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

[DisneyBamaFan]

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!

Not sure about the law, but most mortgage companies require occupancy, as do insurance companies. For example, if the house burns down and it has been sitting empty, the insurance will not pay.

 

[shortbun]

Not sure about the law, but most mortgage companies require occupancy, as do insurance companies. For example, if the house burns down and it has been sitting empty, the insurance will not pay.

You must advise your homeowners's insurance that your house is empty and the premium goes up quite a bit for coverage on an empty home. The exception is a short time between moving and closing on a sale. We just went through this. The buggers broke in the night after our closing, we had moved just prior; they took all the copper plumbing. We were covered.

 

[Suellen]

Not sure about the law, but most mortgage companies require occupancy, as do insurance companies. For example, if the house burns down and it has been sitting empty, the insurance will not pay.

Well if the house burns down I think hubby or I would go to jail anyway so ~ I doubt the insurance would pay. We do live next door to the house and intend to rent it at some point ~ but it is empty (and has been) now.

Our mortgage company knows its empty and they haven't said word one about it... it is a local credit union though ~ so I wonder if their rules are different.

Any way ~ sorry I wasn't trying to hijack the thread...I've just never heard this before!

 

[AKL_Megs]

Well if the house burns down I think hubby or I would go to jail anyway so ~ I doubt the insurance would pay. We do live next door to the house and intend to rent it at some point ~ but it is empty (and has been) now.

Our mortgage company knows its empty and they haven't said word one about it... it is a local credit union though ~ so I wonder if their rules are different.

Any way ~ sorry I wasn't trying to hijack the thread...I've just never heard this before!

See, your situation is different. You live NEXT DOOR. The house next to us, the supposed owners live THREE STATES away, and only come to check on the house every 90 days or MORE. A lot could happen in 90 days with nobody to check on the house, and nobody to contact in an emergency.

 

[surfergirl602]

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!

You bought a house for your daughter? What if she doesn't want to live next to her parents?? That's probably the coolest present she'll ever get.

Here honey,,, have a house!

 

[Suellen]

You bought a house for your daughter?!?!? What if she doesn't want to live next to her parents??

She can always rent it. It was my dad's house and we wanted her to have it so when he decided to sell it and move to Florida we bought it. My grandmother lives in the house on the other side of that ~ and we hope to buy that house for youngest DD.... fair is fair right?

Maybe she won't want to live next door to us... who knows... right now she wants to live WITH us forever and marry her daddy....

I'm thinking if she has the kind of common sense I hope to raise her with a free house will be a good thing.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

Well if the house burns down I think hubby or I would go to jail anyway so ~ I doubt the insurance would pay.

Why?

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

...Our mortgage company knows its empty and they haven't said word one about it... it is a local credit union though ~ so I wonder if their rules are different...

Perhaps, but I would read the home owner's policy. Even living next door, you might not be covered if something happens.

 

[AKL_Megs]

Why?

I wondered the same thing! I'm picturing a house full of illegal plants going up or something... I'm kidding of course, but that is what I thought of!

 

[Suellen]

http://consumerist.com/2007/02/dell-laptop-burned-down-my-house.html

This is our previous home. Burnt to the ground.

5 months before this our Jeep spontaneously burst into flames in the middle of the night while hubby and I were both asleep.

We were already people of suspect with the house fire. It was quite awful really. Um, yeah I burned my house down on the coldest day of the year, while I am 5 months pregnant and have an 18 month old. Seriously?! Yeah they investigated us hard core like we did it.

We of course did not ~ it was eventually determined that our Dell laptop (off but plugged in to charge) battery exploded (no it was not on the recall list).

Anyway ~ another fire would land us in jail.

 

[kwelch10377]

Why?

I think the poster was implying that since someone said it was not legal to leave a house for 90 days without checking on it that they would go to jail for it not being legal.

ETA: OK nevermind, I was wrong it my assumption as to what the poster meant (see previous post)

 

[Magic Mom]

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.

What can of worms would it be opening? If it's nothing, then it's nothing. If there's an intruder or alien invaders in the house then the police will take care of it. It's all good.

 

[AKL_Megs]

What can of worms would it be opening? If it's nothing, then it's nothing. If there's an intruder or alien invaders in the house then the police will take care of it. It's all good.

Trust me, according to our other neighbors who have lived here longer, we'd be smart not to be nosy or make trouble about ANYTHING when it comes to that family!

 

[Suellen]

What can of worms would it be opening? If it's nothing, then it's nothing. If there's an intruder or alien invaders in the house then the police will take care of it. It's all good.

I'm thinking she was worried about them calling the owners and making them drive in... or getting them in trouble because it was empty?

 

[Suellen]

Trust me, according to our other neighbors who have lived here longer, we'd be smart not to be nosy about ANYTHING when it comes to that family!

Living in Maine... we are kind of keep to yourself people... it would probably take a year for me to even notice a light on in someone else's house that shouldn't be on. This does not bode well for our neighbors. Actually our neighbor had his truck stolen out of his yard while I was home ~ I didn't even notice until it was involved in a high speed chase with the passenger shotting a rifle out the window. It was on the news and I thought ~ hey that looks like Rons truck! I looked out the window and sure enough his was gone! He is a Sears repair guy so he drives a sears van and leaves his truck home.

I didn't know for sure of course until there were cruisers outside.
I really should pay more attention.... I am just always afraid people will think we are nosy... which they probably would!

 

[surfergirl602]

http://consumerist.com/2007/02/dell-laptop-burned-down-my-house.html

This is our previous home. Burnt to the ground.

5 months before this our Jeep spontaneously burst into flames in the middle of the night while hubby and I were both asleep.

We were already people of suspect with the house fire. It was quite awful really. Um, yeah I burned my house down on the coldest day of the year, while I am 5 months pregnant and have an 18 month old. Seriously?! Yeah they investigated us hard core like we did it.

We of course did not ~ it was eventually determined that our Dell laptop (off but plugged in to charge) battery exploded (no it was not on the recall list).

Anyway ~ another fire would land us in jail.

OMG - did they do a fire inspector's report??? Wouldn't that prove you didn't burn down your house? YIKES!! What the heck went wrong with your jeep? You need to live in a bubble, I guess. We have a dell laptop - I didn't know there was ever a recall on the batteries! I notice that ours gets REALLY hot.

 

[AKL_Megs]

http://consumerist.com/2007/02/dell-laptop-burned-down-my-house.html

CRAZY!!!

Living in Maine... we are kind of keep to yourself people... it would probably take a year for me to even notice a light on in someone else's house that shouldn't be on. This does not bode well for our neighbors. Actually our neighbor had his truck stolen out of his yard while I was home ~ I didn't even notice until it was involved in a high speed chase with the passenger shotting a rifle out the window. It was on the news and I thought ~ hey that looks like Rons truck! I looked out the window and sure enough his was gone! He is a Sears repair guy so he drives a sears van and leaves his truck home.

I didn't know for sure of course until there were cruisers outside.
I really should pay more attention.... I am just always afraid people will think we are nosy... which they probably would!

Yes, we are a nosy neighborhood (I guess, like Maine, they aren't nosy in Missouri, either! )

 

[surfergirl602]

Living in Maine... we are kind of keep to yourself people... it would probably take a year for me to even notice a light on in someone else's house that shouldn't be on. This does not bode well for our neighbors. Actually our neighbor had his truck stolen out of his yard while I was home ~ I didn't even notice until it was involved in a high speed chase with the passenger shotting a rifle out the window. It was on the news and I thought ~ hey that looks like Rons truck! I looked out the window and sure enough his was gone! He is a Sears repair guy so he drives a sears van and leaves his truck home.

I didn't know for sure of course until there were cruisers outside.
I really should pay more attention.... I am just always afraid people will think we are nosy... which they probably would!

I have to agree with you on this one. I'm a displaced Mainer living in OK, and I never pay attention to my neighbors. In fact, the house two houses over was broken into in the middle of the afternoon and I had no idea. I'm home all day!

 

[Suellen]

OMG - did they do a fire inspector's report??? Wouldn't that prove you didn't burn down your house? YIKES!! What the heck went wrong with your jeep? You need to live in a bubble, I guess. We have a dell laptop - I didn't know there was ever a recall on the batteries! I notice that ours gets REALLY hot.

They did eventually. They literally separated us and started questioning us while the house was still burning.

Asking questions like:

Who pays the bills? To which I am thinking earns the money or writes the checks?

Are you late on your bills? To which I am thinking ~ well it is the 5th of the month ~ did I pay the cable bill yet?

Who made breakfast for your child?

Who left the house last?

Does your husband typically leave after you or was that abnormal?

Your husband says he dressed your daughter for school ~ can you verify that?

I'm literally staring out the window of the investigators car watching my house burn down.

At this point I was like ~ wait a minute here. Yup sure enough they thought it was one of us. After the final determination they left us alone... but I am sure a third fire would not look good!


ETA: Oh and the Jeep.... no idea. They determined it was electrical and closed that case immediately. It had been parked for hours... it wasn't even like we just got home and had run it hot or anything....

 

[surfergirl602]

They did eventually. They literally separated us and started questioning us while the house was still burning.

Asking questions like:

Who pays the bills? To which I am thinking earns the money or writes the checks?

Are you late on your bills? To which I am thinking ~ well it is the 5th of the month ~ did I pay the cable bill yet?

Who made breakfast for your child?

Who left the house last?

Does your husband typically leave after you or was that abnormal?

Your husband says he dressed your daughter for school ~ can you verify that?

I'm literally staring out the window of the investigators car watching my house burn down.

At this point I was like ~ wait a minute here. Yup sure enough they thought it was one of us. After the final determination they left us alone... but I am sure a third fire would not look good!

Good grief....