where you pack up all your stuff as if you're moving, and then only take out items as you need them, and see how much is still packed away after a month or two. (Turned out he actually was moving, but he did this a few months before, and ended up moving with a lot less stuff.) I suspect she will go much longer without pulling anything out of those storage boxes.

27 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Also, I hate that someone who is spending every penny turning her house into a garbage dump gets a loan modification.   I know people who were refused modifications, and they really were in dire straits, and not spending thousands a month on junk.

It boggles my mind that people would basically mortgage their house so they can spend more money on junk (and often destroying the house in the process). I'll pay off my car in the next six months (or less); I've been paying a little more than double payments for a while, and when I'm done I will switch that money over to my mortgage payment (which I already pay a little extra on every month). I want to not be carrying tons of debt (and I have a <900 sq. ft. condo so my mortgage is pretty small).

[enoughcats]

22 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Another "clean" hoard

You and I are thinking alike. All those bags protecting the clothing. 

But.

How t h did that huge amount of black dust get on top of the ceiling fan?  (We have cats, live in the country with lots of hay fields, etc. and I know a coating of dust on ceiling fan blades needs to be cleaned at least quarterly.)  The heating ducts if they exist would have to be thoroughly cleaned.  It's inland Pennsylvania and that house needs heating in late fall, winter and a lot of spring.

Maybe cleaning all the stuff is her hobby?

[camom]

Quote

the cost of the U-boxes and her mortgage will sink her.   

I think the only reason she agreed to marry Tom was because he comes with a checkbook.  He's so in love with the high school girl he knew that he'll probably bail her out financially.  And heaven help him if he gets so much as a hangnail; there's no way Debbie is going to take care of anyone.  Hopefully he'll come to his senses before they actually walk down the aisle.