All posts in the topic Architectural theft (Short link)
Summary
- There are 17 posts — by 12 authors — in this topic.
- Latest post made by joan thom at Nov 13 08:53 UTC
Dear list-members,
This morning I took a couple of perspective buyers to
view a lovely turn-of-the-century home for sale in
South Minneapolis. I had toured the property before,
and was excited for my clients to see its many
impressive original features, including several
stained glass windows.
It was with a great sense of foreboding then, I must
tell you, that I spied the missing (vintage) knob on
the front door as we approached. It had been hacked
off.
The listing agent was waiting for us inside, and his
face was glum. This house had just in the past couple
of days been robbed... of its stained glass windows.
Now I understand that not everyone shares my obsessive
passion for 100+ year-old architecture, and that's
completely alright, but this is still burglary - a
traumatizing crime. I must say that I am heartsick
over it, and fearful that it will not be an isolated
incident.
With the number of vacant homes in our city right now,
forclosed or otherwise, (this one was not a
foreclosure, but the sellers had relocated) there are
ample opportunities for such theft to take place.
I would like to urge everyone to keep an eye out. If
you have homes for sale on your block, please watch
them if you can, especially if they are vacant!
I suspect that this type of theft could well take
place in the bright light of day, and go unnoticed as
people (if they are around and not off at work)
presume that it's just another part of home repair,
renovation or preparation for sale.
Please-please-please, keep watch.
Depressed in my already-stained-glass-free house...
Connie Nompelis
Central Neighborhood
Constance Nompelis wrote about the potential of architectural theft given the
issues with vacant housing occurring currently. The other end of this is that
often thieves will steal architectural details and then resell them to
architectural antique stores in the Twin Cities. I know several people who
found missing parts of their homes at these stores. This kind of theft is hard
to prove because most people don't take detailed pictures of their house's
architecture so had to buy back parts of their house. I'm not saying that
every one of these folks is dishonest but folks should be aware of who they
are dealing with.
Carol Becker
Longfellow
Member, Board of Estimate and Taxation
I had hoped this particular type of theft was over for my neighborhood, but
alas, not so. The stain glass from my house disappeared many years ago, before
I owned it.
These thieves will also pack up your stuff and truck it to Chicago and sell it
there.
Quite frequently, the thieves work for remodelers, sometimes the city,
sometimes non-profits who work on houses. Years ago, people working for Joe
Selvaggio were carting off windows and wood work at a merry clip.
Time to alert the neighborhood groups to get the word out to all their members.
Wizard Marks, Central
It sounds as if folks need to photograph their old houses in great
detail, now, perhaps even "chip" some of the hotter items in some way
for future identification as many folks do with their dogs.
Several years ago, when people were stealing architectural details from
Northside houses, some of my neighbors pulled out their built-in buffets, etc.,
and marked their names and the house addresses on the backside of them (whoops!
Of the details, not the person's backside).
Now you could make photos or a video your whole house, specify details that
could help someone identify those pieces, and tuck it away somewhere in case
it's necessary.
Linda higgins
Old highland
During the last Great Theft Marathon, ending some 12 years ago now, we found
that the biggest groups doing the thieving were employees from MCDA and Project
for Pride in Living. They came during the day with marked trucks, Be on the
lookout for similar kinds of thievery done during the day.
It would be good to have a system among yourselves and your neighbors to watch
the vacant houses--and each others houses, of course, for similar
behaviors/trucks. People who appear to fit right in get away with the goods.
Hi Wizard- Interesting this happened (and I share you sentiment). I would point out, however, that Minneapolis benefits too. My parents home town of Graceville MN has had more than a couple raids of buildings. In one example a nearly fifty foot bar with leaded mirrors, panelled sides with engraved wheat shafts was take from a building an investor said would be kept open (this was not an abandoned building but a low profit business that was sold). It kinda cuts both ways. Peter Tharaldson CD5 Chair IPMN Loring Park WIZARD MARKS <wizardmarks@q.com> wrote: I had hoped this particular type of theft was over for my neighborhood, but alas, not so. The stain glass from my house disappeared many years ago, before I owned it. These thieves will also pack up your stuff and truck it to Chicago and sell it there. Quite frequently, the thieves work for remodelers, sometimes the city, sometimes non-profits who work on houses. Years ago, people working for Joe Selvaggio were carting off windows and wood work at a merry clip. Time to alert the neighborhood groups to get the word out to all their members. Wizard Marks, Central Wizard Marks Central, Mpls. Info about Wizard Marks: http://forums.e-democracy.org/contacts/wizardmarks This topic's messages may be viewed at: http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/694BLj3asQLOtwGi66z7zv
"I suspect that this type of theft could well take place in the bright light of
day, and go unnoticed as people (if they are around and not off at work)
presume that it's just another part of home repair, renovation or preparation
for sale."
Quite right -- they disguise themselves as Real Estate Agents, an already
disreputable group. If you see a Realtor in your neighborhood, call a cop! :)
Seriously, a business in our neighborhood does a good job of replacing stolen
(or just broken) stained glass:
Glass Endeavors, 4000 Minnehaha Ave, www.glassendeavors.com, 612-721-9553.
People might consider contacting them on this.
I sat through at least a couple of Senate hearing last year during which Linda
Higgins offered a bill that would put more controls into scrap sales. I was
there fighting to get the child window fall protection bill (Laela's Law screen
bill) passed. I wonder if that is not also applicable to architectural
"artifacts" that scavengers sell. Perhaps Linda can enlighten us?
This is of particular interest to me as I have experienced this vandal thefts
from my home. Once loosing an irreplaceable stained glass window in broad
daylight. Only the last few weeks saw the ripping of two wrought iron
mailboxes off my outside wall in daylight. Those mailboxes had not been
molested in over 100 years and now they have been pried off and sold to some
dealer.
Only today we discovered that several old iron chairs had been stolen from
our front porch. My 3 year old grand daughter was heart broken because one
with rockers she considered as "her" chair. I can not tell you how mad I am
about that.
I firmly believe that no dealer should be allowed to buy such material
without picture ID, picture of the item, and proof of where the item came from.
Perhaps we need a much stronger law about this violation of homes. It does far
more damage than the economic value of the item stolen. Or give amnesty to
anyone who shoots or beats the hell out of anyone caught in the act of such
theft. This violation of homes is far more than just "petty" larceny and
trespass.
Of course I also believe in restorative justice rather than the
"institutionalization" of prison. The Singapore model of restorative justice
that is. I do not believe that the rich kid in the news ever vandalized
another car in Singapore after he was "restored" by a little rattan on the
booty. So public "canning" might be more effective. Cheaper for the
tax-payers also.
Jim Graham,
Ventura Village
Several years ago, an excellent article in City Pages chronicled the work of Healy Block residents Keith Miller and Marjory Holly to fight Architectural looting/theft on their street. http://articles.citypages.com/1999-03-31/news/sherlock-homes/ The article mentions an MCDA/CPED facility near the Grain Belt Brewery at 1335 Water street which was and maybe still is a repository of items which as Wizard mentions weve"removed" homes MCDA was demolishing or perhaps items recovered from thieves by the police? Here's a 2004 notice about auction services for these items... http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cped/docs/auction_services.pdf Is this facility open to the public or anyone know if these auctions are still held? Someone in my neighborhood, supposedly a former City of Minneapolis employee has a house surrounded by a very fancy antique cast iron fence...he also has two large cast iron planters and his home was surrounded by walls built of street pavers long before these were available for the taking from Lake Street or available for sale from the City... Last summer during the Kingfield garage sale, this neighbor's garage was full of boxes of gorgeous antique brass lighting fixtures that were clearly from old houses. He wanted to sell these for prices which rivaled the antique salvage dealers. I'm not saying this neighbor stole what he has, but I think it's possible that as a current or former City employee, he probably had an unfair advantage of obtaining these items for a very low price from the City. None of the rest of us have that advantage. Do we? And yes...home or property owners should photo and engrave all their items...there should be a national registry on the net of such items and salvage dealers should be required to check this registry, get full ID from the sellers (yes I know this can be fake)and face penalties for accepting stolen items. Do they face any penalties now? Here's a recent story on a very blatant stained glass theft group: http://wcco.com/local/stained.glass.windows.2.369085.html Madeline Douglass Kingfield Downtown East
"So public "canning" might be more effective." Public or private, canning
humans is a far greater task than you make out. First off, where would someone
get jars that big?
Tim and others,
I have seen the work of a professional carpenter in my neighborhood that has
constructed built-in details from scratch that look original to the
bungalow. Very meticulous work as one would expect from a proud woodworker
of the early 20th century.
Write me privately is interested in his contact info.
Steve Basile
Standish
Steve Basile said: > I have seen the work of a professional carpenter in my neighborhood that has > constructed built-in details from scratch that look original to the > bungalow. Very meticulous work as one would expect from a proud woodworker > of the early 20th century. Not to burst anyone's bubble but many of the nice architectural details on our Minneapolis houses were actually bought out of catalogs. Here's a link to the Sears and Roebuck 1910 Homebuilder's catalog, where you could buy that fabulous door or window or oak stairway for your home. http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0486263207/ref=sib_dp_pt/104-2671299-5422331#reader-link Carol Becker Longfellow Proud owner of a 1923 Minneapolis craftsman house.
Architectural theft...seems too civilized a phrase for what's going on all over Minneapolis especially in vacant foreclosures. We've discussed this before re the Bardwell-Ferrant house. Connie Nompelis, owner of a Healy house, realtor and preservation activist has been highlighting houses on her Healy house blog that have been broken into and plundered...houses literally stripped of everything of value and no owner to report the theft...not the bank that owns these properties, although some of the realtors of the pre-auctioned stripped hulks have tried to do something or nothing. One of the Healy houses has been plundered twice within a month or two... stained glass windows stolen...mantels, woodwork, door and window hardware, tiles all targets...all with a street full of neighbors trying to watch every moment. But what the thugs did to this house...right across the street from Sabathani Community Center on 38th...this is just gut wrenching, and enraging. Millwork, built in buffet, windows, doors, even the posts and banisters of a stair case all ripped out and carted off. This activity has been rampant lately in South Minneapolis...(perhaps there is nothing left over North) someone knows who is doing his, someone knows where the stuff is being sold. What the heck can be done to stop this? http://thehealyhouse.blogspot.com/2008/11/theft-theft-and-even-more-theft.html This crime seems to be largely off the radar screen of the media (with the exception of the pink palace...which is still empty, still unsold, and where the thugs could have been in there ripping it to shreds again...) http://kstp.com/article/stories/S611830.shtml?cat=1 In Philly they set up a hotline and raised funds for a reward.. http://www.oldhousejournal.com/magazine/2001/march_april/ripoffs/index.shtml Suppose a multi-neighborhood meeting on this issue was held where the hat was passed for reward donations and to hire a private investigator. If not, what would work? Thanks to Connie Nompelis being an adovate for these houses that are under attack. Madeline Douglass Kingfield Downtown East
Thank you Madeline, for bringing this issue back to the list.
Architectural theft really is the great gaping flesh wound wrought by this
insidious foreclosure disease with which our city is currently plagued.
Architectural theft is happening in ALL corners of our city, and it hurts the
block, the street, and the neighborhood JUST as much as it hurts the particular
house.
Buyers are much less likely to consider purchasing a home with a yawning hole
where once there was a buffet... both because of the trouble it will take to
replace that item AND because of the fear it can instill about security in both
the house and the neighborhood. And that means homes will sit on the market
longer, be even MORE vulnerable to additional theft, trespass, and ultimately
demolition. That is bad news for our communities.
As I have said in the past, these thieves are (mostly) very smart and
calculating. They typically come in broad daylight, posing as workers doing
the bidding of an absentee owner or real estate agent. They often use vans (so
their booty cannot be spied during transport.)
They may dress in painters' coveralls and carry tools and buckets.
Do NOT assume that they are legit.
If you know that a house on your block is vacant (even if it's not foreclosed
or boarded,) PLEASE watch what is going on, and PLEASE try to make note of who
is managing the property (if it's for sale that will be a listing agent - check
for a notice in the window even if there's no sign) and keep in touch with
them!
And of course, when in doubt, call 911.
One of the most devastating cases of architectural theft I encountered
personally was at a home that was very well cared for, and NOT foreclosed or
boarded. The owners simply were transferred out of town for work, and they had
the place on the market, empty.
The (decorative, vintage) front doorknob was hacked off, and the lockbox
spirited away to be destroyed. With that done and the key in hand, the theives
returned and nonchalantly removed every last stained glass panel from the home,
carting them right out the front door.
It could happen on your block too. Please keep watch.
Connie Nompelis
Central Neighborhood
Most of East Phillips, where I am, doesn't have these masterpiece
houses, but in our rehabs we have tried to add some of that stuff.
Judging from this market and the work this takes to get stuff out in one
piece, these aren't ordinary burglers. My hunch is that the stuff leaves
town quickly and finds its way to dealers east or far west of here. A
person would be a fool to try to unload these pieces here.
I would suggest loading stuff into a special house and marking it with a
tracking device or something. Then advertising the house stating a little
of the goodies inside and staking it out. I imagine that there are not a
lot of people doing these architectural thefts There may be only a single
team. With some savvy and time, the police could do this...but so could
some savvy and ambitious neighbors with cell phones and a willingness to
camp out and let the police know what you are doing. We have closed drug
houses in Phillips like this, over and over. You get the license plates
and call the cops when they are in there. The hardest thing is the time
it takes, but it is doable.
Carol Pass
It may not be going as far as you think. When Hawthorne tore down 14 houses to
make way for Kemps parking lot we caught Bower Brothers Salvage guys going
through them and taking the Antiquties now on 2nd St N and 25th. We have also
seen stuff at Architectural Antiques. This was In the 1990's. So this stuff may
still be right here in the Twin Cites.
Joan Thom
Hawthorne