Good Neighbors are Hard to Come By

Our neighbor next door is moving.

Well...more like foreclosing on his home.

His wife left him.

He found roommates, but in the end they didn't work out. The market has crashed so badly that he can't even sell his home.

I imagine one night he'll just be gone. The house will foreclose.

He's been purging his things. A garage sale. Word of mouth and people dropping in and buying his once-treasured items.

He was over last week giving us his lime and orange trees and to my kids, old life-jackets he once used with his step-daughters on his fishing boat. Tools and such to Hubby.

Such a nice guy. A good neighbor. A friend.

What's next? Or rather who? We know what my parents' next-door-theivesrenters did.

Good luck EB. We wish you the best!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I interrupt the ending of this post with a related neighbor news story. Apparently the man who was arrested for robbing my parents home last month (and who was already on parole) was arrested yet again.

This time he ROBBED A BANK with help from an insider, his girlfriend, who was employed there!!! She too was arrested.

His girlfriend had the audacity to come to my parents home after their robbery and apologized that her boyfriend just got involved with the wrong people.

Also this man's MOTHER came to my parent's home and begged for forgiveness stating her son was really a good kid.

Um, how do you like him now?

Prison. All-deserving prision. And, what a life to have at only 18 years old.

40 supporters in group:

  1. Amazing_Grace said...

    A house that is 3 blocks away from us was torched by the owner because it was being repossessed by the bank. I wonder how many more of these will happen?

  2. Dad of Divas said...

    Having good neighbors makes all of the difference! I am sorry to hear about all that your neighbor has had to go through. I truly hope that he can get back on his feet in the near future. I agree with you in regards to the man who robbed your mother. Incarceration sounds like a good option for him...or at least some type of intervention and rehabilitation is needed.

  3. Anonymous said...

    Good neighbors most certainly are hard to come by these days. I'm sorry to hear about your neighbor's situation. My husband is a bankruptcy attorney. This is happening a lot. People just walking away from their homes. Your neighbor should get a good bankruptcy attorney who will advise him how to stay in his home for as long as possible.

  4. Texasholly said...

    OMG. That is seriously disturbed. I think prison sounds like the perfect location...any chance they can put the girlfriend and mom there too?

    I have something for you over at my place.

  5. Anonymous said...

    Karma/Justice Rocks!!

  6. Brittany said...

    That is horrible about your neighbor, things are just going downhill fast these days!


    But...WHAT!? Your parents robber is a lunatic, and so is his family!

  7. Momo Fali said...

    It would probably sound really horrible if I said that I wish some of my neighbors would get forclosed upon...so I won't say it (I'll just think it).

  8. Amber said...

    I hate when good neighbors move. We have some moving also and what sucks is they have 2 year old twins that Hadley loves to play with.

  9. Anonymous said...

    That's really scary, knowing someone like that was in their home. On the bright side, I'm guessing he won't get to post bail...

    Too bad about your neighbor. Yes, times are tough everywhere these days; we know some people who have lost their jobs. It's sad.

  10. Sue Wilkey said...

    Oh my God, Jen: so someone capable of threatening with a GUN was in your parents house. That is just terrifying. Oh, yeah, he sounds like a nice kid.

  11. Mel said...

    It is sad to see what is happening to so many people due to all the rising costs of living. I hope everything works out for your neighbor. As far as the robber, well I hope he gets what he deserves.

  12. Tiffany said...

    Well MY neighbor robbed people in our neighborhood and was also a peeping tom at a lady's house down the road. Thank god he didn't peep me or he would be blind now. BUT, since he's in jail his yard grew up and is now a skunk breeding facility. I HATE THAT MAN!!

  13. Unknown said...

    I am so sorry to hear about your neighbor's situation. The current economic crisis and the rates of foreclosure in this country are unbelievable!

    The bit about the neighbor robbing your parents sounds like one of those hard to believe but true stories. Oh, that is exactly what it is. Unbelievable!

  14. Amy said...

    Its so sad, not to mention aggravating, that someone like that couldn't be locked up from the start. Then there would never have been another robbery. The law just doesn't make sense sometimes.

  15. Anonymous said...

    Justice. It's nice to see that it really does still exist.

    So sorry about your neighbor though. :(

  16. Tenakim said...

    Wow, the audacity of that mom! Too bad that he's only 18, but, as my dad always says, 'too bad for you!'
    Sorry about your neighbor- I feel the neighborhood pain- I've blogged about it before and probably will again, but it's essentially the reason I got into blogging!

  17. flickrlovr said...

    That just makes me sick. Yeah, it's sad, but those are C-H-O-I-C-E-S [bad ones at that] that this kid is making. Holy crap. How dumb do you have to be?!? Jesus.

    I can't believe the kid's MOM came and tried to apologize to your parents. That must have been strange.

    And how sad about EB :(

    The eternal question-why do bad things happen to good people?!? That's awful. Poor guy.

    Side note: listening to 'Tiny Dancer' from your Playlist (which I'm totally copycatting by the way...making my own to put on da blog). I forgot how much I love this song!

    And YAY! I popped the comment cherry on this one.

  18. A Crafty Mom said...

    His mother came by to ask forgiveness?

    Unbelievable. Holy cow. What a crazy situation. I'm sorry to hear about your neighbour, poor guy, that's a sad story.

  19. Ali said...

    When we lived in the 'burbs, the house next to us was a rent house. Everytime we saw the for rent sign out front, we got nervous. Luckily, we had a few good ones while we lived there.

  20. Merrie said...

    This family sounds peachy. I'll feel better knowing he's off the streets.
    As for your neighbor -- that is such a shame. There's a foreclosure in our court right now, too. This mortgage situation really got out of hand. I'm glad we bought nine years ago.

    See you tonight!!!

  21. DeAnna Prescott said...

    I found your blog via my sister-in-law's and I wanted to let you know that it is fantastic! Your blog is so entertaining! I LOVE it! You have definitely found a new reader!

  22. Lisa said...

    There are a lot of good people like your neighbor who are having a tough go of it. Makes you count your blessings, huh? We have great neighbors & I can't imagine loosing any of them!

  23. Unknown said...

    Sad about your neighbor. I like your photos : )

  24. Briya said...

    People are CRAZY. Apologizing for your 18-year old criminal is ridiculous. He made his own choices. Good to see justice at work..

  25. Lisa @ Boondock Ramblings said...

    I'm sorry your neighbor has to leave. I'm not sure I'd be so sad if some of our neighbors left *sigh*

    And I'm sorry about your parent's situation. I'm not sure I'm so sorry about the guy who is in jail now. It is unfortunate that this is the path he has set for himself.

  26. Anonymous said...

    Good neighbors are so hard to come by these days. I hope the new neighbors will be wonderful and a blessing to you.

  27. Kristen Andrews said...

    I never like getting new neighbors cuz you never know what you will end up w/. I could spend hours sharing stories about our very first neighbor. Right now we are lucky and have good ones on both sides. I will cross my fingers and toes for you!

  28. Messy Mommy said...

    Oh my gosh that's awful! Sometimes I wonder why people turn out the way they do, despite good parenting?

  29. Rebecca said...

    That sucks for your neighbor, how sad he is losing his home. :(

    That is the good and bad about living in base housing.....you can never loose your home for not paying the rent or mortgage, and neighbors - if they are bad they will gladly be gone in a couple years, if they are good sadly they will go in a couple years too.

    YAY that scumbag is going to jail this time...yeah he is a real good kid.
    Only 18...damn must have had *good* influences with his parents to be that bad!
    ::shaking head in wonder and disgust::

  30. Anonymous said...

    That is sad your neighbor is having to foreclose. It's happening more and more nowadays.

    Yes, it so hard to come by good neighbors and when you lose one, I know what that anxiety of who will move in there next feels like.

    Best wishes to your neighbor.

    Seems to me like the girl whose boyfriend robbed your parents house is the one who fell in with the wrong people.

    ;-)

  31. Lori said...

    Sad stories. I think with the way things are in our economy we will hear more like this. Also the story of the 18 year old and his girlfriend...very sad that they are making the choices to start out adulthood in this way. It would break my heart if one of my children did something like this, and if they did, I could see myself going to the person that they harmed and asking for forgiveness also...probally make my kid do the same.

    Sorry this happened to your parents though and glad they caught who did it!

  32. Ann Harrison said...

    Our house next door went up for sale 2 weeks ago.
    I try to get rid of the anxiety that creeps in, but it's hard, ya' know?
    And about that kid... a BANK?!? He robbed a bank? Ugh

  33. Debbie said...

    What a waste! 18 years old and already facing prison. So sad. I hope you get good neighbors...We are fortunate to have good ones as all us bought the houses new 10 years ago. My immediate neighbors are planning to leave in the next year...I told them that I must interview and be part of the selection process ;)

  34. Not Just Any Jen said...

    Oh, so sorry about EB. But I am so glad that they caught the person who violated your parents. He deserves what he gets.

  35. Wendi said...

    Sorry to hear about your neighbor.

    Glad to hear about the criminal.

    Gotta love Karma!!!

  36. Jill said...

    I always appreciate the nosy neighbor... the one who tells you if some one strange stopped by your house, or will watch your place if you go out of town.

    Too bad your guy had to leave town!

  37. Tonya Staab said...

    I seem to be losing all of my great neighbours lately. We are going through the annual summer military moves. It's sad to see so many friends go. I just hope our new neighbors will be half as much fun.

    I'm so glad that the thief was caught again. I hope this time he lands in jail and stays there.

  38. carrie said...

    Sorry to hear about your neighbor, that is sad. :(

  39. Anonymous said...

    that really does bite when good neighbors move away. We are the ones that leave good neighbors behind and I have tons of love for the great ones! Maybe the next people to move i will be fab, also.

  40. The Buntens said...

    Oh, I am sorry about your neighbor. I hope your next one is a friend soon, too. I would think with you being a neighbor, it would be easy to be friends!

    I am glad the guy who robbed your parents was caught again. So sad that he is that young. What a mess.

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