When the cat's away...?

[Kay/NC]

Son called us Thursday, saying that some undesirable-looking loads of folks were turning up down the lane here on Mike's place. He sometimes comes over while our helper is here, gives him a hand for an hour or so, before starting his work, which he does at nighttime in hot weather.

Evidently, in the two hours the helper was here that afternoon, two groups came " to see about the empty house". The house has not been listed for rent again, so this had to be word of mouth from the idiots we just got rid of...not the bunch whose buddies we want back.

I had told Mike right after Jenna's passing, after that car came tearing in and out of the other yard, that we needed gates in the lane. He reluctantly agreed, after hearing that the word was out and too many people were seeing we are not here full-time. He agreed to come up on Friday for a change, and to install a pair of gates on the last hilltop before you arrive at our little " compound" back here, a mile off the county road.

He and son scavenged around and found two good gates the grazing tenant had " borrowed" from our supply, and we hung them before suppertime. Left them open, since we were staying overnight.

As we were having our after dinner glass and a good conversation in our porch rockers, what should appear but another lost soul? He had to admit, after the guy tried to evade us, then gave a lame excuse for why he was here, that the gates are a necessity.

This makes us wonder what else has transpired in our absence, and maybe what this crowd has been planning to do back down this remote path. Made me wonder, do you folks have spots where you suspect or know people are using your property for their own purposes?

[lawinkle]

Around here unoccupied houses get stripped of their copper. Sell it to scrappers for drug money.

[Kay/NC]

We hear that a lot in NC, too. This house turned studio has PEX plumbing, so not much to steal there. We are more concerned about vandalism, and things like expensive lawnmowers, Mike's saws and tools, etc.

We stay pretty heavily insured, but it isn't the material stuff that we feel so protective of here, as much as it is our solitude. This isn,t within a mile of the road, so you have to be very bold or badly lost to be that far into the property.

We locked the gates when we left, sent our son and his helper the combination by texts. Gates will not kerp outreal criminals, who would knkw how to disable the alarms in the houses, too. This is just hopefully going to send a not-so-subtle message for the numbskulls to stay away.

[SLC]

Sometimes they are looking for a party place..  which basically = vandalizm..      However what we have heard of around here is that they are using the outbuildings to store stolen property..   

[Kay/NC]

The former tenants obviously had some epic parties when we were away. Our schedule was too predictable, and she would often ask me when we were " coming back". Obviously, our realtor's judgment was off-the-mark when she leased to them. She will not be getting another chance on this house...it's my studio and some guest-rooms now.

Our security camera over this area went kaput this spring. I am sending it back for warranty repair or replacement now. At least our helper is there most days, working on repairs and painting, most of it outdoors now, so he sees more goings and comings. Mike says we will get up there more often, now that the main pressure of getting pasture fenced for the new cattle is off.

[Suey73]

We really do need to get some game cameras  in a few places.    Since we no longer have sows 3 miles away  we don't have to worry about  "messing with the hogs"   but  it would make a nice place  to party or hide out.   Of course that means we no longer have the  "manure  pile and Hole"  to catch unsespecting  trespassers either.     I've always wondered if those boys learned a lesson about driving down  field roads  and doing circles in farmers'  field   after they buried their car  up to the axle in  "it"?     I understand  months later their car still stunk.     Living  on a deadend road is a mixed blessing.    Even though we aren't best friends with the nonfarmers up the road...  they would probably notice  if there were strange vehicles here.     We notice strange vehicles going up the road to their houses.     Also,  since we keep no set schedule  it would be hard to plan a robbery.       And when you are on a deadend road  you aren't on everyone's radar.  

Kay hope you have a good strong padlock  on those gates.    At least it will slow them down.      Maybe some   signs warning of survilence too.   

[SLC]

We have had some undesirables rent from us as well.        We try to screen better now.  I'm fairly sure our old neighbor doesn't screen at all when she gets new tenants.   She lives about 60 miles away and has no idea what goes on in the hood.   Epic parties, suspicious traffic at all hours.   We always know when they are about to move as the sheriff's car will be down there a few times a week just preceeding a move.   

[Kay/NC]

You know, Suey, he sat there yesterday evening and said, "Yeah,. we really do need those gates!"

This morning, before he even said, "Good morning!", it was, "You know, people will know every time we are gone, because the gates will be closed." 

There is just no pleasing some people....

Really, I think it's that we hate gates, locks, alarms, but realize these times call for them.  I hate what the world is becoming, all around us, in both states. 

We pulled them shut and liocked them before we let VA today.  The guys have the lock code, and I will probably lock a second keyed lock through this one, as our son hates combinations, and Mike does, too.   My helper and I prefer combinations, and that was the only things we coudl do until keys can be spread around.  Combinations can be changed, too. 

I just packaged my good Bushnell land cam for warranty repairs.  Walmart has cheaper game cams...$50 plus an SD card for a few bucks.  No good spot to hang a security camera out this far, just fence posts. Anyone who wanted it could climb the gate and steal it. 

I encourage you to monitor your stuff a bit...the sows' old water pipes might be too tempting, unless you used PVC. 

[Kay/NC]

No more ofyen than we could be there to see what went on, we saw the deputues come and go a couple of times, so maybe that is like the rat you see and the many rats you don't. They went through six different cars in one year, two were totalled in different wrecks.

We really tried hard to be openminded, and she did clean some things, just not everything. I have fought the stench of cigarette smoke for over a month, painting, shampooing rugs, and deploying deodorizing jars and sprays, and whole jugs of Febreeze. Learned that amazon carries some "pro" sprays for smoke smells...scented coffee vanilla.

I am constantly finding bits of surgical tape, I guess fro her workplace, stuck to the siding, windows, etc. There were always a lot if cheap holiday decorations deployed. Their little girl would make a beeline for me whenever I was working outdoors, to the point that I felt like Mr. Wilson to her Dennis.

Not terrible people, just people without enough upbringing, I think...lacked empathy for others wanting peace and quiet. She asked me once about renting our house to her sister...like we should just move out and let her ehole family move in. I explained how we felt about the place, being Jenna's last home and Mike's first one, and you could see in her eyes it just did not compute.

Being on the property as an owner is a real plus...the more of the time, the more you see and can document, if necessary. Example, her mom's medical transport was coming and going several times a week fir a few months. They ran over and ruined several shrubs, and obliterated my telhone pedestal and alarm system sign. If we weren't there, the tracks would have faded, before we figured out what was up.

Making a problem for yourself is one thing, but making one for everyone else in a neighborhood is another.

[SLC]

Renters are just tough because they don't own it.. there is no pride in keeping it nice.  Or at least that is my observation.    Seems like every tenant pushes the limit on things .. doesn't matter how airtight you think the lease is.