Neighbor's House... Ignore It, Or Call About It...? **Update Post #41**

[AKL_Megs]

One of the houses next door to us sits empty... the old man who used to live there died a couple years ago, and his family all lives in Missouri, so the house sits empty aside for the "quarterly" visits his sons make from Missouri to check on it. We don't know any of them, and neither do any of our other neighbors.

We DO know that they have automatic timers on the porch light (it stays on all night) and on the living room lights (we expect them to come on like clockwork at 6pm EVERY day, and to be off around midnight.)

It snowed ALL DAY yesterday. Around 5pm, as it was getting dark, DH and I did the first round of shoveling. I know I looked over at the house, because I walked that way to pick up a big stick that fell in our yard near their house. Everything looked normal.

Around 8pm, we went out for round two of shoveling. As I was shoveling, a light on in one room of the house caught my eye. It's a bedroom window that basically faces directly into one of our master bedroom windows. That light, in the almost two years we have been here, is NEVER on.

We went over and noticed that there were NO foot tracks or tire tracks in the driveway, or on any of the sidewalks. We didn't/can't go into the backyard because of the privacy fence, but if someone had gained entry, they could have hopped the back fence and went through the back. We figured if they were up from Missouri, we would see their tire tracks or foot tracks, but there was nothing.

I just went and looked, and the light is still on. It's a gorgeous sunny day, there would be NO need for a light to be on in ANY room.

I'm just worried that someone who doesn't belong there is in the house. It's just funny that we've never seen that light on, and then on the coldest and wettest day so far since summer, the light is on.

I'm just worried about causing a problem if it is nothing, since nobody is local. Nobody has a number to reach them. I guess I just don't want to stir the pot. The house is empty, nothing to steal. From what I gather from neighbors, a will/trust says that the house can't be sold, so it's already a burden on the family, as they don't want it. I didn't know if I would seem "nosy" or would be opening a can of worms. We're pretty sure it's not legal to have a house sitting totally vacant with nobody even coming to check on it more than once every 90 days.

I wouldn't worry, but I am alone tonight.

Would you call the police, or just ignore it?

 

[Anna_Marie]

That's very odd. I would call the police and see if they would check on it.

 

[dodukes]

I would call so they can check as well.

 

[S. C.]

If it was your house and situation would you want someone to call and have it checked on for you? I would!

 

[LuvOrlando]

I'd call because I'd be worried about a squatter. If whoever is there belongs there it should be an easy thing to clear up but if not, you're not only saving the family damage to their property but yourself from having unknowns squatting in the house next door.

 

[tarheel618]

I would call better safe than sorry.

 

[snowywhite89]

One of the houses next door to us sits empty... the old man who used to live there died last year, and his family all lives in Missouri, so the house sits empty aside for the "quarterly" visits his sons make from Missouri to check on it. We don't know any of them, and neither do any of our other neighbors.

We DO know that they have automatic timers on the porch light (it stays on all night) and on the living room lights (we expect them to come on like clockwork at 6pm EVERY day, and to be off around midnight.)

It snowed ALL DAY yesterday. Around 5pm, as it was getting dark, DH and I did the first round of shoveling. I know I looked over at the house, because I walked that way to pick up a big stick that fell in our yard near their house. Everything looked normal.

Around 8pm, we went out for round two of shoveling. As I was shoveling, a light on in one room of the house caught my eye. It's a bedroom window that basically faces directly into one of our master bedroom windows. That light, in the almost two years we have been here, is NEVER on.

We went over and noticed that there were NO foot tracks or tire tracks in the driveway, or on any of the sidewalks. We didn't/can't go into the backyard because of the privacy fence, but if someone had gained entry, they could have hopped the back fence and went through the back. We figured if they were up from Missouri, we would see their tire tracks or foot tracks, but there was nothing.

I just went and looked, and the light is still on. It's a gorgeous sunny day, there would be NO need for a light to be on in ANY room.

I'm just worried that someone who doesn't belong there is in the house. It's just funny that we've never seen that light on, and then on the coldest and wettest day so far since summer, the light is on.

I wouldn't worry, but I am alone tonight.

Would you call the police, or just ignore it?

Your DH is a Cop in Detroit. What does he say to do?

 

[AKL_Megs]

If it was your house and situation would you want someone to call and have it checked on for you? I would!

I'm just worried about causing a problem if it is nothing, since nobody is local. Nobody has a number to reach them. I guess I just don't want to stir the pot. The house is empty, nothing to steal. From what I gather from neighbors, a will/trust says that the house can't be sold, so it's already a burden on the family, as they don't want it. I didn't know if I would seem "nosy" or would be opening a can of worms. I'm just worried about my and my neighbors safety.

I'll go add this to edit my OP.

 

[Revulkcor]

I'd call the cops just to have them check it out. We have that happen quite a bit down here since a lot of the homes in my county are foreclosed on.

 

[AKL_Megs]

Your DH is a Cop in Detroit. What does he say to do?

Last night, he said ignore it until tomorrow. Today, I can't ask him, because he's not here!

 

[Disney Doll]

I'd call the non-emergency number for the police, explain the story and ask them to check into it.

Realistically, it could be squatters. Or it could have been someone who broke in, realized there was nothing to steal and left but left the light on. And don't be too quick to say there's nothing to steal in an empty house...often copper water piping is quite a desired commodity.

But the fact is that this house has looked exactly the same for months and now it looks different and you see no signs of the family having been there, so I'd call the police.

 

[snowywhite89]

Last night, he said ignore it until tomorrow. Today, I can't ask him, because he's not here!

Wait for him to get home from work and then ask him again.

 

[AKL_Megs]

I'd call the non-emergency number for the police, explain the story and ask them to check into it.

Realistically, it could be squatters. Or it could have been someone who broke in, realized there was nothing to steal and left but left the light on. And don't be too quick to say there's nothing to steal in an empty house...often copper water piping is quite a desired commodity.

But the fact is that this house has looked exactly the same for months and now it looks different and you see no signs of the family having been there, so I'd call the police.

This is true about the copper pipes.


Off to call the non-emergency number...

 

[AKL_Megs]

Wait for him to get home from work and then ask him again.

Like I said before, I am alone tonight. He's working a double and won't be home until morning.

 

[stinkerbelle's mom]

I'd call because I'd be worried about a squatter. If whoever is there belongs there it should be an easy thing to clear up but if not, you're not only saving the family damage to their property but yourself from having unknowns squatting in the house next door.

Just wondering what the police had to say about it.

 

[AKL_Megs]

Just wondering what the police had to say about it.

They said they'd send someone out to check on it. I expect they'll be here in a little while.

 

[Bob NC]

your dh is a cop in detroit. What does he say to do?

lol.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Same situation across the street from us last week, though it is a seasonal home. My wife saw a car in the drive that she didn't recognize and no one is every there this time of year. She called the non-emergency number. The police were happy to come check it out. Turned out to be friends of the home owners, but my wife said she called because she would hope that someone would call for us if we were out. The police were not put out at all afterwards.

 

[Suellen]

I'm curious why it would not be legal to have an unoccupied home? This has me baffled?

We have a second home that we bought for our DD (she's 5 currently so doesn't live in it) that sits empty ~ I sure hope we aren't breaking any laws!

 

[DisneyScraps]

I would call, better safe than sorry with this type of situation.

Lisa