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Jilly_in_VA

(10,942 posts)
Sun Oct 22, 2023, 10:55 AM Oct 2023

Woman returns from vacation to find family home mistakenly demolished

A homeowner is mulling the next step after a company mistakenly demolished a home she owned in south-west Atlanta.

Susan Hodgson said in an interview on Saturday with the Associated Press that she found a pile of rubble in place of what used to be her longtime family property when she returned from vacation last month.

“I am furious,” Hodgson said. “I keep waking up thinking, ‘Is this all a joke or something?’ I’m just in shock.”

She said a neighbor called her while she was away and asked if someone had been hired to tear down the vacant house.

“I said ‘no’ and she said, ‘Well, there’s someone over here who just demolished the whole house and tore it all down,’” Hodgson recalled.

When the neighbor confronted them, Hodgson said, the workers got nasty.

“He told her to shut up and mind her own business,” Hodgson said.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/21/woman-returns-from-vacation-to-find-family-home-mistakenly-demolished

Time to sue somebody's ass off!

13 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Woman returns from vacation to find family home mistakenly demolished (Original Post) Jilly_in_VA Oct 2023 OP
Go back on vacation I guess. JohnnyRingo Oct 2023 #1
Yas cause she was being a "Karen". Oh wait, no she was just pointing out their error. LizBeth Oct 2023 #2
This will be a fun lawsuit to watch LetMyPeopleVote Oct 2023 #3
I feel for this lady but Diamond_Dog Oct 2023 #4
likely needed a lot of money. mopinko Oct 2023 #8
Because they wanted to maintain ownership of the property, probably. CaptainTruth Oct 2023 #10
Boarded up for years IbogaProject Oct 2023 #5
She'll get a settlement but not a fabulous one Warpy Oct 2023 #7
Pretty much a slam dunk summary judgment. rsdsharp Oct 2023 #6
Many times the municipalities have moniss Oct 2023 #11
i'd b furious but mopinko Oct 2023 #9
Oops. progressoid Oct 2023 #12
My guess, the property has INCREASED in value, now that the home is gone. 70sEraVet Oct 2023 #13

Diamond_Dog

(34,905 posts)
4. I feel for this lady but
Sun Oct 22, 2023, 12:36 PM
Oct 2023

Why would you board up a home that you own for 15 years and continue to pay the property tax and for lawn care?

mopinko

(71,870 posts)
8. likely needed a lot of money.
Sun Oct 22, 2023, 02:11 PM
Oct 2023

maybe she figured she’d get around to it at some point.
she had to pay taxes to keep the title. usually get in trouble for not keeping up grounds.
if she inherited it, free and clear, that’s chump change.

a lot of old ppl feel they’re saving money by not keeping up w repairs. but it comes out of the kid’s inheritance, and leaves them w nightmares. and hard choices.

CaptainTruth

(7,251 posts)
10. Because they wanted to maintain ownership of the property, probably.
Sun Oct 22, 2023, 02:55 PM
Oct 2023

I've seen several situations like this, in some cases it's waiting until a son/daughter is old enough to transfer the deed to them, in other cases is can be the house of parents who died without a will & multiple siblings are in a dispute over inheritance of the property, & yes things like that can drag on for 15+ years.

It's especially sad if the property isn't maintained & goes to rot. I know of one in my area that had large tree branches fall on it during a storm & punch holes through the roof. I recently was working next door & walked over & looked through the windows & drywall has fallen off the ceiling & the walls are covered with mold. The owner was holding on to the "house" but at this point it'll have to be torn down, it's more of a liability than an asset. It's waterfront property though, so I'm sure that's why they're hanging on to it. The lot itself, with mature trees in a secluded location, will probably sell for over $2 million, even with a house that needs to be torn down.

IbogaProject

(3,686 posts)
5. Boarded up for years
Sun Oct 22, 2023, 12:46 PM
Oct 2023

Not a residence. Still an issue, but this person still has a home, this was an extra they were holding onto for some reason.

Warpy

(113,131 posts)
7. She'll get a settlement but not a fabulous one
Sun Oct 22, 2023, 02:02 PM
Oct 2023

It sounds like the house she might have grown up in or that grandparents owned that needed a great deal of updating to be particularly livable again but she couldn't bear to part with.

It still had to be a shock.

rsdsharp

(10,193 posts)
6. Pretty much a slam dunk summary judgment.
Sun Oct 22, 2023, 01:40 PM
Oct 2023

But, there’s winning a judgment, and then there’s collecting a judgment. It’s quite possible that the company doesn’t have the assets, or insurance to pay.

moniss

(5,930 posts)
11. Many times the municipalities have
Sun Oct 22, 2023, 03:42 PM
Oct 2023

bond and/or insurance requirements for the contractors they use but they never check to make sure the company keeps the bond premiums paid and insurance paid. Some of these fly by night guys will just fold the tent and disappear and never come to court. It's the old blood and a rock scenario.

mopinko

(71,870 posts)
9. i'd b furious but
Sun Oct 22, 2023, 02:15 PM
Oct 2023

prolly a bit relieved. i know a few ppl who inherited an old mess of a house.
some took the time, trouble and money to get them up to snuff, and some who sold them for what they cd get, which is a lot less than they expected.
and then there’s the stuff.

i am not even wondering y she boarded it up and let it sit for 15 yrs.

70sEraVet

(4,172 posts)
13. My guess, the property has INCREASED in value, now that the home is gone.
Tue Oct 24, 2023, 09:31 AM
Oct 2023

These days, i think most developers would rather build a new home than deal with rehabbing an old home that has been neglected for many years.

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