Malicious mischief. They didn't want the stuff, just wanted to stick it to someone. Wanted to make someone's life miserable. What terrible awful people.
American Heritage Dictionary:
malicious mischief n. Willful or wanton destruction of another’s property.
Even if they’d done to the right person that’s what this was.
Not defending the company’s actions here (they were reprehensible), but the fact that they “didn’t want the stuff” in the house is irrelevant. They weren’t there to repossss the contents of the house, they were there to repossess the house itself.
Again, they were reprehensible for not making damn sure they had the right house, but discarding stuff from the (correct) house is pretty standard practice in a foreclosure/eviction.
I have a friend that owns a Home Repo company in the South Chicago area.
If you ever see some of the nightmares they are dealing with on a daily basis, you’d have a MUCH different opinion.
That said, the company does have an obligation to make sure it’s the right friggin’ house.