Hoarders in Small Towns

ap123

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Does anyone have experience (preferably from an official, police type perspective? with hoarders in rural areas of the US?

I'm trying to work out how a person would first be "discovered" and warned.

I live in the city, so discovery is different (supers, apartment managers need to come in for various reasons), how it's pursued also, in reality, often depends on whether or not the hoarder in question holds a rent controlled apartment, socio-economic status of building, etc.

Thanks in advance! :)
 

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I used to drive by a house in the country (northwestern Wisconsin) where we vacationed in the summer. There was a school bus parked in the front yard and it was filled to the brim with junk. The house was in disrepair. one year we drove by and it had all been cleaned up. A local said that neighbors (who were at least a quarter mile away) called the county to do a wellness check on the owner because the place was an eyesore. Eventually the person got help and the place was cleaned up--not sure who did the cleaning though. Even though nobody lived right next door, people drove by the place all the time and felt that it reflected badly on the home owners in the surrounding area.
 

firedrake

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I used to work in a small town. There were a few habitual hoarders. The worst case was reported by neighbours, to the City's Code Enforcement officers. I can't remember what happened, officially, but I think in the end, some community members got together and helped clear the place up. But, yeah, it usually gets reported to Code Enforcement if it's an eyesore.
 

Cranky1

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I have an aunt who was a hoarder. For a long time, she managed to keep her stuff within the house, but overtime, it leaked out onto the porch. She was renting the place and it was her landlord who intervened the second time. Another time, it was the police who were curious to know if there was a problem in the home.

I think you will have to remember that a small-town comes with a small-town mentality, much different than the big city. In my small town, people knew you and your family. Neighbors are more likely to visit with each other. Many families belong to one church or another (another possible angle, a Church group stops by to visit with a former member). Chatter spreads. Plus, police aren't chasing hardened criminals so they are likely to follow-up on small things that concern the community.
 

ap123

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I used to work in a small town. There were a few habitual hoarders. The worst case was reported by neighbours, to the City's Code Enforcement officers. I can't remember what happened, officially, but I think in the end, some community members got together and helped clear the place up. But, yeah, it usually gets reported to Code Enforcement if it's an eyesore.

Thank you Firedrake!
I have an aunt who was a hoarder. For a long time, she managed to keep her stuff within the house, but overtime, it leaked out onto the porch. She was renting the place and it was her landlord who intervened the second time. Another time, it was the police who were curious to know if there was a problem in the home.

I think you will have to remember that a small-town comes with a small-town mentality, much different than the big city. In my small town, people knew you and your family. Neighbors are more likely to visit with each other. Many families belong to one church or another (another possible angle, a Church group stops by to visit with a former member). Chatter spreads. Plus, police aren't chasing hardened criminals so they are likely to follow-up on small things that concern the community.

Thanks Cranky! Small town "mentality" (mores?) is much of what I'm trying to sort out. I want to get the right tone, true to life without crossing the border into stereotypes.

Ok, the consensus seems to be that it wouldn't likely become an issue addressed officially by the authorities until and unless it was spilling out of the house.

If contained to the house, would an unofficial visit from a known officer with an unofficial warning be out of the question?
 

Cranky1

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This is how it would go down back in my small town.

Church members stop by to sell magazines or calendars for a church fundraiser. The hoarder initially ignores them but the church group is persistent. As the hoarder walks to the door, they notice church members peeking through the window. The hoarder opens the door to decline their sell but members of the church begin peeking over their shoulder into the house. The church group leaves and the hoarder returns to doing whatever they were doing. Then, a day or two later, an off-duty cop - who happens to be a member of the church - stops by with concerns. The good ladies of the church group wanted him to check on the hoarder. They were concerned that there was a fire hazard or maybe the animals weren't being taken care of properly. He makes it clear that he isn't there in an official capacity. He's there simply because he's a church member who is concerned about the welfare of another community member. The hoarder dismisses him. The cop returns in an official capacity and informs the hoarder that if they don't remove such and such from their yard, the cop will have to come back with an inspector for health code or fire code violations.
 

alleycat

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Here's another idea that isn't so much hoarding as just plain weird.

I used to know an old farmer guy. He could "collect" old broken appliances like refrigerators. His idea being that they would make excellent storage cabinets. The guy must have had forty or fifty of the things sitting in a lot near his barn. It looked like where old refrigerators went to die.

I think in most areas old refrigerators are suppose to either have the door removed or be locked in such a way that a child can't get inside. Your character could do something similar to that.
 

ap123

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Here's another idea that isn't so much hoarding as just plain weird.

I used to know an old farmer guy. He could "collect" old broken appliances like refrigerators. His idea being that they would make excellent storage cabinets. The guy must have had forty or fifty of the things sitting in a lot near his barn. It looked like where old refrigerators went to die.

I think in most areas old refrigerators are suppose to either have the door removed or be locked in such a way that a child can't get inside. Your character could do something similar to that.

What an image!
Yes, still in the planning stages of this character, an odd (and unusually large) collection of something specific could work.
 

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Then there are the ones who continuing collecting for decades, fill the house, the barn, the sheds, a few dead trucks, etc. and no one, including family, does anything. Do you want them to be condemned or to continue forever?

A piece from the packrats' point of view might be interesting. "But it might come in handy someday."
 

ap123

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Thanks King Neptune. :)

Yup, trying to figure out if it's realistic to create a scenario where anyone actually does anything. And he will be a POV character, though not the MC.
 

Cranky1

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From my own observation with my aunt, it began by collecting things. I think it was spoons, then it was postcards, and then she would buy things on sale at the store with the intention of selling them at a yard sale. Then those items wouldn't sell or she should raise it to a ridiculous price. She would convince herself that small toys would eventually become a collector's item and it would be worth money in the future. The boxes would build and build and then hopelessness would settle in. She would give up and just toss her trash every where. Eventually, she became immune to the filth but sensitive to how others perceived her.

It happened in cycles with her. Someone or something would intervene and clean up, usually my older cousins who didn't like to be the subject of neighbor's gossip. Her youngest son and I were only a month apart. She lived down the block from us so I played at her house often. I remembered the rat droppings and the smell of decaying flesh. I'm trying to remember if DCFS tried to intervene on my cousins behalf or not. When the older boys moved out, there was no one to keep her in check.
 

King Neptune

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Thanks King Neptune. :)

Yup, trying to figure out if it's realistic to create a scenario where anyone actually does anything. And he will be a POV character, though not the MC.

It is one of those things where someone might do something, or nothing might be done. It's completely up to you.
 

U2Girl

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You can probably find old episodes of "Horders" on You Tube, Hulu or even the A&E website (even though the show wasn't renewed).
 

ap123

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From my own observation with my aunt, it began by collecting things. I think it was spoons, then it was postcards, and then she would buy things on sale at the store with the intention of selling them at a yard sale. Then those items wouldn't sell or she should raise it to a ridiculous price. She would convince herself that small toys would eventually become a collector's item and it would be worth money in the future. The boxes would build and build and then hopelessness would settle in. She would give up and just toss her trash every where. Eventually, she became immune to the filth but sensitive to how others perceived her.

It happened in cycles with her. Someone or something would intervene and clean up, usually my older cousins who didn't like to be the subject of neighbor's gossip. Her youngest son and I were only a month apart. She lived down the block from us so I played at her house often. I remembered the rat droppings and the smell of decaying flesh. I'm trying to remember if DCFS tried to intervene on my cousins behalf or not. When the older boys moved out, there was no one to keep her in check.

Thanks for the details!

It is one of those things where someone might do something, or nothing might be done. It's completely up to you.

Yes, trying to start shaping him in my mind, take some notes to set up the situation and take it from there. :)

You can probably find old episodes of "Horders" on You Tube, Hulu or even the A&E website (even though the show wasn't renewed).

Thanks U2Girl :) I've seen some episodes of Hoarders, frightening to watch.
 

Karen Junker

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We think my mom is a hoarder -- she lives in a town of 200. She has a garage building made from an old army barracks, filled with stuff. Her attic is filled with stuff. Her main living area is clean, though. But interestingly, although her roof is sagging and about to collapse, she refuses to fix it and instead paid thousands to have the roof on the garage building repaired. The stuff inside had gotten waterlogged and is mouldy, but she keeps it because it might be worth some money some day.
 

ap123

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We think my mom is a hoarder -- she lives in a town of 200. She has a garage building made from an old army barracks, filled with stuff. Her attic is filled with stuff. Her main living area is clean, though. But interestingly, although her roof is sagging and about to collapse, she refuses to fix it and instead paid thousands to have the roof on the garage building repaired. The stuff inside had gotten waterlogged and is mouldy, but she keeps it because it might be worth some money some day.

Thank you for this, Karen. It gives me new angle into the decisions/thought process of someone who struggles with hoarding, but isn't at the point where it's an immediately obvious health hazard.
 

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Then there are the ones who continuing collecting for decades, fill the house, the barn, the sheds, a few dead trucks, etc. and no one, including family, does anything. Do you want them to be condemned or to continue forever?

A piece from the packrats' point of view might be interesting. "But it might come in handy someday."

Yup. I used to work with a guy exactly like this. He just couldn't throw anything away. I also know that he grew up in very poor circumstances, and didn't have much as a kid. That's probably a related issue.

And if you want a good look at people who live this way, watch an episode or two of "American Pickers".

caw
 

ap123

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Yup. I used to work with a guy exactly like this. He just couldn't throw anything away. I also know that he grew up in very poor circumstances, and didn't have much as a kid. That's probably a related issue.

And if you want a good look at people who live this way, watch an episode or two of "American Pickers".

caw

Thanks blackbird. I was thinking of American Pickers when I began making some notes on this character. A couple of the episodes I've seen I've wondered exactly what landed them on AP and not Hoarders. "yes, I want you guys to come and see my great stuff. No, you can't have that. No, not that one. Not that one either... :Shrug:
 

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Had a friend who had an aunt with a hoarding problem. They both lived in a very small town, maybe five blocks apart. The aunt was childless, always a secretive person but then she became anti-social. Neighbors started calling the aunt's relatives. The aunt was my friend's fathers oldest sister so he ended up with most of the calls. He gave the job to his wife--they had a sort of intervention but the aunt only became worse. I remember there was a lot of family discussion in progress but no one could do anything concrete until the aunt had a stroke. Then the family came together, got her into a nursing home and cleaned her place up. She had been swiping floral arrangements from the town cemetery for a year or more. The whole living room was full of cemetery flowers--plastic and the remains of real flowers. No rhyme or reason for it! --s6
 

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I've had to clean up a few hoarder houses (in-laws buy houses to renovate and rent out, and hoarder houses are cheap). If your hoarder lives in a warm enough climate (e.g. the southern two-thirds of the US), vermin will likely become a problem even if the mess is entirely contained in the house. Animal control can sometimes also be called because of animal issues (usually a ton of emaciated-looking cats or starved dogs on the property). If not animal control, then sometimes neighbors report a hoarder because rats/cockroaches/etc. are breeding in the hoarder house and then invading the neighbors' houses.
 

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I "inherited" some property next to one of the hoarders in a town of about 500 people. He's a nice guy to talk to, but like a lot of old-timers in that area, he grew up during the depression and second world war, where things were in short supply. He hangs on to stuff because he "might need it someday" or he's planning on fixing it (never does), or it might be worth something. He's got two abandoned school busses on his acre filled with newspapers, several outhouses filled to the brim, but as long as he keeps his frontage neat and tidy, no one seems to bother him.

There's another guy in town who also has hoarding issues. I don't even know him. But his property gets reported to the municipality every year or so because it's an eyesore. He turns around and reports my property to the municipality because I live 2000 miles away and the grass gets high in the summer when I'm not around to take care of it. I wouldn't have even known about it if not for the town gossip grapevine, lol. Just listen long enough and you'll find out everything about everyone from everyone else.
 

Cathy C

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I've lived in small towns most of my life. The neighors in rural areas don't get too worried about "stuff". What will get the rabble roused in the country are vermin. Get too much trash and roaches and rats soon follow. They breed and spread--to the neighbors.

No, and I repeat, NO sense of humor about rats jumping the fence. That will get a knock on the door. It probably won't be the police. Not at first, anyway. But if the complainer is greeted with aggression, the cops/sheriff will definitely be called.

Keep in mind, though, that small towns have little authority to force the clean-up. There frequently aren't zoning or land use rules, nor any department to enforce the cleaning. Often the town will have to bump it up to the county (or even state) level to get the oomph to FORCE a hoarder ro clean. Usually, the first step is to enforce building a fence and to exterminate the vermin. But sometimes that's as far as a small town will ever take it.
 

ap123

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Had a friend who had an aunt with a hoarding problem. They both lived in a very small town, maybe five blocks apart. The aunt was childless, always a secretive person but then she became anti-social. Neighbors started calling the aunt's relatives. The aunt was my friend's fathers oldest sister so he ended up with most of the calls. He gave the job to his wife--they had a sort of intervention but the aunt only became worse. I remember there was a lot of family discussion in progress but no one could do anything concrete until the aunt had a stroke. Then the family came together, got her into a nursing home and cleaned her place up. She had been swiping floral arrangements from the town cemetery for a year or more. The whole living room was full of cemetery flowers--plastic and the remains of real flowers. No rhyme or reason for it! --s6

Wow! While I'm sorry for your friend, what an incredible story, thinking about what would trigger an obsession with cemetery flowers. I won't take that one, but it certainly gets my wheels turning. Thanks Shakey!

I've had to clean up a few hoarder houses (in-laws buy houses to renovate and rent out, and hoarder houses are cheap). If your hoarder lives in a warm enough climate (e.g. the southern two-thirds of the US), vermin will likely become a problem even if the mess is entirely contained in the house. Animal control can sometimes also be called because of animal issues (usually a ton of emaciated-looking cats or starved dogs on the property). If not animal control, then sometimes neighbors report a hoarder because rats/cockroaches/etc. are breeding in the hoarder house and then invading the neighbors' houses.

Thanks Wendy! Animal (usually cats) and book/newspaper hoarders are the most common ones here in the city. The stench of those cat hoarding apartments can take over an entire building quickly.

You are a better DIL than I, just sayin' ;)

I "inherited" some property next to one of the hoarders in a town of about 500 people. He's a nice guy to talk to, but like a lot of old-timers in that area, he grew up during the depression and second world war, where things were in short supply. He hangs on to stuff because he "might need it someday" or he's planning on fixing it (never does), or it might be worth something. He's got two abandoned school busses on his acre filled with newspapers, several outhouses filled to the brim, but as long as he keeps his frontage neat and tidy, no one seems to bother him.

There's another guy in town who also has hoarding issues. I don't even know him. But his property gets reported to the municipality every year or so because it's an eyesore. He turns around and reports my property to the municipality because I live 2000 miles away and the grass gets high in the summer when I'm not around to take care of it. I wouldn't have even known about it if not for the town gossip grapevine, lol. Just listen long enough and you'll find out everything about everyone from everyone else.

Thank you, the tip about the outside being neat gives depth to the decisions made by family/neighbors/community members. I'm not sure if the second man reporting your grass is sad or funny, but it's an excellent detail to file away ;)

I've lived in small towns most of my life. The neighors in rural areas don't get too worried about "stuff". What will get the rabble roused in the country are vermin. Get too much trash and roaches and rats soon follow. They breed and spread--to the neighbors.

No, and I repeat, NO sense of humor about rats jumping the fence. That will get a knock on the door. It probably won't be the police. Not at first, anyway. But if the complainer is greeted with aggression, the cops/sheriff will definitely be called.

Keep in mind, though, that small towns have little authority to force the clean-up. There frequently aren't zoning or land use rules, nor any department to enforce the cleaning. Often the town will have to bump it up to the county (or even state) level to get the oomph to FORCE a hoarder ro clean. Usually, the first step is to enforce building a fence and to exterminate the vermin. But sometimes that's as far as a small town will ever take it.

Thanks Cathy :) Funny, I think of roaches and rats as a purely city problem, guess not. Excellent info about progression in a small town!