Walking the dogs to town today, I spotted this:
That’s the Freeloader family’s house. Looks as if they’ve been evicted for the second time in a year. All their sad stuff — including the little kids’ bikes — tossed to the roadside. Exact repeat of what happened when the church kicked them out of the (free) place they lived in before.
Just when I was wondering where they could go from here, I passed one of the local drug houses (at least I assume it’s a drug house; we do have several and this house is a profile-fitting tumbledown with an ever-shifting population of scruffy, undernourished young men). There was Mr. Freeloader and his oldest boy in the yard.
To be fair, I’ve never seen signs of Mr. F being a druggie, unless you count his sheer lack of responsibility. But plenty of people come by that without chemical assistance.
Poor little kids. At least they get to stay in the neighborhood with their friends.
I suppose it would just be too snotty — not to mention useless — to send them a copy of this?
Wow. They got evicted hard.
Guess they really endeared themselves to the landlord, huh? Sorry for the innocent FF members, if any.
Yep. Really hard. Last time, a sheriff’s deputy supervised. This time, I didn’t come upon the rubble until after the deed was done so I don’t know how rough things got. Still, I have no doubt they’re (once again) telling people about what a raw deal they got and how it was all the evil landlord’s fault.
Seems they’re content to just leave the old stuff there and move on without it. (Looked for my weed wacker in the rubble heap; found only a piece of it, so I think it’s time to hit garage sales again.)
And yes, there are four little kids in that family, one just born a couple of months ago. I’m torn between feeling really bad for them and fearing what they’re likely to turn into.
Someone got evicted from my apt complex a couple of weeks ago. They left behind an apartment infested with fleas – it was so bad the maintenance people had to go in fully covered from head to toe, like Hazmat workers to bug bomb and replace carpet. A few fleeing fleas decided to visit our apt. They’re gone now, but gee thanks, ex-neighbors. Good riddance.
Sorry that your neighbor’s kids have to pay for their father’s irresponsibility
No, it would not be too snotty given what you’ve experienced by this thing, I refuse to call “him” a man. Since the guide you’re considering giving “him” is basically one for young men on how to be MEN, it would be less than useless since he needed to have some “nuts” to start with in the first place. And you need them to be a good man and be responsible. Which means even most women have more “nuts” than he does. (This is a family site after all.)
Now, my question is, does the camper in the pic belong to the guy? Otherwise why is he not living in it instead of squatting in some flea-infested hole?
Yup. I tend to agree with you on the “man” thing, Jim B. He may be biologically a man if he’s fathered all those kids. And physically he’s strong as a bull. But real manhood? Of that, he has not one bit. Damn shame.
The camper … he claims that belongs to his supposedly missing brother, but yes he’s had the use of it at least since he moved into that little yellow house. I’m not sure how much better it would be than a flea-infested drug house; it looks pretty flea-infested itself. Windows are broken and I’d bet nothing works inside. But at least it’s not a drug house.
Where he’d put it is another question. But in his shoes (hard to imagine myself in his shoes), I’d find somebody to tow it out into the woods for me and I’d move the family into it, pretty much expense free, until we could find an honest way to get back on our feet.
Poor kids. I know people shouldn’t get too attached to “things”, but I wonder how it will affect them to keep losing their toys. And their home. I wonder if they’d be better off if their “dad” got eaten by wolves.
Eaten by wolves. Now there’s a nice, neighborhood-improving thought …
This is the only time in many, many years when I’ve found myself thinking, “Those kids would be better off to be taken away from their parents.” But of course, how much better off would they be to be made wards of the state? It’s too bad that there doesn’t seem to be any loving, stable alternative for them.
It just makes me sad and angry. I hope at least they’re a little farther away from you in the neighborhood, because dear old dad doesn’t seem to have learned anything. And don’t be surprised if this is somehow your fault for not giving the kid $5 to pay the rent.
Karen — Sad and angry. That about describes it.
Unfortunately, if they’re living where I think, they’re two blocks closer to me. I really don’t expect that arrangement to last long, though.
And yeah … I had the same thought about the $5.
I think we all saw that one coming. I feel bad for the kids, more than anything. I hope they don’t take them away, next. Although maybe that might be a “turning point for the better” for them, depending on how helpful that agency is in your area.
That’s a mess, for sure.
Water Lily — Eeeeew. That’s disgusting! Fleas so bad people had to wear hazmat suits?
We may see more of that sort of thing, though. Furrydoc says fleas are beginning to get resistant; we may be looking at “superfleas” a few years down the road. Now isn’t that a cheery thought?
The freeloader might not read that article, but maybe one of the kids might?
“we may be looking at “superfleas” a few years down the road.”
Maybe they are already here. I had been using BioSpot flea treatment on all of my dogs for years with complete success. Then suddenly last year we had a flea infestation. Switching to another product solved the problem. So I’ve been wondering was there a change in the formula BioSpot was using or did the local fleas adapt and overcome? Also ticks are becoming a much bigger problem than they have ever been. I wish there was some treatment for humans like there is for dogs to prevent ticks from attaching for a month at a time. These days a shower immediately following a walk in the woods is a requirement. I know several people who have Lyme disease and I want no part of it.
Ellendra — I wish. His kids are all way too young for it, right now. I’m guessing the oldest is 10, but he could be as young as 8. Youngest (also a boy) was born earlier this summer.
I’m probably foolish to even think anybody in that family would pay attention to any advice. But I do find myself wishing I could get through to them, and that article is great.
Claire,
You’re not such a “crazy lady with the dogs after all”, know how I know?
Take a look at this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ykK0ifsMcA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Superfleas are coming for sure. The little bast**ds are very resistant to the current meds. They keep developing more meds but be wary of nasty side effects.
I don’t use any synthetic flea/tick meds on my pup, just some repelling essential oil spray and a rubdown with diatomaceous earth. She eats “Bug Off” garlic pills, too.
So far we haven’t had a flea problem except for the ex-neighbor issue, and that’s over with now.
I’ve noticed the change, too. A few years ago I got rid of all the carpets in my house and — voila! — no need to treat the dogs with flea meds. They had no problem for years. Since then I’ve made a point of having only area rugs, not carpets wherever I’ve lived. This year for the first time I had to treat with Advantage II — and it didn’t work all that well. Next year I think I’ll try those oils and other things to repel rather than treat.
Two jobs ago, I went as part of a crew into a duplex where the people had been evicted-and fleas crawled up my legs-yeah, they can get thick(as a maintenance guy, you see weird crap). After the exterminator was called in, we tore out all the carpeting, which was soaked in dog and human pee(you can imagine what that smelled like). My garage became the “decontamination center”(long story)-I didn’t want to bring any inside to get on the cat or in the carpet. This place was just chug full of all kinds of bugs. How they stood it is beyond me.
I watched a guy in an apartment complex I lived in get evicted-just as soon as the sheriff left, people came out of nowhere (it seemed) and snatched the guy’s stuff. Not a pretty sight.
I couldn’t help but notice in the picture what looks like: a bucket of tin cans, a few appliances, some bicycles/parts, probably metal siding on that trailer.
Too bad, Pops missed out on another chance for a life lesson for Junior. I bet if Junior got himself some wire cutters, with a little bit of effort he could have stripped out the metal from his family’s belongings and salvaged almost $5 worth at the scrap yard.
I guess that’d probably make him the sole breadwinner in the house
Landlord/tenant. When the sheriff’s involved, that’s baaad.
Of course, it’ll be no surprise that if the deputy is at the door (You have 20 minutes to pack) that’s a sign of some tenant who’s determined to hold on until the last possible second. Which may not work so well when the deputy shows up on a rain or snow day…..
Hobbit — I surely bow to your expertise in all things legal. I have no idea how any of this stuff works. I wondered if having a deputy supervising was SOP or what.
And you’re saying they don’t like to stand out in the weather while some deadbeat gathers up his porn collection or his bongs? What a surprise …
“I guess that’d probably make him the sole breadwinner in the house”
Somehow it seems more and more that the most cynical possible viewpoint is also the most accurate one.
I doubt that either dad or son will be over to strip the metal. But I can guarantee you that, in this neighborhood, if they don’t somebody will.