I just found some baseball cards in an old abandoned house. What do I do?
frankhardy
Posts: 8,139 ✭✭✭✭✭
Here is some background to this story.
I am a meter man for my local power company. Part of my job is collections. I go to a house or a business and collect on over due bills. If they do not have the money or they are not at home I disconnect their electricity. When they pay their bill, I then go back and reconnect the power.
I am on my lunch now. This morning I went to a house that had an over due bill. I knocked and no one was home. The place looked abandoned and was a mess. This is where it gets interesting. I look for the meter and could not find it. I traced the overhead line to the weather head and the meter is inside the house. Apparently, they had added on to this house and did not relocate the meter base. Every customer is supposed to leave us access to the meter if it is on the inside by leaving a door unlocked (which happens rarely, but it does happen). In this situation, the outside door to this room was unlocked so I walk in to disconnect the power. Inside the house was worse than the outside. It was a mess. I do not see how in the world people live this way. It was unbelievable. Now, to the good part.......
After disconnecting the power, I turned around and looked, and in the same room where the meter was, there was a bunch of baseball cards on the floor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Me being a baseball card collector, I was very tempted, but I overcame the temptation and I left them alone. I was just wondering if you guys thought I might should contact the property owner to see if he/she would mind selling them. What do you guys think?
(removed)
I am a meter man for my local power company. Part of my job is collections. I go to a house or a business and collect on over due bills. If they do not have the money or they are not at home I disconnect their electricity. When they pay their bill, I then go back and reconnect the power.
I am on my lunch now. This morning I went to a house that had an over due bill. I knocked and no one was home. The place looked abandoned and was a mess. This is where it gets interesting. I look for the meter and could not find it. I traced the overhead line to the weather head and the meter is inside the house. Apparently, they had added on to this house and did not relocate the meter base. Every customer is supposed to leave us access to the meter if it is on the inside by leaving a door unlocked (which happens rarely, but it does happen). In this situation, the outside door to this room was unlocked so I walk in to disconnect the power. Inside the house was worse than the outside. It was a mess. I do not see how in the world people live this way. It was unbelievable. Now, to the good part.......
After disconnecting the power, I turned around and looked, and in the same room where the meter was, there was a bunch of baseball cards on the floor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Me being a baseball card collector, I was very tempted, but I overcame the temptation and I left them alone. I was just wondering if you guys thought I might should contact the property owner to see if he/she would mind selling them. What do you guys think?
(removed)
Shane
0
Comments
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Collecting:
Any unopened Baseball cello and rack packs and boxes from the 1970's and early 1980s.
<< <i>Does PSA have a qualifier for black mold? >>
Jeff, those are kind of like the 1982 Blackless cards but even rarer.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Collecting:
Any unopened Baseball cello and rack packs and boxes from the 1970's and early 1980s.
<< <i>I knew what you were up to, but I played along anyway. It is sad to see though as it looks like kids were involved unless the adults like Barney. >>
Yes, I know. I see it all the time. You would not believe some of the properties that I have to go to and the people that I have to deal with. I hate to disconnect power when kids are involved.
Shane
MY GOLD TYPE SET https://pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/complete-type-sets/gold-type-set-12-piece-circulation-strikes-1839-1933/publishedset/321940
<< <i>Just looking at those pics makes me want to get a tetanus shot. >>
Believe me - I used hand sanitizer when I got back to the truck....and I had gloves on!
Shane
<< <i>I'm sure the owners will appreciate you posting images of their private residence on a public forum... and they probably read this forum often since they're obvously card collectors!
Shane
They call me "Pack the Ripper"
Thanks in advance.
Successful transactions with: yankeeno7, raiderguy10, Beck6, CDsNuts, DaveP01, Dboneesq, Elemenopeo, gameusedhoop, georgebailey2, Goldlabels, gstarling, justmichael, etc
Working on.........
Tony Dorsett Master Set
1977 Topps Mexican FB (raw)
1957 Topps FB Set (raw or graded)
Bowman Baseball -1948-1955
Fleer Baseball-1923, 1959-2007
Al
www.questfortherookiecup.com
<< <i>Shane - I think you should give Mr Mint a heads up call about this find >>
Yeah, they'll call it the Barney-Find!!!
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Collecting:
Any unopened Baseball cello and rack packs and boxes from the 1970's and early 1980s.
<< <i>I'm sure the owners will appreciate you posting images of their private residence on a public forum... and they probably read this forum often since they're obvously card collectors!
Not to worry. He just has to wait to turn the power back on until this thread is several pages back.
Nick
Reap the whirlwind.
Need to buy something for the wife or girlfriend? Check out Vintage Designer Clothing.
MY GOLD TYPE SET https://pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/complete-type-sets/gold-type-set-12-piece-circulation-strikes-1839-1933/publishedset/321940
<< <i>Shane - I think you should give Mr Mint a heads up call about this find >>
I would LOVE for someone to really call him up ... give him that address ... install a hidden camera ... and look at his face when he got there! LOL
Doug
Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
<< <i>That house is OWNED by Barney, and he WAS home at the time as he is in one of the pictures. He is obviously passed out drunk. His ratings have dropped over the years and he probably has some expensive addictions brought on by his success, and now he can't keep up the lifestyle. Pretty sad IMO. Someone send these pics to Lindsey Lohan, she still has time to turn it around so this doesn't happen to her.
LOL
saucywombat@hotmail.com
<< <i>is that a dead dogs foot on the bottom left of the pic next to the cards? >>
LOL! It does look like it. I think it is insulation.
I agree. Mr Mint needs to be aware of the "Barney Find". However, he can't have it. I found it. This is MY FIND!
Shane
<< <i>is that a dead dogs foot on the bottom left of the pic next to the cards? >>
Maybe part of Barney's stuffing!
<< <i>In their defense it doesn't look like anyone lives there and the house has been ransacked... but that might be my wishful thinking. >>
It very well may be ransacked, but I see stuff like this (at least in the yard and around the house) all the time. So, it would not surprise me if they actually lived this way.
Shane
Just in case.---- Sonny
If you did this to a home in my neighborhood, I would notify both the power company and the police. Not funny dude.....
edited for grammar only, not for content.
Always buying Bobby Cox inserts. PM me.
<< <i>Shane- While I believe your intent was to be humorous here, you really have done something quite wrong by 1) taking pictures on the INSIDE of someone's private residence and then 2) Posting them publically on a forum. Whatever rights you THINK you have as an employee of the power company do not include taking the photos and certainly not distributing them. It doesn't matter if they live there or not....its a PRIVATE RESIDENCE, not your playground for taking photos. This thread truly makes me sick, but not because of the condition of the home. Its the fact that you've trampled on someone's privacy with complete disregard.
If you did this to a home in my neighborhood, I would notify both the power company and the police. Not funny dude.....
edited for grammar only, not for content. >>
While I do respect your opinion, I do not agree. Yes, I believe in privacy just like you say. However, I posted these pictures "generically" meaning - this house is somewhere in the United States, but no one but me knows where it is at. I did not publish a name, address, or telephone number (which, in fact, I do have access to).
I promise that I meant no harm. In respect to your opinion, I have removed the pictures.
Shane
<< <i>
While I do respect your opinion, I do not agree. Yes, I believe in privacy just like you say. However, I posted these pictures "generically" meaning - this house is somewhere in the United States, but no one but me knows where it is at. I did not publish a name, address, or telephone number (which, in fact, I do have access to).
I promise that I meant no harm. In respect to your opinion, I have removed the pictures. >>
Good move to take down the pictures. But whether or not anyone on THIS board knows where the house is or not...that's not really the point. Its not one opinion vs. another opinion. I'm almost certain you broke several laws by taking the photos illegally without permission of the homeowners. I realize you meant no harm though. I grew up in a poor area and I can assure that there are many many families who live in homes just like that. No reason to humiliate them by violating their privacy rights. But again, NOT mad at you, just venting about the situation and somewhat frustrated that others weren't offended about the situation either. I appreciate the PM.
Always buying Bobby Cox inserts. PM me.
Regardless though, this house was abandoned and vacant and probably ransacked by raccoons or some other animal.
Shane
That being said, the pictures don't offend me. I gave up hope of anyone having privacy long ago. Anyone can come take pictures of my house or of me through my window and post them anywhere. Just saying people out there live in a variety of lifestyles. Nothings shocking.
On a side note, those cards are not worth the time asking to purchase. Let them be, and stay far away from that place. That's the kind of place only bad things come from. Trust me...
<< <i>There is no law that i am aware of that prohibits you from taking any pictures of a house....especially an abandoned one. I really do not think SHane did anything harmful or wrong here. Let's not jump to conclusions. If you feel the need to contact the law and power company you need to get a life and quit worrying about trying to stir trouble. I can drive by your house anytime and snap photos from the road if I wanted. I am not sure about entering the property and snapping pics, but at the end of the day......who really cares? If the owner was that anal about privacy perhaps they should have paid the electric bill. the place is ABANDONED. Matter of fact the county should set a match to it. >>
I'm laughing out loud while I'm reading your post, because you've missed all of the key points. No one was complaining about taking pictures of the outside of someone's house. If you have a camera, you can obviously snap whatever you want to from the street. But did you see the pictures before they were deleted? They weren't from the outside, they were from the inside. You are not allowed to take unauthorized photos FROM THE INSIDE of someone's house if you are a utility worker who's come to check a power meter.
You ask "But who really cares?" Perhaps if someone here started a thread that included photos of your bedrooom and bathroom that you were unaware of and hadn't given someone permission to take, then you'd feel differently. If you don't understand that, then I feel sorry for you too. But if you want to make a side bet of whether the OP broke a law or not, I'm happy to do that, and we can have a few attorneys chime in.
Not many fans of property rights on this thread, thats for sure.
Always buying Bobby Cox inserts. PM me.
Always buying Bobby Cox inserts. PM me.
Regards
If we're going to talk about the law - and I'm neither knowledgeable nor a lawyer - but I do know that there is the "letter of the law" and the "spirit."
If it "is" illegal to do what Shane did? He did break the letter - but since he meant no harm - was not intentionally trying to invade privacy - "and" the house was abandoned, he did not break the "spirit" of the law - IMO - which would be predicated on "privacy" issues.
In weighing the egregiousness of the act? If the "spirit" of the law is broken? The act would be viewed by a judge as more serious - allowing for less mitigation. Since it wasn't...
I'm for letting Shane off the hook.
You're dismissed Shane.
edit: if any of the real lawyers want to smack me for this uneducated response - I'm drawing this from my philosophy courses in college - this May - 40 years ago.
That's the most offensive thing here, can you imagine little kids walking past that house on there way to school with who knows holding up in there.
<< <i>malatov cotail >>
Wasn't he a Bulgarian professional basketball player?