Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Looking for a bargain at an eviction?
Washington Post photo by Dominic Bracco Li. Here is the caption with the picture: "Above from left, Ricky Knight and John Wilson carry out a table saw and other tools while others rummage through the pile of belongings of John Robey's custom cabinet shop. At left, Sheriff's Dep. Phillip Franks."
A picture in Monday's Washington Post business section caught the attention of some STATter 911 readers who want to know more about the fire department connection to the story. The photo illustrates an article titled Thrown Out of Business written by Anita Huslin.The picture shows the materials from a cabinet maker's shop left out front after an eviction by the Prince George's County Sheriff's Department. In the background is Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department Truck 809 from the Bladensburg VFD. Toward the center of the picture is a man looking over the material in a blue t-shirt with the number "9" on the back. It appears to my eyes another person on top of a pile of material has a two-way radio over his shoulder.
Bladensburg Chief Matthew Fowler says he was unaware of the picture until contacted by STATter 911. He made some calls to find out how his volunteers ended up at an eviction.
According to Chief Fowler, the crew was at M & M Fleet Maintenance to get work done on Truck 809 when they saw the eviction at an adjacent building. M & M is at 5046 Buchanan Street and Robey's Cabinet Makers was at 5012.
Chief Fowler tells STATter 911 the firefighters were told they could take anything they could use. Fowler says the crew left empty handed.
Here's how the article describes this eviction:
On a recent weekday morning in Hyattsville, the only son of a local cabinetmaker came face-to-face with the end of his father's business. He watched, shellshocked, as a crew of 25 men carry the contents of his father's woodworking shop to the curb of an industrial park.
John Robey had worked there for more than 20 years, said Charles Wenger, his landlord. When Wenger stopped by the office to check on his tenant, he discovered Robey had died. A local police official said he died of natural causes.
"He was my friend," Wenger said before leaving. But, he added, "I didn't have any other choice."
Wenger needed to evict.
It took four hours for the crew to haul Robey's table saws, sanders, jigs and other woodworking equipment to the curb. A craftsman's tools, accumulated over a lifetime. When it was finished, Wenger locked the door of his now-empty space.
Once Wenger locked the shop, sheriff's deputies left. Then a flood of passersby began to stop and scavenge through the contents of the dead man's shop, throwing tools, furniture and half-finished projects into their cars and trucks, then driving off.
A relative stood and watched. He declined to give his name.
"There were just a few things I wanted to try to get," he said aloud. He shook his head as the contents of the business disappeared before his eyes. "Bad memories."
: September 3, 2008 9:07 AM : September 3, 2008 9:44 AM WTF does "Of course, a thief is a thief." mean. I would suggest you read the laws governing evictions and the like.
Mr. Robey's son had no court orders to obtain any of his fathers belongings. This is very unfortunate, as was the entire situation. Had he gotten the required court paperwork he would then have become responsbile for all of the outstanding debts, so large he couldn't fathom the idea and therefore the eviction was handled as it was handled.
Mr. Robey's son DID in FACT obtain quite a bit of equipment and memorabilia from the eviction. This was a result of any and everyone there providing whatever assistance was needed to obtain and load the heavy equipment and still remaining within the legalities of the eviction laws.
The firefighters were in fact there as the Chief stated and in fact did assist the Son in locating several things that he pointed out, hence the firefighter on the pile.
Mr. Statter, I am generally a very staunch supporter of your columns and stories. However, I don't feel this one is in anyway fair as there is entirely too much information left out and not reported, thereby giving the firefighters an infered bad reputation when in fact what they were doing was "helping the community" so to speak in the assistance they provided.
This was understandably a very bad situation all the way around but without all the facts it looks terribly lopsided.
: September 3, 2008 9:21 PM I don't think Mr. Statter gave a bad account of the incident. In his reporting he stated that the Firefighters left empty handed and did take anything while others were rummaging through the dead man's belongings.
I believe Mr. Statter's job is just to report and not take sides. I think that he presented the facts and nothing more.
Most Fire Departments are instructed on ethics and public perception. Maybe the Firefighters in the picture should be instructed in the same.
: September 4, 2008 12:56 AM : September 4, 2008 6:40 AM : September 4, 2008 5:02 PM Links to this post:
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