As an earlier blog discussed...people are stealing plants. They were taking them from in front of our office. The first time, it was smaller flowers. I just let it go and decided I wouldn't replace them. Then it was the larger camellias. The final straw was the tree. So....I decided to get clever. I bought a long chain, started it at the lamp post and chained each plant's "trunk" with a lock. It worked...not a plant was stolen. Unfortunatey, one of the trees started dying. We decided to have it removed....that's when we found out what killed it...over a 3 year period, the chain got too tight and killed the tree!!!! Boy, did I feel stupid!
Consulant for Tomboy Tools - Marsing, ID
That is a pretty funny story! In Palo Alto, CA last year someone was going along stealing ornamental trees in the front yards of the homes there.
Jun 05, 2008 05:22 PM
New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Real Estate
Paula: It sounded like a great idea. But it ended up being just another real estate "oops." Nice try, though. :) I recently had five spotlights stolen from a vacant listing of mine. It was in a pretty nice neighborhood, but since it was vacant, it was probably done by one of the neighbors on the street. Creeps !
Jun 05, 2008 05:29 PM
Coldwell Banker - White Plains, NY
White Plains, NY Real Estate
Donovan Blatt Realty - Costa Mesa, CA
Broker/Attorney 714-319-9751 DRE01267479 - Costa M
I can't believe someone was stealing flowers and it got so bad you had to chain your trees. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised, but it just seems so odd.
Jun 05, 2008 05:32 PM
Keller Williams Realty - Pasadena, CA
People will steal whatever isn't tied down, so it was a good thought! Sorry about the tree, though!
Jun 05, 2008 05:34 PM
Dunnigan, Realtors, Sacramento (916) 425-9715 - Sacramento, CA
Realtor-Land Park, East Sac & Curtis Park -Dunniga
Shanna: Yep...was it Japanese Maples? That's what they were taking from some of our nicer neighborhoods!
Karen: Have you tried seeing who is nicely lit up in the neighborhood of late? LOL
Kevin: I was just a little frustrated - flowers would have been so nice!
Christine: To add to the incredibility of it...other businesses down the road had the same problem. We caught a nice little old lady taking the flowers - asked politely not to. We think the larger plants were "landscapers"..and I use that term loosely!
Jun 05, 2008 05:38 PM
Independent Real Estate Broker - Los Angeles, CA
Real Estate Broker (562) 884-6196
Hi Paula...just wanted to say and that I enjoy reading your answers on the Q& A--you are always one of the best there!
Jun 05, 2008 05:48 PM
Homestead Realty Inc. - Milwaukee, WI
Greater Milwaukee Real Estate
wow that's crazy Paula. They just ran a story on our local news about this starting to happen in one of our outlying suberbs. They are not sure if it's someone just wanting to fix their yard for cheap or a landscaper running short of funds.
Be nice to those trees now.
Jun 05, 2008 05:48 PM
Dunnigan, Realtors, Sacramento (916) 425-9715 - Sacramento, CA
Realtor-Land Park, East Sac & Curtis Park -Dunniga
Aida:Thanks! You just made my night!
Andrew: Since, most of the time, it was done at night, we strongly suspected the landscaper theory! Yea - we just cut the chain off of the other tree!!!! Duh!
Jun 05, 2008 06:25 PM
BCR Realtors - College Station, TX
College Station , Texas Homes
Paula, I did a similar thing and ruined a perfectly good peach tree with Plastic rope . The bark grew over the rope!
Jun 09, 2008 04:07 PM
eXp Realty LLC - Tigard, OR
Principle Broker Oregon
Oh, that sucks, after removing it, did that help or was it already to late?
Jun 09, 2008 05:13 PM
Rainmaker
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Paula Swayne
Realtor-Land Park, East Sac & Curtis Park -Dunniga
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