How did you leave your FC property? (cleanliness, contents?)

[goblue]

We are giving up our home in our Ch7. We've moved to a rental property, but haven't fully cleaned out our old home yet.

I certainly don't want to do any major cleaning when we officially walk away from our old home. My husband and I have different views on how much work we should do (cleaning mostly) in this house.

I'm just wondering -- when you gave up your house -- how did you leave it? We have a bunch of junk we are tossing - should we work hard to get it picked up by garbage service or do people generally just leave it and let whomever deal with it during/after the foreclosure?

Any thoughts???

[Tifosi]

We cleaned out any perishables and normal trash.

We left lots of boxes, bags of junk and such in the garage and basement. I certainly wasn't going to pay for an extra trash pickup. That being said the house was not left with junk all over the floors throughout the house like you see on many tv shows.

[goblue]

Thank you....that's what he was hoping to do and the more I think about it -- it makes sense. He has a bunch of stuff to be thrown out left in the middle of the garage - the house itself is empty. We have 2 more garbage pick ups at the old house -- I'm sure we'll get as much out as possible.

[justbroke]

I left my rental property pretty clean. Actually, it was "rent ready" as I had it prepared for a new tenant. Most will say that "broom clean" is just fine.

Broom clean means that everything should be emptied and then you at least sweep after everything is gone.

• It doesn't mean scouring the refrigerator, although cleaning it out, turning it off, and leaving the doors open helps. It doesn't mean cleaning your oven or stove top. However, I would make sure there's no food lying around in the cabinets or any crumbs for critters to feast on upon your departure.
• It doesn't even mean vacuuming, but sweeping the non-carpeted areas is a nice thing.
• Take out the trash, especially trash containing food products.
• Flush the contents of the toilets, just in case something was left behind. (Also, turn off water to all sinks and toilets!)
• Do not stack trash in garage, basement or kitchen, actually bring it to the curb
• Actually sweep the floors.

[BROKEDED]

It doesn't matter how you leave it or what you leave behind. Someone is going to do a trash out/clean out anyway and get paid to do it. If you want to be nice, empty the fridge if you're leaving the fridge and haul off stuff that might spoil or have it picked up but as for stuff you don't want to keep or just miscellanous trash, leave it.

I used to get some work doing trash outs. Most things I found were trash but sometimes they'd throw me a bone. The best things were a steel truck tool box and a RC car ($200) and some PS/2 Games. Most things were like toys and clothes. If they were in good condition I'd take them to Goodwill and use them as a deduction.

The worst one I ever had was a fridge that had been sitting full of food for a month, power off, and in the middle of summer. I was warned by the realtor not to open the door. You ever heard the saying, "Curiousity killed the cat."? Well, that was as close to a near death experience as I'd come to in a long time. Once I had aired the house out for an hour, I took the sliding glass doors off and dragged the fridge outside to wash it out with a water hose...from a distance. There was a two inch thick layer of green and black mold and scum covering the entire inside of the fridge. I left it outside and had to make a special trip two days later to drag it back in the house. Uuuuggghhh!!!

Another person that I knew who also did trash outs was sent to a house one time and found the house with everything still in it, including a car in the garage. They said they found a whole set of suitcases, packed, and sitting at the door as if the family was getting ready to leave. They left the house and went through this whole process of reverifying that the tenants were given ample time to vacate and they got reordered to the house. They still ended up putting everything in storage for 6 months but the family never came forward to claim anything. Apparently, they were from India and had "supposedly" left the country with nothing. The person I knew said they were really scared that they were gonna end up popping the trunk and finding dead bodies but nothing SO everything was auctioned off and the trash out guy got most of the money. I think the car sold for $6000.

[justbroke]

Yes, at least clean the refrig!

[chad9162]

Clean the fridge?? I'm selling the fridge or giving it away!

[HHM]

There is no legal requirement for any level of cleanliness, certainly don't rip the place apart. But from a Karma perspective, clean it out, remove perishables, have a couple of garage sales, etc.

[AngelinaCatHub]

It is a matter of pride and character. I would leave it broom clean at least as it reflects upon me. Consideration and respect for the use you had for the item. I would also take pictures of the whole place as you left it, as if it gets broken into and trashed you need no more trouble. 'Hub

[AngelinaCat]

I will add this to 'Hub's advice: having something like the front page of the current newspaper in the photos when you take them. This gives a date and time stamp to the photos that is difficult to dispute.

[StartingOver08]

it is a matter of pride and character. I would leave it broom clean at least as it reflects upon me. Consideration and respect for the use you had for the item. I would also take pictures of the whole place as you left it, as if it gets broken into and trashed you need no more trouble. 'hub

+1.

[PoorNow]

We were trying to sell our house still when we vacated it, so we cleaned it all up and got all of our stuff out. We didnt leave anything behind. We had a bunch of friends in the neighborhood. I would have been embarassed if someone had come by and see trash and crap left behind. It was clean when we bought it, we left it clean. I think it sucks when people leave trash and crap behind, especially anything that can spoil and stink.

[limage]

Wow, this is a timely question! I surrendered my condo in my Ch 7 to the mtg co and the condo HOA (they had started a lien foreclosure). The HOA was moving faster than the bank and had a summary judgement (actually took place on the 1st with a sale date of May 21).

Last weekend I moved most of my belongings with a professional mover. I left behind a few boxes of things I planned to pick up the following weekend, as well as a few items I was giving to a friend (washer, dryer, and few pieces of furniture). I cleaned out the fridge, shut the electric off from the breakers. I planned to sweep and remove everything when I returned. I also planned to let the mtg co know once I was gone that I had abandoned it.

I moved from FL to TN, so I was flying back to retrieve the other things and my truck and horse (boarded). Well.... the locks were changed. I assume it is the HOA since someone must have told them I was moving. I had a limited amount of time to do everything since I was on a tight schedule to get back to TN. I called my attorney and he told me to call the HOA and tell them to let me in, or let them know I would get in or break-in (locksmith or window). The woman at the condo management company basically denied knowing anything (I'm sure this was what she was told to say).

Long story long, I got in through a window and my stuff was still there (thank GOD!). I noticed my water was shut off at the main and I went to turn it on to wash my hands and went back inside and heard the water for the washer (which had been picked up) running full blast UPSTAIRS. By the time I got back out to shut it off, I would guess 20 gallons dumped in the laundry and hallway.

I put towels down and tried to soak some of it up. The water started leaking through down to the kitchen below. It was hot in the condo, I was pissed, I didn't have time and I had lost all concern for something that used to be so important to me. I left it Friday, dripping wet. And I did not clean it as I had planned (sweeping mainly).

I had a VERY hard time sleeping Friday night. I feel really bad, but there's nothing I can do about it now. I'll let the bank know tomorrow to secure it, but I don't think I should admit to the water damage.

So, my answer to you would be clean it up as well as your conscience requires.

[StartingOver08]

Even though the HOA was moving faster on the F/C, it probably was the bank that changed the locks. They are very, very quick to change locks if the place looks like it is vacant.

[BROKEDED]

Even though the HOA was moving faster on the F/C, it probably was the bank that changed the locks. They are very, very quick to change locks if the place looks like it is vacant.

Probably the bank.

Also, I just want to say that I didn't mean to imply that you leave the place trashed on purpose but sometimes time is of the essence and you have to be out by a certain date whether you're ready of not. I would guess that most people clean the house because of fear of embarrassment, thinking that a neighbor or friend might see how it was left and think less of them some how.

For some people it's about closure and feeling that they left a nice home for some other family.