Family says squatter moved into their house then sold their belongings online
One bold squatter allegedly decided to not only make himself at home inside of someone else's house, but to sell their furnishings as well.
Ed Saurs and his family moved from Puyallup, Washington, to Olympia, but hadn't put their old house on the market yet. At some point, a man allegedly moved into the house and began to put items up on Craigslist and OfferUp. Saurs said he went to the house on Tuesday to meet with a real estate agent, and saw a pickup truck in the driveway. He ran into a man inside his kitchen, who said he was there to buy a microwave. Then, Saurs said, another man slipped out through a sliding glass door. He chased him, but the man got away.
Saurs said the suspect sold about $5,000 worth of items, including a washer, dryer, stove, mattress, refrigerator, television, and tools. "It bothers me," he told USA Today. "This is our space, we lived here for 25 years. This is not a good way to end 25 years of living in a home." The Pierce County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident, and a neighbor's surveillance camera was able to capture images of a man fleeing from the property. Saurs said it looks like the suspect had been living there for a while, and left behind some personal items. "Built a nice little nest for himself," he added.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
'Without mandatory testing, bird flu will continue circulating at farms across the country'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Thirteen missing after Red Sea tourist boat sinks
Speed Read The vessel sank near the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Khan supporters converge on Islamabad
Speed Read Protesters clashing with Pakistani authorities are demanding the release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published