Containment What will happen when Barb dies?

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reading this thread hit me straight in the feels :/ i used to volunteer at a group home for high functioning autistics so i know he will probably loose it
 
AnOminous said:
No way he's paying to do that. More likely he just removes shit as he replaces it with his own clutter, which will be somewhat less hoard-y than the Blarb hoard. He'll also try to sneak it out in the normal trash without paying extra for it.

So it'll be more a process of gradually taking over the Hoard space with his own shit.
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Marvin said:
Eh, he'll do something about it gradually. Verrry gradually. Probably just toss stuff away in mcdonald's dumpster once in awhile. Or sell stuff on ebay.
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I tend to agree with these. Another reason why it would be great if he decided to move out and get an apartment. If he stood to gain, say $75,000 and a new life in the "city", from the sale of 14 BLC he might be more willing to put both time and money into quickly getting rid of the hoard. Otherwise he is likely to look at what is admittedly a very daunting situation and figure its a bit of an insurmountable problem.

If he stays in 14 BLC, the hoard will probably get gradually reduced over time. Every now and then some practical matter will pop up or he will get a spurt of energy and take a few things to the closest dumpster. But I think it could be decades before the house is not a hoarder's house. My guess is he would clear a couple rooms, maybe a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen, and let the rest of the house go.

Those are exactly the two types of situation that motivate Chris the most and the least. On the one hand, there is a situation where he has a very tangible, material, and obvious, benefit which he can get when and only when a task is complete. He can wrap his mind around that.

On the other hand, there is a slightly nebulous benefit (living in a less cluttered house). There is no deadline. He can half-ass things by cleaning a little bit and get partial benefit. He may have a lot of trouble getting his ass in gear for that.

I really hope he moves.
 
To powerlevel a bit, I had an aunt who, though not a hoarder necessarily (she was super-organized and very clean) had a four-bedroom house full of stuff. It took me months to go through it after she died, and I gave away tons* of furniture and linens and jewelry and records and appliances, and I still needed to spend about $1,500 on three guys with two dumpsters to clear the place out before we sold it.

*Literally tons. The remaining stuff nobody wanted weighed over 3 tons.
 
I think a more important question is (not sure if it was raised before): what will happen if Barb requires care in the last couple years of her life? Can somebody explain the situation in the US? Is it likely that Barb has a home care insurance (included in health insurance?)
If not, is the scenario of 14BC being foreclosed to pay for the nursing home a realistic one?
 
ragtime said:
I think a more important question is (not sure if it was raised before): what will happen if Barb requires care in the last couple years of her life? Can somebody explain the situation in the US? Is it likely that Barb has a home care insurance (included in health insurance?)
If not, is the scenario of 14BC being foreclosed to pay for the nursing home a realistic one?
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They're both stubborn people so it is unlikely that Barb or Chris will allow that to happen.
 
MrsFrizzle said:
*Literally tons. The remaining stuff nobody wanted weighed over 3 tons.
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holy shit dude :jacewtf:

on topic - also gonna show my powerlevel and say i do volunteer counseling. i've spoken to a few adult children of geriatric, clingy, widowed parents (usually mothers) who guilt-trip their offspring the same way barb seems to do. these parents try to monopolize their kid's time because - and this is important - they've alienated literally everyone else who could help them. their spouse has died, other kids/relatives refuse contact or will not visit. the only person they have left to enslave is the kid who can't or won't say "no, I'm busy" out of fear or guilt. both parent and child know that no one else will help, and the parent will do whatever it takes to keep hold of their last resource.

all the people i talked to understood what was happening, even if they had trouble standing up for themselves and setting boundaries. but chris doesn't seem to get it. i don't think he's had enough exposure to the world, gay bars notwithstanding, to notice that his relationship with his mom is unhealthy. adults need to have boundaries between them and their parents, and he has none. from what @Marvin or someone said once, he freaked the fuck out in jail after the snyder thing because he thought barb would die without him. this is something the decrepit guilt-tripper parent will tell their kid when they're still young enough to believe it, and if the kid never finds out she's just a hypochondriac or a lazy piece of shit who doesn't want to do her own errands, the kid will keep on believing it.

adult children of these people will often feel a guilty sense of relief at their parent's passing. they will mourn, of course, but they'll be glad not to wake up to their parent blowing up their phone, trying to manipulate them, being complete drags to be around and talking shit about all the relatives who have abandoned them. the kids remember the good things and the good times, and gradually let go of the bad shit. i think this is what will happen with chris when barb dies. he'll definitely speak at her funeral about what a wonderful mother she was, and after the mourning his life will be pretty much the same, but he won't have barb yanking his leash. he won't make the connection between barb being out of his life and the sudden freedom he has. he thinks a girlfriend and crystal are just around the corner, if only he can figure out the right password, and that'll keep him going (because it's kept him going for like 20 years). he will feel alone, but he has gay bar friends, and they'll be sympathetic and pat him on the back

chris seems to be leaving her orbit often these days, but he won't be completely out until she is gone. he's easy to intimidate, he's not very smart, and barb is a fucking snake
 
ragtime said:
I think a more important question is (not sure if it was raised before): what will happen if Barb requires care in the last couple years of her life? Can somebody explain the situation in the US?
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In the US, traditional practice is to refuse all professional care and make your autistic son bandage your holey butt.
 
Lysistrata said:
What do you think the chances are of him finding a few things he can sell in the hoard? With the size it's at, I'm sure there's probably at least a few gems amidst all the shit. Who knows, maybe he'll even attempt a yard sale or something.
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Bob's stuff probably went unsorted after he died, the chances are that it burned in the places Bob left it. Whilst that may be Barb not wanting to disrupt the hoard, Chris is far too lazy to do something that doesn't earn him money immediately. Considering he gets his tugboat and whatever he makes from ebay, there's no real motivation for him to even touch the hoard.
 
sonichuis44 said:
Is he still in contact with Rocky? Otherwise, probably his lawyer (whether or not he's actually on retainer).
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Chris is in contact with Rocky when it suits him (when he fucks up badly). He knows that good ol' reliable Rocky will come running to the rescue (and so far she always has).

Tubular Monkey said:
It will be a victory if he doesn't end up homeless.
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***IF*** (and this is a VERY big if) Chris were smart, he'd clean up the hoard (with professional help if necessary) and rent out the top floor. Of course, in addition to the filth of the hoard, I'm guessing that Chris would be a royal pain in the ass to live with.

If Chris could manage these things, it would be an ideal solution. He could recover some of what he's spending on the mortgage and/or property tax and split the utilities.
 
Lysistrata said:
What do you think the chances are of him finding a few things he can sell in the hoard? With the size it's at, I'm sure there's probably at least a few gems amidst all the shit. Who knows, maybe he'll even attempt a yard sale or something.
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The problem is that, with a yard sale, he has to drag all the stuff outside and then drag it back in. There are probably gems in Barb's hoard, but there's no way Chris will identify it on his own. He'll probably just try to sell stuff on ebay, gradually.
 
Lapras said:
I'm actually a little concerned for the Chandler pets. If Barb goes, seeing as Chris can hardly take care of himself, what will become of their animals? The guy spends his money on Legos, and can't be bothered to do anything that requires minimal work. Pets are a huge responsibility, and unfortunately, I don't think it would be a surprise if Chris neglected them...
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He could improve the lives of Clover and Snoopy right now by letting them out in that perfectly good dog run at the rear of 14 Branchland Court. It's a little overgrown, but a half hour or so of clearing weeds/brush would make it perfectly serviceable.

This would also improve the conditions inside 14 Branchland Court, as it would give the dogs somewhere else to shit and piss besides on newspapers inside the house. Barb and Chris could learn to let their dogs out like normal people. The dogs would benefit from getting some fresh air and much needed / long overdue exercise as well.
 
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Thetan said:
***IF*** (and this is a VERY big if) Chris were smart, he'd clean up the hoard (with professional help if necessary) and rent out the top floor. Of course, in addition to the filth of the hoard, I'm guessing that Chris would be a royal pain in the ass to live with.

If Chris could manage these things, it would be an ideal solution. He could recover some of what he's spending on the mortgage and/or property tax and split the utilities.
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If this were to hypothetically happen, I have a feeling it'd go pretty badly. Chris would be unlikely to want to live with a man, so he'd only accept a female tenant. Of course, that would be a disaster waiting to happen. Chris is also very vulnerable to exploitation and I doubt he has the capacity to act as a landlord.
 
Marvin said:
The problem is that, with a yard sale, he has to drag all the stuff outside and then drag it back in. There are probably gems in Barb's hoard, but there's no way Chris will identify it on his own. He'll probably just try to sell stuff on ebay, gradually.
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That seems like another reason he might have difficulty getting rid of the hoard. He can't tell what to throw out and what to try to sell until each item has been listed on eBay for an inflated price.

A concern about accidentally thowing out something worth a couple hundred bucks might keep the hoard around for years.
 
I don't think Chris would do a yard sale because he doesn't want to invite potential trolls to his house. At most, I think he might try a yard sale, but keep it secret/not advertise it to discourage troll visits, which if course would hilariously prevent any customers too, since he's in the middle of nowhere.

I think he'll make heavy (if not well planned) use of eBay, though.
 
Alec Benson Leary said:
I don't think Chris would do a yard sale because he doesn't want to invite potential trolls to his house. At most, I think he might try a yard sale, but keep it secret/not advertise it to discourage troll visits, which if course would hilariously prevent any customers too, since he's in the middle of nowhere.

I think he'll make heavy (if not well planned) use of eBay, though.
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eBay would be a better choice in my opinion. Second, I don't know how it works in Virginia but here in Texas, last time I checked, you need a garage/yard sale license before you hold such a sale in response to counterfeit goods cases along with illegal goods coming in and out of Texas. And of course, more state government revenue without taxation.
 
Thetan said:
He could improve the lives of Clover and Snoopy right now by letting them out in that perfectly good dog run at the rear of 14 Branchland Court. It's a little overgrown, but a half hour or so of clearing weeds/brush would make it perfectly serviceable.

This would also improve the conditions inside 14 Branchland Court, as it would give the dogs somewhere else to shit and piss besides on newspapers inside the house. Barb and Chris could learn to let their dogs out like normal people. The dogs would benefit from getting some fresh air and exercise as well.
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This. With Chris, there are quite a few things about his life that are the easy/lazy path that Barb doesn't let him take. See, doing things the awkward/complicated way are OK with Barb because she has Chris to do the work. Like with the dogs shitting on paper instead of, y'know, outside. She makes Chris clean that up, so what does Barb give a fuck?
 
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