What things have you found in foreclosed/abandoned houses?

[David Krulac]

In the thread about the TV show Property Wars, it was brought up about things found in and on foreclosed property.

1. In a recent one there was the last occupant's ashes. I called the relative to come get the ashes. I've found lots of dead or live bodies but all were critters, mice, squirrels, rats, snakes, all kinds of insects, ground hog, possum, skunk, and even found a dead cat. I never found any dogs but one person told me they found a dog chained in the yard and another told me that they found a live dog locked in the house. I didn't see that dog but did see all the evidence that the dog left.

2. I found major parts of cars and cycles, and a few whole cars but nothing of any value or nothing even running.

3. The most of the money that I ever found was change, some coins and there always seems to be lots of pennies on the floors for some reason.

4. A friend of mine says that there are always tires at these properties, and for the most part that seems to be true. This last one with the person's ashes did have the obligatory 1 car tire on a wheel, which the trash company won't take if it has the wheel attached.

5. I've never found any gold or silver, and very few currency, usually some cash in an envelope, or stuck in cards or books. I do lots of reading but I never use currency as a bookmark.

6. Often times there are some tools, but they usually are incomplete, inoperable, or abused. Recently I've found some cordless power tools but strangely enough they almost always are missing the batteries.

7. I friend recently bought a foreclosure and took out three 30 yard dumpsters of trash from the house. They only thing that he took home with him was one extension cord. He say that was lightest haul he ever had from a foreclosed house and he remarked at the irony of this house having so much tonnage, but so little usable stuff.

8. One house that I got was vacant for 15 years, and have everything still there, clothes, furniture, shoes, and all personal items and even a car in the garage. There was even food in the frig that had been there for 15 years with the electric turned off. There were pots in the frig with leftovers and all the food was black, unrecognizable blobs. The odor was one I'll never forget, I almost gag just thinking about it.

9. Usually the stuff left behind is mostly junk and trash, things that are broken, or missing parts.

10. Several house were so over grown with trees and shrubs that you could not see the house from the street. One house I couldn't find because the house was overgrown as well as the dirt driveway.

11. Another place was owned by an alcoholic who hadn't cut his grass in 5 years. The grass was about 4 feet high and looked like a hay field. The people mowing the grass kept hitting whiskey bottles and beer cans scattered all over the yard and hidden in the tall grass.

What kind of treasures have you found in foreclosed/abandoned houses?