What would you do? Am I wrong here?

[diggummup]

I went to an estate sale over the weekend. The guy listed his number so I gave him a call the night before the sale and asked if he would be starting any earlier because people will be there at the crack of dawn, that's the way they are around here. He was in from out of town (NC) to settle his dads estate and said he had to drop off someone at the airport first thing in the morning and would not be there until 7:30. I said thanks i'll see you then and hung up.

Morning comes and I show up at around 7:15. I notice a couple vehicles with 2 teenage boys shutting the trunk of one of them (looking guilty now that I think back on it) and then walking around towards the back of house. I'm thinking maybe it's the guys sons or something so I followed them around back (through a gate) and see a detached building/work room where they went into. When I go in, I see the 2 boys, a man, and another couple digging through everything in the room. The man and wife are a dirtbag couple I recognized from other sales and I already know from firsthand experience that they have no respect for other peoples property.

Anyway, the dirtbag guy I recognized says "there's no one here yet," I then asked the other guy with the 2 kids, "you aren't the owner" and he said no. I immediately walked out of the room and as I was leaving I turned around and told them all, "If this was my place I'd have you arrested" and walked out back to the front yard.

About 2 minutes later, the owner pulls up as they are putting items by the front porch. I (being the big mouth that I am) told the guy that they've been digging through your building out back like a bunch of animals and if I were you i'd call the cops on them for trespassing and breaking and entering. The one dirtbag (dudes wife or whatever) opens her mouth and says "Oh my god, what are you trying to do to us?" I said I aint trying to do anything, if this were my property I'd call the law on your a**es and have you arrested. You people are a bunch of animals, i've seen you in action before, I know how you are and how you operate." The owner looked a little surprised and didn't know how to react and didn't do anything and he opened up and let us in.

I apologize for being long winded but it just p****d me off that this puke of a woman seemed to get offended because I called them out and through them under the bus so to speak. What would you do if it was your property and someone was rooting through your dads workshop before you were even there? I mean am I wrong here?

PS- I mentioned that the kids looked guilty now that I think back on it when we first pulled up. I believe they were loading their dads car with stuff from the building. Turns out all 5 were together so to speak, even though they were in 2 vehicles.

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[2ndisbest]

The only difference with me would be I would talk to the home owner discretely about what I saw. I would not want to spook the guilty party into leaving the scene. If he did want to call the police and they showed up, they look a lot more guilty with stolen goods already in their car vs them spooked and taking to the hills before the cops show up. Though in that situation I can see why you did what you did. You had no idea the homeowner was about to pull up and maybe you just wanted to get them to stop stealing. Not exactly sure what I would have done but yes I would have done something.

[bazinga]

I would have done the same thing you did. People like that piss me off. And generally people are afraid to call the cops and do something in a situation like that. I've called out people in stores as well.

A couple years back I got into an argument at a Target because this old man was opening up all of the Hot Wheels packages looking for certain cars. And when he didn't find the cars he wanted he would "discreetly" put them back in the package as best as he could and hide them behind the sealed packages. He got really pissed off at me. It was funny seeing a man approaching 60 grabbing his crotch and telling me what I should do to it. I told store employees and they just didn't care enough to do anything.

At the end, when I saw him leaving the store guilt or his wife got the best of him and his cart was full of the opened packages.

I call people out all of the time.

In my opinion, you were in the right.

Next time, it might just be easier to call the cops yourself and say you just witnessed somebody breaking and entering.

[Coinstriking Michigan]

I would have had to restrain myself from throwing hooks and uppercuts on town trash.

[diggummup]

The only difference with me would be I would talk to the home owner discretely about what I saw. I would not want to spook the guilty party into leaving the scene. If he did want to call the police and they showed up, they look a lot more guilty with stolen goods already in their car vs them spooked and taking to the hills before the cops show up. Though in that situation I can see why you did what you did. You had no idea the homeowner was about to pull up and maybe you just wanted to get them to stop stealing. Not exactly sure what I would have done but yes I would have done something.

I wasn't 100% sure and didn't actually see the kids put anything in the trunk so I couldn't prove that they stole anything or I may have called the cops myself after I found out they weren't the owners sons but instead were the sons of the dude that turned out to be the friend of the dirtbag couple.

The homeowner saw the greasy sweathog lady coming from the backyard when he pulled uo. The others were already at the front (open) porch (which sits quarter-turned from the road and is next to the gate that goes in the back) with the rest of the items they pulled out of the building piled up. His car pulled up between the fence and the porch. It was obvious what they had been doing.

I knew he was going to show up at any second because he had told me he would be there at 7:30, it was 20 after. These people didn't scare off, they acted offended that I called them animals and made a smart a** comment about it (or two) while we were all inside searching through stuff, and you know I answered them right back. Like I said i've seen these people many times over the last 5 years or so from Miami to West Palm at estate sales and even garage sales. I was already familiar with who they are and how they operate. I saw them trash a house once as they were digging through closets and drawers, the contents strewn across the entire room almost as if they were vandalizing the place. For me, I think this was the straw that broke the camels back with these a-holes. I'll just refer to them as the b&e couple everytime I see them from now on at future sales. I will call the out everytime I see them from here on out. They will have a hard way to go whenever i'm around them. I have no problem speaking my mind.

[apush]

These folks lack a "moral compass." Nothing that can be said or done will change their way of life. These are the types you must watch out for and never turn your back. You did the right thing.
apush

[jerseyben]

How did they get into the building? Was the door open and a sign up saying "estate sale today"?

[rickjr]

diggummup.. I'm from the same area myself. I had a garage sale a couple years ago and had a lady actually stealing stuff right in front of me and when I confronted her she said well you don't want the stuff, I told her to put it back and she wouldn't do it so I got a machette out of the garage and had to physically threaten her to get the stuff back. She said she was going to call the cops and I told her to go for it. Oh! by the way she was from and island south of Florida that had an earthquake a few years ago. I'll never have another sale I'll just donate it to goodwill and take the tax write off.

[Lafitte Deux]

I would have done the same thing, Diggummup.
Had you not arrived, they probably would have loaded up their trunks and casually waited for the owner to show up and open the house.
I see these same types all the time. Taking any advantage they can to get their "goodies". Can't stand 'em!

[SnakemanBill]

I would of done the same thing. If I could of held my tongue a bit I may have been more discrete with the landowner as not to alarm the thieves before he could call the cops on them. Good job Diggummup!

[diggummup]

How did they get into the building? Was the door open and a sign up saying "estate sale today"?

There were no signs posted anywhere. I researched the owner of the property a little the night before I went to the sale. The owner died several years ago and everything was in probate according to the court records (I do my homework, lol). It was just settled recently and that's why the guy's son came in from N.C., to empty out the house. He said they are going to demolish it after everything was said and done. The house is old by S.Fl. standards (1940's) and had been unlived in for several years (since the man's death) and looked a little rough with the exception of the yard which was kept up somewhat. I don't know how they got into the building, I guess maybe it was unlocked? It was in the backyard though, and that was fully fenced in.

diggummup.. I'm from the same area myself. I had a garage sale a couple years ago and had a lady actually stealing stuff right in front of me and when I confronted her she said well you don't want the stuff, I told her to put it back and she wouldn't do it so I got a machette out of the garage and had to physically threaten her to get the stuff back. She said she was going to call the cops and I told her to go for it. Oh! by the way she was from and island south of Florida that had an earthquake a few years ago. I'll never have another sale I'll just donate it to goodwill and take the tax write off.

You gotta love that "island south of Florida that had an earthquake a few years ago" lol. They are for the most part very rude and abrasive, and that's being nice. I've witnessed it all when it comes to the Haitians. At least the ones that do the garage sale routine.
Please take your flag and go back home.

I would have done the same thing, Diggummup.
Had you not arrived, they probably would have loaded up their trunks and casually waited for the owner to show up and open the house.
I see these same types all the time. Taking any advantage they can to get their "goodies". Can't stand 'em!

I agree 100%, they probably would have loaded up with everything they could have.

I would of done the same thing. If I could of held my tongue a bit I may have been more discrete with the landowner as not to alarm the thieves before he could call the cops on them. Good job Diggummup!

[Coinstriking Michigan]

"greasy sweathog lady"............Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah ahahaha

[Coinstriking Michigan]

Scummy people usually come from scummy people. It's generation after generation of no manners, class, or pride. They have no shame.

[diggummup]

I would have had to restrain myself from throwing hooks and uppercuts on town trash.

That's some funny **** . I'm trying to picture that . You look as intimidating as I do... almost. Especially when I shave my head. LOL

"greasy sweathog lady"............Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah ahahaha

Yeah, you know the type-



This is actually a pretty good resemblance of her.

[bazinga]

Scummy people usually come from scummy people. It's generation after generation of no manners, class, or pride. They have no shame.

Don't forget that scummy people generally have more children than the average person. So scummy people are increasing at a rate far greater than the normal population. Before long, we will be over run with them!

[Mr. Silver Stash]

Maybe you should have called the police yourself. Owner would have shown up to these people getting what they deserve. How can they basically break in somewhere to start doing that? The love of money IS the root of all types of evil. Tag & estate sales are super competitive imo.

[Catobra]

It is sad (and scary for the rest of us) that as the years go by ethics (like diggummup encountered) and personal responsibility are dropping at an amazing rate. One of my main pet peeves.

I'm not sure what I would have done, but I know that my boyfriend probably would have ended up in a sticky-wicket of a situation : ) Good for you diggummup!

[austin]

Do what we used to do in Texas. Give 'em a fair trial and then hang 'em.

[SEANO]

Trash, Trash, Trash POS's...

Gotta ask, did you find any quality items for yourself or were the thieves pockets full with most the stolen treasures? Would have loved to see the cops make them empty their pockets!!!

H Trash!!

[MrLee]

You did the right thing Digg. When people realize they will be called out every time they will start behaving in a civilized manner. The problem is we are becoming so detached, afraid, etc. that we often keep quite and mind our own business.