Squatter sells family's possessions on Internet
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cops are still searching Tuesday for a squatter who set up shop in a Washington family’s home, listing their possessions on Craigslist and selling an estimated $5,000 worth of their tools and appliances to buyers.
The Puyallup, Wash. house was vacant when the squatter moved in because Ed Saurs and his family had recently purchased a place in Olympia and were preparing to sell the Puyallup property.
“He had been staying there for awhile,” Saurs told KING-5. “Built a nice little nest for himself.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“The money is not the issue – it’s the violation"
Saurs discovered the intrusion when he walked into his kitchen last week to find one of the squatter’s customers.
“The man said to me, ‘I’m here for the microwave.’ And I said, ‘Well, no, you’re not. This is my house and I’m not selling anything,’” Saurs told KOMO. “So I walked around the corner, and I saw that my appliances were gone, and the cabinets were open. I immediately knew what happened.”
Saurs said before he could further search the house, he heard someone run out a door.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A neighbor’s security camera has captured an image of the alleged squatter, a male in a sweat jacket and baseball cap. Before he made his hasty exit, the thief was able to sell Saurs’ washer, dryer, refrigerator, stove, mattress and television – and nearly his microwave.
“The money is not the issue – it’s the violation," Saurs said. "The fact that somebody would come in and take over like that and just blatantly live in my house and have a yard sale right out of my front door.”