Lights, camera, action - then the Sheriff's Department phoned...

How about this.  It was about 9:15 p.m. when Terry received a phone call from the Sheriff's Department: 

"Ms. Rasner?" the caller asked.

"Yes, this is Terry Rasner." 

"This is the County Sheriff's Department.  Do you have a vacant house for sale at XXXXXX?"

"Ahhh, yes."

"Well, maam, a neighbor has driven her vehicle through the garage door of your property, and the vehicle is stuck in the garage with the engine running, trapped by the broken garage door that's fallen on it."

"WHAT?????!!!!"

"Yes, maam, this is an emergency and you need to get over to the property immediately and secure it.  We'll secure the area and wait for you to arrive."

That call was received two evenings ago.  A quick jump into the phone booth and it was time for these ladies to mean business!

We scrambled together a team of two and armed with power tools and assorted other tools and scrap lumber we headed over to meet the Sherrif.  The property was 30 minutes away and by now it was 9:45 p.m.  We arrived to find the vehicle sitting in the driveway, having been extricated from the garage.  The garage door was destroyed and haning there limp.  A refrigerator in the garage was destroyed, it's insulation and guts strewn about a corner of the garage.

Actually this was a good thing, as the refrigerator slowed the vehicle enough to stop it from parking in one of the bedrooms.  Instead, the vehicle only smashed into a bearing wall and poked its nose through the wall and into the bedroom.  Nice scene, huh????

So, here we were: the next door neighbor girl (17) came over crying to aplogize for her mishap, and thoughtfully brought her vehicle insurance information.  Soon after the parents followed.  An assessment of their mood and demeanor revealed a spirit of cooperation and an acceptance of fault.  We briefly counseled the girl that repairs could be made, but that the best part of the accident was that she was unhurt, albeit shaken-up emotionally.

Next it was to the business of securing the house.  A thorough inspection revelaed the damage was limited to the garage door, refirgerator, a bearing wall, paneling on the inside of the bedroom, and potentially some electrical wiring and conduit (but no live wires were exposed).  Fortunately the house was in a culdesac, and was not furnished.  In fact, it is one of our many bank-owned properties, and per protocols, we needed an approval from the asset management company to move forward with repairs and some security actions.  Unfortunately at accident's time, the time in the land of the asset management company was 12:45 a.m.

For safety and security reasons, our locksmith was called and the one door in question was re-keyed and secured first thing the next morning.  What will now follow are the oft-tedious tasks of repairs and getting it back into shape for the market.  And, this is a great little property!

Is it disconcerting and annoying to have this happen?  You bet!

Is this routine?  No, but it can happen at any time, and as a responsible realtor, any time means be ready for the unexpected and unanticipated.  As a responsible consumer, point out these occurences to local authorities, and if you must, don't hesitate to phone the realtor.  As much as we can get caught off guard by these calls, it's still good we have the eyes and ears of the community helping us. 

To be sure: These Ladies Mean Business!     

AND NOW IT'S YOUR TURN -- ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT-RELATED ENCOUNTERS AS A REALTOR?