Posted on 04/05/2007 8:49:39 AM PDT by Horatio Gates
TACOMA, Wash. - Someone with cruel intentions placed a fake ad on Craig's List, inviting people to take whatever they wanted for free from a Tacoma home.
Homeowner Laurie Raye says there's little left now of the house. The outside of the home is trashed, the inside is nearly gutted and covered in graffiti. Raye says she is devastated.
"I was attached to this home because it used to be my mom's," says Raye.
The homeowner says from the light fixtures to the hot water heater, everything is gone - including the kitchen sink. Raye recently evicted the tenant and cleaned out the rental, but she would soon be the one taken to the cleaners. A phone caller alerted Raye to the destruction. She walked through her garbage strewn front yard to find her house dismantled.
"Including the front door," said Raye. "This used to be a very nice vinyl window here."
From the light fixtures to the hot water heater, everything is gone - including the kitchen sink.
Her neighbors later reported seeing strangers hauling stuff away from her home, seemingly looking for salvage material.
The "ad" was posted on Craig's List last weekend.
"In the ad, it said come and take what you want. Everything is free," said Raye. "Please help yourself to anything on the property."
An off-duty Tacoma police officer noticed the Craig's List ad last week, inviting people to enter the unlocked house and take whatever they wanted. Later, that same officer noticed the ad was flagged and canceled after a reported burglary at the house.
"We've had a lot of scams off of Craig's List," said Detective Gretchen Ellis, Tacoma Police Department. "We've had prostitution things happen, rental scams, fraudulent activity. In this case, it appeared the items were going to be given away, but they were not."
"This can happen to anybody, but look what happened to me," said Raye.
Raye believes the unknown person who posted the ad carries a personal grudge against her, but that person also conned unsuspecting people into taking part.
"The instigator who published this ad invited the public to come in and vandalize me," said Raye.
When Raye contacted Craig's List, she received an email back saying they can't release information about who posted the ad without a subpoena or search warrant.
KING 5 was unable to get anyone from Craig's List to personally respond to this story, but the web site has a long list of rules that clearly prohibit people from posting material that is illegal, harmful, threatening or harassing.
Washington State ping
On the way, along with a notice that Craig's List is being sued for full replacement and repair cost.
And didn't call the police????
The person who placed the ad should be jailed as well and also made to pay their share of the damages.
Yeah, right.
Gee, maybe it was the evicted tenant who placed the ad?
How about prosecuted for obstruction of justice, criminal solicitation and aiding & abetting a felony?
I can sympathize with this woman but really, how did this woman evict the tenant? By fax?
Did she make no visits to the property to ensure that it was properly secured after the tenant left? The article does state the house was unlocked. Did she not get all keys from the tenant and then change the locks?
Not smart. As a landlord, she has a responsibility to her property. She should know that the possibility of damage being done by an evictee is always real.
Look out for Number One and trust nobody. Except your sweetie.
You would think Craig’s List would want to cooperate since, if the person who placed the ad is not located, Craig List will be the sole “stuckee.”
So are we talking about an apartment or a house?
An off-duty Tacoma police officer noticed the Craig’s List ad last week, inviting people to enter the unlocked house and take whatever they wanted.
****
Uh, why was the property unlocked?
And by the way, when the tenant leaves or is evicted, always change the locks...even if the tenant surrenders his/her key(s).
BINGO!
If not him, certainly someone he knows.
...that person also conned Democrat Voter DUmmies into taking part......
"Why Ike, whatever do you mean?" LOL!
I was wondering about that discrepancy too. Typical of the media to have a headline that doesn’t match up with the article
Agreed. Some good lessons for prospective landlords here. I was wondering if the landlord was one of thse types thats just in it for the rent, never shows up and rents to evryone and anyone. The neighbors just love those typs of renters I’ll bet
If a bartender is somehow responsible and can face charges when s/he serves someone too much to drink and has an accident, if an employer or apartment manager can face charges for hiring or renting to illegal aliens, if a tobacco company, when after labeling their product with the mandated warnings can be sued successfully when a smoker contracts lung cancer, then Craig’s List bears a major amount of responsibility for damages and should have to pay restitution.
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