Would you do anything about the 'hidden' van?

The idea that someone would try to insert themselves into this situation kind of pisses me off.

The right thing to do would be to tell the bill collectors to stop calling you and to mind your own fudging business.

Ack. First!

And Re: the qualification comments.... CK: Skip tracers pull up neighbor's phone numbers all the time. My sister once had a neighbor bring her a message from a collection agency. I did it, and was encouraged to do it, when I worked for a collection agency also.

The bill collectors are not allowed to tell the details about why they are calling, but I'm pretty sure they can ask them to give a message to the debtor. Also, I don't think it's illegal for them to ask the neighbor if they happen to have the debtor's phone number.

I don't really know the laws though, and they probably vary by state.

It doesn't seem appropriate for a bill collector to be calling me about my neighbor. I would tell them to stop calling me.
I'd try to stay out of it otherwise. I suppose I might laugh and I might mention it to people I know as an odd story. But, not with the intention of changing the situation or sticking my nose in it.

you were a Repo Man (woman)?! cool!

The life of a repo man is always intense.

Ha. I was a client services representative in a tiny check collection agency. I dealt with the stores that the bad checks were written to... and their banks. I sometimes helped out and did some light skip-tracing. That was a long time ago though, it wasn't as easy as it is now online. We were still using paper criss cross directories.

I would miss the obvious, that the van is intentionally hidden.

I want so much to fudge with this guy....
Telling everyone in twon seems pointless in this case, most know he is an idiot.
I did tell my Mary next time some creditors call our house asking if we know him I will respond with "you mean the guy that has a wite van hidden in his back yard?" lol

Wow, harsh....I thought it was funny.

I'm guessing I should have made this "monkeee", it appears I'm gonna get reamed over this one.

I would do nothing but laugh about it.
Why are the bill collectors calling me about the neighbor? That seems totally inappropriate. Do they really do that? I wouldn't want to get involved in any way.

I wouldn't do anything. I might get a laugh out of it. I kind of like watching people get away with things.

I don't know if you already have problems with the guy, and that's why you would want to fudge with him.... it didn't say that in the survey. But if he's never done anything to you, doesn't it seem like he already has enough on his plate.... without worrying that his neighbors are going to try to screw him over further?

I have been in a situation where I couldn't make my car payment. It's scary. Sometimes, even if you know you can pay by next week, they want to come and take it NOW. This makes it almost impossible to afford to get it back. Without knowing the guy's situation, I'm not sure why a person would intentionally cause him trouble.

I would do nothing.

I would do nothing, but get a good laugh out of it

It seems likely to me that rather than the bill collectors themselves doing this, it would be a private detective agency hired by the collectors.

> And Re: the qualification comments.... CK: Skip tracers pull up neighbor's
> phone numbers all the time. My sister once had a neighbor bring her
> a message from a collection agency. I did it, and was encouraged to
> do it, when I worked for a collection agency also.
>
> The bill collectors are not allowed to tell the details about why
> they are calling, but I'm pretty sure they can ask them to give a
> message to the debtor. Also, I don't think it's illegal for them to
> ask the neighbor if they happen to have the debtor's phone number.
>
> I don't really know the laws though, and they probably vary by state.

We have bill collectors call us ALL the time. One time my son acted like he was a retarted Roger, She asked if he was roger G..... , he said yes. She proceded to chew his ass about a bill and "retarted roger" got stupider and funnier. He asked her "wats your name?" "my names Roder" She then chewed him out becauce he wasn't the Roger she wanted, It was pretty funny..........................anyway thats what we do for entertainment in the boonies



I would not cooperate with bill collectors for anything........................................well maybe $500.00

I would only do something if it was on my property.

> It seems likely to me that rather than the bill collectors themselves
> doing this, it would be a private detective agency hired by the collectors.



Ya think ?

> Ya think ?

I don't know...this is not something I have been accused of doing very often.

I have never had a bill collector call me inquiring about someone else...a neighbor, or otherwise. I would simply hang up if such a thing happened. The van situation is none of my business unless it specifically interfered with the quality & peace of my own 'neighborhood' life. I would do nothing.

As I said in Qual, bill collectors are not allowed to speak to anyone other than the person they are going after. They can't call family members, friends, neighbors, etc. looking for the person.

> |> Ya think ?
>
> I don't know...this is not something I have been accused of doing
> very often.
>
>

Ahhh, ok.

> And Re: the qualification comments.... CK: Skip
> tracers pull up neighbor's phone numbers all the
> time. My sister once had a neighbor bring her
> a message from a collection agency. I did it,
> and was encouraged to do it, when I worked for
> a collection agency also.
>
> The bill collectors are not allowed to tell the
> details about why they are calling, but I'm
> pretty sure they can ask them to give a message
> to the debtor. Also, I don't think it's illegal
> for them to ask the neighbor if they happen to
> have the debtor's phone number.
>
> I don't really know the laws though, and they
> probably vary by state.

Likely does vary. I've never heard of anyone doing that. Even when I get voicemails from bill collectors the messages start out with "This call is for cerealkiller, if you are not cerealkiller please hang up now.."

I'm confused. Why do I care where the bill collectors have parked their van?

I thought bill collectors COULDN'T call on people's neighbors like that. I wouldn't make an effort, especially if they had kids and weren't disrupting me.

OK, calm down....I did mention "no one really likes" and that was to keep a long list of how he has pissed off the neighborhood and us continuosly since he built his house 2 years ago.
Fourth of July, as an example, blasting of bricks after bricks of fireworks, bottle rockets and firecrackers non stop, and I mean CONTINUOSLY for over 4 hours straight. Crap was flying in everyone's yard and a large roman candle missed my head by only a few inches as we were in the pool. I had an out of town guest and we had to give up and go in because we were not having a good time.
Like I said, there isn't a week goes by he doesn't piss someone off. He is not one of the good guys here, we all have financial strife now and again but this guy is playing the system. My entire house could fit inside this guys basement. He has 4 cars, 2 vans, several work trucks and a brand new SUV sitting in his garage. No one wants to work for him because he has a pretty bad track record for paying his employees.
I am sorry I didn't think about others problems, but I could never put this guy into any catagory that I think of the fine peole here at SC.

I see what you saw. The van was hidden by the owner.

No worries, I'm calm. And I'm not attacking you. I you. I didn't know it was your survey when I answered it - that answer was straight from the heart and extremely honest, based on the information you provided in the survey. My answer might have been different if you'd told me he was a dick... I'm not sure.

Other. I would call the attorney general about the bill collectors (and the FCC for good measure) and sue them for a few grand. I wouldn't do anything about the hidden van since, well, its hidden, and hence won't affect my property values.

My guess is that the reason for people not liking the neighbor is because they've fallen behind on their payments, have other problems, and haven't cut their grass / bushes for years and that they're house went to the dogs. At worst case they're selling drugs to be able to afford the bills in the first place, hence the reason for the hidden van.

If it gets to the point that crack-heads are walking around the neighborhood because of them, I'll call the police. Otherwise, I'll just let them be. Not liking someone is not a good reason to be a dick to someone who's fallen on hard times, and its not worth living life with so much hate.

> As I said in Qual, bill collectors are not allowed to speak to anyone
> other than the person they are going after. They can't call family
> members, friends, neighbors, etc. looking for the person.

Just because something is illegal doesn't mean people won't do it. Otherwise, we would have no need for the criminal (and civil) justice system, would we?

The guy is a dick. When I told a few people in town about it, because I thought it was hilarious, they all laughed aobut it too. Somehow it was alot funnier in my head when I wrote it.

I would call the police. I am not allowed abandoned vehicles on my rental property

> The guy is a dick. When I told a few people in town about it, because
> I thought it was hilarious, they all laughed aobut it too. Somehow
> it was alot funnier in my head when I wrote it.

I **still* don't get why would this van bother anybody. Is there something I am missing.

Besides, even if you don't like this guy, and even if the repo-people or whatever come and take it away, its not like they're going to give you a cut for helping them find their van. I don't see where you stand to gain from this.

> |> The guy is a dick. When I told a few people in town about it,
> because
> |> I thought it was hilarious, they all laughed aobut it too. Somehow
> |> it was alot funnier in my head when I wrote it.
>
> I **still* don't get why would this van bother anybody. Is there
> something I am missing.
>
> Besides, even if you don't like this guy, and even if the repo-people
> or whatever come and take it away, its not like they're going to give
> you a cut for helping them find their van. I don't see where you
> stand to gain from this.

It's not that the van itself is bothering anybody, It's the fact that the guy is hiding the van from the repo man. Apparently this man makes everyone around him miserable so it's poetic justice that he has to stoop to hiding his van.
>
>

Probably not mention it to inquiring bill collectors, but otherwise be casual and humored about it. If I thought it were stolen though that would be different.

The only real gain from spoting the hidden vn is it' funny as hell. You are missing the joke, becaue maybe if I could have goten a picture of it tucked in behing the big bush way back in the back yard you might see the absurdity of his trying to get away from something. The guy is a dick, he is constantly trying to play the system and usually gets caught because he's an idiot. But he keeps doing stupid crap.

*snif* thank you for seeing thehumor here....I'm kinda dying on this one.

Diiid kinda mention it to a police buddy at the coffee shop. (Just in case the idiot had reported it stolen) He figured it was repo, and we all chuckled about it.

I used to be a bill collector and we called neighbors... we were made to... We didn't disclose what the debt was for but said we needed to talk to the guy. I personally think you should just myob on this one... as someone who has had their car repossessed it isn't fun at all... we hid the car just until we got it caught up.

If the van was parked on my property, I would ask my neighbour to move it. If it was parked on my neighbour's property I would do nothing.

As far as the bill-collectors go, I would have some fun with them. I would pretend to be the person they were looking for and promise to pay them.

well, i think after the story of the young women kept in a person's backyard for 18 yrs in a series of tents. i might report the van to the police just so i don't miss someone being held back there or something.

> It's not that the van itself is bothering anybody, It's the fact that
> the guy is hiding the van from the repo man. Apparently this man makes
> everyone around him miserable so it's poetic justice that he has to
> stoop to hiding his van.

I don't get why. The fight over the van is between the repo man and the guy hiding it. If the repo man wins, too bad for the guy. If the guy wins, too bad for the repo man. Why care one way or the other.

Collection agencies and repo-men are just a business, nothing more, nothing less. If they don't collect, its cost of business. Obviously, they knew what they were getting themselves into when they've chosen to be in the collections business. Dealing with idiots not wanting to pay up comes with the territory.

Somehow I've missed the joke. And since you had to explain to me that its a joke, it sort of ceases to being a good one, since you had to explain it in the first place


"The guy is a dick, he is constantly trying to play the system and usually gets caught because he's an idiot. But he keeps doing stupid crap."

So? Whats so bad about playing the system. I guess its funny watching dumb people trying to pull off obvious failed attempts at trickery, and failing hilariously. I am sure you have more examples than the van.


"becaue maybe if I could have goten a picture of it tucked in behing the big bush way back in the back yard you might see the absurdity of his trying to get away from something."

Or maybe he's just desperate and doesn't know anything else to do. His van is too big and his backyard is too small. He has to work with what he got. He probably knows that his failed attempt to hide the van is a long shot anyway, but at least its worth a try. Anyway, the repo men haven't found his van yet. You can't argue with that, can you? Maybe he's a bit smarter than you give him credit for.

Do nothing and laugh. I hate bill collectors.

Well, to be honest, I would have to see why nobody liked them. If I didn't like them and only if the bill collectors came to my home I would tell them about the van. But, ya know, I don't like being a snitch because I believe in Kharma and if they are naughty little people then that Kharma will take care of it. Now, if they were doing harm to me personally, You betcha I'd make the call.

> Somehow I've missed the joke. And since you had
> to explain to me that its a joke, it sort of ceases
> to being a good one, since you had to explain
> it in the first place
>
>
> "The guy is a dick, he is constantly trying to
> play the system and usually gets caught because
> he's an idiot. But he keeps doing stupid crap."
>
> So? Whats so bad about playing the system. I
> guess its funny watching dumb people trying to
> pull off obvious failed attempts at trickery,
> and failing hilariously. I am sure you have more
> examples than the van.
>
>
> "becaue maybe if I could have goten a picture
> of it tucked in behing the big bush way back in
> the back yard you might see the absurdity of his
> trying to get away from something."
>
> Or maybe he's just desperate and doesn't know
> anything else to do. His van is too big and his
> backyard is too small. He has to work with what
> he got. He probably knows that his failed attempt
> to hide the van is a long shot anyway, but at
> least its worth a try. Anyway, the repo men
> haven't found his van yet. You can't argue with
> that, can you? Maybe he's a bit smarter than
> you give him credit for.


You are right about having to explain the funny, if it isn't, it most likely will never be, and you don't think it's funny, I think it's fudging hilarious because I live next door to this guy, so me mechanically taking all of this apart and putting it back together for you to see how it is funny (which is why this conversation is still going on with you?) will only make the story pathetically sad.

I am content with your feelings about this guy hiding a big white van behind a big bush from the bogey-man is him being clever and smart and I will be content with imagining that the guy will eventually be hiding more crap back there along with the several pallets of bricks he probably charged one of his customers for and 'hid' fruther back in the tall weeds, and that the large pile of debris he has been stacking in his burn pile for 8 months with the equivilant of half a large tree, left-over cement, paint cans. left over crap from roofing material, boards with nails in them and several empty aerasol cans is being saved for decoy for when the bogey man does and will get more interested in his dumb-ass. I just hope I am here to watch the show. Hmmmm, maybe by then, the police will have something more than just "having interest" in the pizza take out business he opened up late last year that amazingly is still in business depite never seeing any business going on there for....oh since about late last year.
makes me really think about the two new cars he bought two winters ago and I haven't seen them go anywhere but he keeps moving them around his yard. Yes indeed, he must be a very clever guy.

Rent a sign, put it in your driveway. "The neighbor is hiding a van behind his garage."

Great.

LOL!

Here's a funny video (it helps to have played Nintendo as a kid to get the joke). http://www.cracked.com/video_18085_curse-duck-hunt...

I would get right freakin' pissed at the gall of a bill collector invading my privacy with even just a phone call!

> OK, calm down....I did mention "no one really likes" and that was
> to keep a long list of how he has pissed off the neighborhood and
> us continuosly since he built his house 2 years ago.
> Fourth of July, as an example, blasting of bricks after bricks of
> fireworks, bottle rockets and firecrackers non stop, and I mean CONTINUOSLY
> for over 4 hours straight. Crap was flying in everyone's yard
> and a large roman candle missed my head by only a few inches as we
> were in the pool. I had an out of town guest and we had to give up
> and go in because we were not having a good time.
> Like I said, there isn't a week goes by he doesn't piss someone off.
> He is not one of the good guys here, we all have financial strife
> now and again but this guy is playing the system. My entire house
> could fit inside this guys basement. He has 4 cars, 2 vans, several
> work trucks and a brand new SUV sitting in his garage. No one wants
> to work for him because he has a pretty bad track record for paying
> his employees.
> I am sorry I didn't think about others problems, but I could never
> put this guy into any catagory that I think of the fine peole here
> at SC.

Oh man! You mean that house that was being built when I was there and is, like; glued to yours?? If it is, hang him out to dry man! I just remember that honking house, having all that property around, intentionally being built so close to yours... Fudges up the scenery...

> Here's a funny video (it helps to have played Nintendo as a kid to
> get the joke). http://www.cracked.com/video_18085_curse-duck-hunt...
>
> ...
>
>

I watched the vid and then something caught my eye http://www.cracked.com/video_18066_6-types-youtube... (don't know why.... I guess it was the title). At around minute 5, when he's talking about tributes to dead people, he shows a parody of one about himself and his choice of music makes me believe that he must have seen Richard47's one on Elisabeth Taylor and himself!! (Can't find it now, I think he must have removed it)

Call the cops and let do with it want with it.

He just had another huge party. I don't know how this guy does it, but he keeps doin it.

How can he afford it??