Hoarders - General Discussion

[Pepper Mostly]

My parents had that linoleum, in the 70's. Everyone did. 

[FormerMod-a1]

I want to know how much tonnage was removed from those few spaces they were able to clean.  I also want to know where they put all those boxes they were keeping.

[Pepper Mostly]

Don't be fooled, Son Mark. She's seeing the positive--she can hoard that house right back up again now.

[Suzywriter]

Just now, Pepper Mostly said:

My parents had that linoleum, in the 70's. Everyone did. 

I missed it. Which pattern was it? 

[Pepper Mostly]

Just now, Suzywriter said:

I missed it. Which pattern was it? 

That one everyone had in the 70's!

[Suzywriter]

They had some ghastly furniture buried under all of those flags. 

[FormerMod-a1]

Color me surprised, Lia's accepted the aftercare therapy

[Pepper Mostly]

Just now, aquarian1 said:

Color me surprised, Lia's accepted the aftercare therapy

We'll see if she actually follows up. My guess is no.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Lia hoarded the upstairs since the 70's.  That will never be cleaned out.  I wouldn't be surprised if the house has a lot more damage than is obvious.   

I bet Lia's only doing the therapy to get a captive audience, so she can rant about everyone stealing her stuff that was all good.  

Epilogue (formerly BSOJ)--Ken likes the clean up, sons are in contact, and urging LIa to keep going with the clean up.     Lia is accepting aftercare, and participating in therapy. 

My guess, no more clean up will ever happen, next decent earthquake, the top heavy house will start cracking and the floors on the second floor will show how damaged they are.   I'm sure the vermin from downstairs went upstairs, and are joining in the vermin party, since they now own the house. 

Edited May 30, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[Suzywriter]

2 minutes ago, Pepper Mostly said:

That one everyone had in the 70's!

Harvest gold with brownish trellis pattern? 

[Pepper Mostly]

Well that was fun! Thanks @Suzywriter! See you all next week!

Just now, Suzywriter said:

Harvest gold with brownish trellis pattern? 

No, kind of squares within squares, brown, orange, gold.

[Suzywriter]

Oooh, too bad I'm so tired. The next episode is the guy who had a piece of an Apollo spaceship and Liberace's boots!

This was fun! Thanks for joining me, folks!

1 minute ago, Pepper Mostly said:

Well that was fun! Thanks @Suzywriter! See you all next week!

No, kind of squares within squares, brown, orange, gold.

Oh, that was my aunt's floor. We couldn't have the same pattern because then she'd think we copied off of her. 🙄

[satrunrose]

Whoo Nelly, that was a trip. I started off knowing that it was going to be a tough go as Hoarders has profiled people who are close to, if not past, the point of no return for years now. It started with the "Falling piles are like crying babies" bit and it kept getting crazier from there (That freezer!) I'm always weirdly fascinated by the completely bananapants hoarders that somehow have a normal and nice seeming family, though. "I have a variety of pillow needs" is also my new favourite Hoarders quote. 

[CoyoteBlue]

Did not know Corey is a paramedic!

"I have a lot of different pillow needs!"

Love that Ken blocked her in and told her to "sit and rest". I feel like she's not the safest person to drive in any case.

I don't think she made eye contact with anyone the entire time.

[JudyObscure]

Well I guess I can't watch it anymore.  I always used to stream it the morning after, but now it says I need to sign in with my cable password -- fine except it flashes that screen in one half second, so you don't even have time to pick out your server.  I went to, "Need help signing in" and they showed me a thirty step procedure ( I'm not kidding) and it doesn't work anyway.  👺

[essexjan]

10 hours ago, Suzywriter said:

In other news, the Allegra Benadryl Aspercreme cocktail worked!

A few years ago I was at Rehoboth Beach, DE for a wedding. At the pre-wedding beach party, I got bitten by sandflies. I was given Benadryl by the pharmacist at CVS. Turns out I'm allergic to the stuff (I'd never taken it before, and didn't know), and so not only did I have the sandfly bites, I was also covered in massive, angry hives. As you can imagine, I looked lovely in the wedding photos ...

Lia was a nasty piece of work. I'm sure there's a good reason she hadn't seen her youngest son for 27 years and had no friends. I can't believe they left that freezer there, but then I suppose they had to pick their battles or nothing would have been done. Poor Ken was only able to stand up to her when he had the backing of his three sons. I'm sure she's been a peach to live with all these years ...

I noticed Dr Tonya Hoarding has had new veneers, but that lipgloss didn't suit her, it was too thick and was bleeding around her mouth. It was lovely to see Cory again. I miss Matt though, he took no shit from anyone.

[Burning Rubber]

Was she collecting Cheerios boxes?

 

The red white and blue was so OCD. If an object fit the criteria of red white and blue, she acquired it. 

 

Friends? I doubt she can carry a normal conversation. 

[borealis]

27 minutes ago, Burning Rubber said:

Was she collecting Cheerios boxes?

LOL! I spied Wheat Thins & Ritz boxes, too. 

 

"What are your pillow needs?" 

[mmecorday]

Quote

"I have a lot of different pillow needs!"

This is a quote that will live in infamy! Right up there with "I had plans for that rock!" 

[patty1h]

I love little kittens and puppies, and have empathy for the poor and the disadvantaged.  For whatever reason, the people on Hoarders get zero sympathy from me, I just feel enraged and annoyed.  This woman Lia was a special brand of hateful - halfway through the episode I was referring to her as "that old bag of crap".  If I had a parent who hoarded like that, they would hate my guts because I would be tossing their crap and yelling in their face.   Their mental health?  What about MY mental health from seeing that mess?

I hate every second of the ass-kissing the hoarders get from the doctors and family.  Zazio just annoys me now with her uselessness.  I know Lia's sons are trying to make the best of a bad situation, but I wanted one of them to tell her "just leave then!" when she first threatened to get in her car and drive away when they tried to reason with her.  I liked that Ken stood up to her manipulation and got rid of that nightmare of a freezer and I gave him a virtual high-five for blocking her in when she tried to drive away like a baby.

Unless I missed it, there was no backstory on why Lia needs to hold onto everything.   Damn, she seemed so miserable to see a clean home.  Ugh.

[Suzywriter]

6 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

Well I guess I can't watch it anymore.  I always used to stream it the morning after, but now it says I need to sign in with my cable password -- fine except it flashes that screen in one half second, so you don't even have time to pick out your server.  I went to, "Need help signing in" and they showed me a thirty step procedure ( I'm not kidding) and it doesn't work anyway.  👺

do you have Hulu? I think you can view it there the morning after. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

3 hours ago, patty1h said:

I love little kittens and puppies, and have empathy for the poor and the disadvantaged.  For whatever reason, the people on Hoarders get zero sympathy from me, I just feel enraged and annoyed.  This woman Lia was a special brand of hateful - halfway through the episode I was referring to her as "that old bag of crap".  If I had a parent who hoarded like that, they would hate my guts because I would be tossing their crap and yelling in their face.   Their mental health?  What about MY mental health from seeing that mess?

I hate every second of the ass-kissing the hoarders get from the doctors and family.  Zazio just annoys me now with her uselessness.  I know Lia's sons are trying to make the best of a bad situation, but I wanted one of them to tell her "just leave then!" when she first threatened to get in her car and drive away when they tried to reason with her.  I liked that Ken stood up to her manipulation and got rid of that nightmare of a freezer and I gave him a virtual high-five for blocking her in when she tried to drive away like a baby.

Unless I missed it, there was no backstory on why Lia needs to hold onto everything.   Damn, she seemed so miserable to see a clean home.  Ugh.

The backstory wasn't really very much.  At the beginning Lia said her mother would take her shopping for collectibles, and Lia grew up shopping, which turned into spending hundreds of thousands on cheap junk, stacking it up as high as she could reach.   

One son said when they moved into the house in the 70's, that the second floor was immediately hoarded out by Lia.   The husband stepped up in the episode, but where was his spine when Lia spent so much money on garbage stuff?   He let her hoard and raise their three kids in a hoard.   

I'm not surprised the one son moved several states away, and never came back.  I'm glad the one son and wife didn't let the parents move into the bedroom in their place, but said they could stay in the living room.    

I bet the epilogue of Lia accepting aftercare therapy, consists of some poor therapist hearing about Lia being robbed by her sons, husband and the show crew of her valuable collectibles.   

I'm hoping the local fire inspector saw this episode, and inspects the house.  It should be deemed uninhabitable, and condemned by the city.    I wouldn't be surprised if the house needs major structural repairs, and to be gutted.  I see zero chance that Lia didn't trash that house again. 

Edited May 30, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[BradandJanet]

I hope aftercare included ripping out the filthy carpet in Lia's house, but I doubt that's part of the service. I bet all that wall-to-wall had turned into a big petri dish after being in contact with all that hoarded stuff for so many years. Lia probably would have had a fit if someone tried to remove it. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I bet that when that carpet is ripped out, that the padding is totally sealed to the floor, with a lot of rot under it.    The carpet and the rest of clean out, including that upstairs, and other rooms we didn't see, will have to happen over Lia's dead body, because that's the only way the place will be cleaned out.   Too bad Ken didn't grow a spine and stop her hoarding when the boys were little.   

Edited June 2, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[JudyObscure]

2 hours ago, Suzywriter said:

do you have Hulu? I think you can view it there the morning after. 

Thatnks Suzy, but no.  I paid for my TV and I pay a lot of money each month for cable and I draw the line at anything else.  

[JunkFoodTV]

Hey, do any of y'all remember the show "clean sweep"? It was on TLC I think. I was looking for it and can't find it anywhere. I thought it would be a fun watch. Not so "heavy".

[satrunrose]

There was a short lived show called Consumed that I really liked (I think it was on HGTV or Slice in Canada). It was about families who were living in severely cluttered, but not hoarded to the rafters homes. The show removed all of their possessions and they had to live with 1 small suitcase, the basic cooking and eating supplies and 5 or 10 items for fun (no technology, usually). They did bare bones living for a month, then had to go sort through their stuff in a big warehouse. It was always interesting to see who the true hoarders were once they got to the warehouse, because they had been living quite well without the stuff for a month, but still couldn't part with that broken lego sculpture from 2004. 

 

I think my favourite part about it was that you could see how they could become the Lia's of the world, but the kids weren't dealing with utter horrors and it felt like there was more of a chance that they would learn better skills.

Edited May 30, 2023 by satrunrose

[Roxie]

1.  What is the ID tag that Lia is wearing?

2.  How in the world does the camera crew function in these houses????

[CrazyInAlabama]

I wondered about that I.D. tag too.   Don't have a clue what it's use is. 

The worst job is the lighting crew.   They go in first, and have to run electric lines and lights through out the hoard, because there is no natural light.    The camera and sound crews are equally fantastic getting in tiny spaces to catch the action. 

Edited May 31, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[AZChristian]

4 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

Thatnks Suzy, but no.  I paid for my TV and I pay a lot of money each month for cable and I draw the line at anything else.  

We have Cox cable.  They're re-showing the episode on 6/5 at noon, MST (Arizona time).  I missed it this time, but have it scheduled to record then.

[Elizzikra]

Quote

I wondered about that I.D. tag too.   Don't have a clue what it's use is. 

I couldn't figure that out either. Maybe it was the employee ID from her last job? I'm guessing the badge had some sort of red, white and blue thing going on and that's why it was her permanent accessory?

Quote

I can't believe they left that freezer there, but then I suppose they had to pick their battles or nothing would have been done.

I thought they tossed the freezer and all the food in it. Didn't we see it carried out?

[CrazyInAlabama]

On the Lia episode, the hole in the kitchen where the fridge went was empty during the reveal, but I think that might be where the freezer was kept in the kitchen, so it went.   I wouldn't trust any electrical, or plumbing items in that house.   I'm wondering what happened some of the first floor was cleaned out, but the tons of garbage was still on the second floor.    

Hayward, if I recall correctly, has a major earthquake fault running through it, so one of these days they'll be a decent sized quake, and I bet the house will collapse.   Too bad Ken didn't grow a backbone years ago, because Lia was allowed to ruin the house, and the sons' childhood. 

They're rerunning the Lia episode Mon 6/5 at 11 central, but the episode at 9 am Central 6/5 is Tiffany, who hoarded the family home with thousands of books, to where the structure was compromised.    Tiffany used to work in a bookstore, and bought tons of cheap books. 

Tiffany's story was that the sisters wanted to clean out and sell the house as a tear down, and Tiffany would build a smaller house on a lot next to her sister.  The family house structure was totally ruined by Tiffany's hoarding.     Instead of selling and moving to the building lot, after the episode Tiffany announced she wasn't selling, and demanded the house get repaired so she could move in there.  That way Tiffany would have a huge two story all to herself.  

Edited June 6, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[RobustRutabaga]

15 hours ago, JunkFoodTV said:

Hey, do any of y'all remember the show "clean sweep"? It was on TLC I think. I was looking for it and can't find it anywhere. I thought it would be a fun watch. Not so "heavy".

I haven't thought about that show "Clean Sweep" for a while! I enjoyed it too. I see from its Epguides listing that it ran 2003-2005 and over 120 episodes! Peter Walsh was involved who also did some books/audiobooks on organization.

Edited May 31, 2023 by RobustRutabaga

[JudyObscure]

On 5/30/2023 at 10:28 PM, AZChristian said:

We have Cox cable.  They're re-showing the episode on 6/5 at noon, MST (Arizona time).  I missed it this time, but have it scheduled to record then.

Thanks AZChristian and CrazyinAlabama.  Yes!  I see my spectrum cable is showing it Monday at noon.  In the meantime my husband went through the computer ordeal so I could watch it online.  Finally, I can see the value in his degree in computer science.  Heh.

Well.  I thought it was worth all the trouble.  What a magnificent hoard!  Not the most disgusting, no adult diapers and no dead animals or droves of rats, but the sheer height of those piles!  The number of items! Floor to ceiling stacks of little tiny things. 

I was worried at first that she might have a real dachshund living in that place, little tiny legs trying to run from all the avalanches before he got crushed.  

Ken cracked me up. For 57 years he was afraid to go against Lia in anything, but with Corey, Robin and twenty other people standing behind him he managed to find enough courage to block her in with his car and then tell her the freezer was going out.  That went so well and gave him such a buzz, he was able to okay the clearing out of rest of the house.  By the end of the show he was bragging about how these days, he was simply telling her how it was going to be and if she pouted about it she could just get over it.  I think they created a monster.  Heh.

Lia:   "Just burn the place down, throw everything away, and put me in a nursing home."

Me: "Okay."

[patty1h]

2 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

Lia:   "Just burn the place down, throw everything away, and put me in a nursing home."

Me: "Okay."

We think alike, sister.   I pray for the day when one of these people threaten to walk/drive away, and everyone who has been sweating cleaning out their mess just stares at them silently.  No "stop" or "please don't" or "let's talk about it".  Just dead silent stares.   In my lifetime, please!

[CrazyInAlabama]

Ken put his foot down way too late.     The upstairs was still packed full, and laundry room was unusable, plus apparently other rooms on the main floor were still chock full of c$*p.   My guess is the part that was removed from the first floor would affect the structure, but the huge weight of the second floor will be a danger of crashing down.    SInce Hayward is on a big earthquake fault, then I predict the next large quake will cause the structure of the house to sway, and start to collapse.   

 You know nothing was ever done to the electrical, plumbing or any other part of the house.    I bet someday the house will be gutted, and totally rebuilt inside structurally, or it will be a tear down.    I like the idea of dumping nasty Lia in some nursing home, and her husband having his own apartment.    Maybe he has a chance at a decent life for the time he has remaining.    Lia is a lost cause.  

Edited June 2, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[AZChristian]

12 hours ago, patty1h said:

We think alike, sister.   I pray for the day when one of these people threaten to walk/drive away, and everyone who has been sweating cleaning out their mess just stares at them silently.  No "stop" or "please don't" or "let's talk about it".  Just dead silent stares.   In my lifetime, please!

Silent stares for 15 seconds, then they all stop what they're doing, get in their big dump trucks, and drive away.  No "sorry you feel this way."  Nothing except, "Okay.  Bye."

[SunnyBeBe]

Just saw a portion towards the end of older episode about a widow and her children who were in a terrible mess.  My questions are why did they all seem to cheer that child protective services returned to inspect the house and allowed the children to stay, even though the required tasks had not been done, and there was no electricity?  The major problem, which was the neglect and instability of the mother, had not been addressed.  She was still focused on what made her happy, not the children’s welfare. AND, what happened to the poor neglected dog?  It appeared to have mange, be partially blind and perhaps paralyzed.  It wasn’t shown at the end. Was it rescued or possibly put down?

[Elizzikra]

10 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Just saw a portion towards the end of older episode about a widow and her children who were in a terrible mess.  My questions are why did they all seem to cheer that child protective services returned to inspect the house and allowed the children to stay, even though the required tasks had not been done, and there was no electricity?  The major problem, which was the neglect and instability of the mother, had not been addressed.  She was still focused on what made her happy, not the children’s welfare. AND, what happened to the poor neglected dog?  It appeared to have mange, be partially blind and perhaps paralyzed.  It wasn’t shown at the end. Was it rescued or possibly put down?

It was a good outcome because the goal of CPS and good social work practice generally is to keep children with their families whenever safe and possible. The kids wanted to stay with mom and mom wanted to stay with them. The home was not great but “safe enough” and mom was getting help for her mental health issues and her hoarding. Removing children from their families inherently causes harm; it is always a trauma. It should only be done when the risk to the child’s safety is greater than the harm of removal. That is a very difficult assessment to make, something the general public often does not understand.

iIRC, the dog got vet care as well?

[SunnyBeBe]

3 minutes ago, Elizzikra said:

It was a good outcome because the goal of CPS and good social work practice generally is to keep children with their families whenever safe and possible. The kids wanted to stay with mom and mom wanted to stay with them. The home was not great but “safe enough” and mom was getting help for her mental health issues and her hoarding. Removing children from their families inherently causes harm; it is always a trauma. It should only be done when the risk to the child’s safety is greater than the harm of removal. That is a very difficult assessment to make, something the general public often does not understand.

iIRC, the dog got vet care as well?

I didn’t see anything that indicated the mom had gotten any help, besides other people cleaning up a bit. Some of the mess was untouched.  The mother didn’t seem to really appreciate the severity of the situation as she was in denial.  She couldn’t even tell the dog was in bad shape.  She was in deep depression. The kids were more responsible for her, which isn’t right, It seemed d apparent the danger was too great and not having electricity was not an  acceptable condition to leave children, to care for an unstable parent. Sometimes, protecting the kids is a tough decision and is ignored.  It’s sad, but to me they dropped the ball.  I hope it worked out.  Kids suffer a lot in this world.  

[sainte-chapelle]

First time in this forum…this is two hours?!?!

[Suzywriter]

Just now, sainte-chapelle said:

First time in this forum…this is two hours?!?!

Yes, and WELCOME!!

[Eldemarge]

Me too!  Woooo!  Hoarders!

[Pepper Mostly]

I'm here! Ready to snark. 

[Suzywriter]

Just now, Eldemarge said:

Me too!  Woooo!  Hoarders!

Welcome!! I love this show!

 

[sainte-chapelle]

Jesus this poor woman is going to die of sepsis 

[Pepper Mostly]

Just now, sainte-chapelle said:

Jesus this poor woman is going to die of sepsis 

Wait, what episode are we watching? I've got Andy in San Diego.

[Suzywriter]

Louise's whistle idea is a good one. 

Just now, Pepper Mostly said:

Wait, what episode are we watching? I've got Andy in San Diego.

That's right. 

[sainte-chapelle]

1 minute ago, Pepper Mostly said:

Wait, what episode are we watching? I've got Andy in San Diego.

Me too, I was just thinking that an older woman being around all that junk is more prone to serious infections. They have rats FFS. 

[Suzywriter]

That is, or was, a nice setup!