Tedd Thompson

Being a landlord is a up and down affair, I've seen it all through the years,holes in walls,skip outs on the rent, trashed units, seven people move into a two room unit. It's all just part of the rental business, no biggie it's just part of the business of a slum lord .But there is one thing that will make you wish you had a nine to five job and that is when a tenant dies in a unit and no one knows about it for about two weeks. Happened yesterday. We lost a good tenant, he lost his life of course and sometime in the future my dad and I will have to clean up the mess.

The county will or has locked (sealed) the unit up and we won't be able to gain assess till a corner has determined cause of death usually thirty days or more and of course they have turned off all the electricity so everything will spoil even more than it is now. Some days are just better than others.....Tedd

Olds Dad

ugh...worst I've had was a second floor waterbed (that I didn't know was there) got slashed in a domestic dispute and flooded the first floor below....

No bodies though -

oldcutlass

Geez, isn't that special.

L69 equipped

Hi Tedd,


Sorry to hear about this misfortunate act.

I can only speak as a retired Police Officer of 20 years from the South, but if that is what your local jurisdiction has informed you is "protocol" , I would be highly skeptical.

Any "unclassified" death investigation does require a supplemental investigation by the Coroner.

However, I have NEVER heard of a 30 day turnaround. In rare instances, DNA evidence may require that timeframe.

Furthermore, there would be absolutely no reason for the "crime scene" to be without power. If anything, they would want to preserve it in its unadulterated state.

As far as "securing the scene" , absolutely that is a priority even after the scene has been processed in order to rule out (or confirm) the coroner's findings in the cause of death.

I would ask to speak to the “lead Investigator” and explain your circumstances. I am sure that something more professional can be worked out.

Just my 2 cent.


Dave

m371961

There are cleaning companies that will do it.

stevengerard

X2 ^

I wouldn't risk cleaning it up for many reasons. I know it adds to the cost but you should hire someone for your own safety and sanity.

Tedd Thompson

This isn't the first time but the forth time someone has died on the property since I have been involved so I'm pretty sure how this will shake out( we rent to a lot of older retirees).

I've never had a problem if a doctor or 911 was called but should someone die unobserved then all hell breaks out and a lock is put on the door till the coroner OK's the death certificate. If the deceased is in any way a word of the state then someone from the state or court will ransack the property for any valuables then the relatives if any or if there is no will get a shot at whats left, we get to throw whatever is left in a dumpster. Usuall most all goes into the dumpster because these people seldom have much of anything of value. Thats the way it has gone for us in the last 25 years or so. Property has been in the family since 1938 when my great uncle built these units....Tedd

PS. Because the switch box is located outside the unit I was able to turn on the master switch this morning(no tape or seals were on the box).

Tedd Thompson

Oops double post...Tedd

MDchanic

Thirty days without access seems insanely long from other experiences I've had, but if that's the way it's done there, what can I say?

My one word of advice, other than "Open all the windows," is "Burn coffee."

Get a whole bag of coffee beans, pull out a frying pan, put it on the stove over a full flame, and burn 'em.

Makes the smell much more tolerable.

- Eric

m371961

I might have been hesitant to turn the elec back on without being able to check and see what appliances may be on.

Lady72nRob71

I sure hope they took the body!
Wow - I feel for you... I know what a 2-week old rotting rabbit smelled like on my patio, so I cannot imagine how bad this would be.
Best of luck to you!

Tedd Thompson

There is a good chance that the poor guy may have laid there for a few days unable to get up according to one of the sheriff officers, I didn't go in so that is just here say but it makes since as others said the body was not that bad for a two week old corpse.Also probably helped that the air conditioner was on 24-7 that what alerted us that there was a problem plus he hadn't paid his rent and he was the type that was never later than a day or two ever....Sorry if this has been a downer for anyone, I'm all for letting is thread go away if this upsetting for others....Tedd

texxas

Wow, I haven't had anyone die in any of my units... yet. I had some heroin junkies that hauled scrap metal up into their second floor apartment and then up the attic stairs(after cutting off my lock). Not a little scrap metal, 2 and a half tons. That's right 5000 pounds of scrap hauled to the third story. I took it all to the metal yard but it was hardly worth all the work it took me to get it back outside. I think they were on meth too. The cops moved them out to the city jail.
I had another unit where the toilet supply valve was leaking and the tenant never told me until the toilet had fallen through the floor and was laying under the house. I've got lots of these fun stories but no one dead. Had to clean up after a shooting, but no one died.

Lady72nRob71

This one gave me a good laugh for the day!
Sorry you had to go through so much trouble to fix that, but it just amazes me how some people can just be so darn ignorant...
At least most rednecks around here would have stuck some bubble gum over the hole, or taped a hose to the leak, rerouting that water back into the tank.
Google plumbing inspection fails or something like that for lots of fun stories!

11971four4two

critters die and then they smell bad
sorry the lad died under your roof

MDchanic

I question your sequence.

Most critters smell none too good while alive either. Especially the 2-leg kind.

It is a part of life, though, and one that we should all accept, as none of us is immune.

Some people want to put death (which happens to us all) out of sight, but this gentleman has done what generations before us have done, and put those who came before in sight, in the yard.
Personally, I salute him, and wish him well in his conflict with his town. We have family plots all over up here in Maine, and it's nothing remarkable or problematic at all.

- Eric

11971four4two

my syntax may perplex you


who cares

tedd has a ded camper

bisscrac

yuk

MDchanic

Indeed.

Your delivery puts me in mind of a Peter Schickele rap:
It's hard to arrive at (descend to) the level of Peter Schickele. Dead or alive.

- Eric

11971four4two

auto fellatio master??

MDchanic

Ah. You've never studied the works of PDQ Bach then.

It's a music thing, but he's funny even if you don't know a ♭from a ♮.

- Eric

11971four4two

sub stantard submission

Jamesbo

I've handled rental property all my life until about 2 years ago. Never had that one BUT I can tell you when I wake up in the morning and it's raining. I say "Thank your Lord" I'm not having any roof leaks today.

Been there, done that, and got the heck out of the business

Tedd Thompson

For those that are interested we just got permission from the county to open up the rental and clean it up. Probably the shortest time ever, not looking forward to tomorrow.....Tedd