The Unwanted Inheritance of a Whole Lot of Nothing

Children of hoarders are burdened with far more than probate, funeral arrangements, and grief. They also must deal with overwhelming piles of stuff their parents accumulated over the years.

Greg Martin was forced to return to his childhood home when his mother passed away, only to find six-foot stacks of stuff everywhere. He took a leave of absence from his job, estimating that he would need six months to clean out the house. It’s now been eight, and he’s not even close to finishing.

The problem is that the hoarder is the only one who knows how things are “organized.” Children may find diamonds amid a pile of junk jewelry or stock certificates amid old receipts. The stress of going through it all may outweigh the potential of finding sentimental or valuable items.

There is help, but it’s expensive. Hoarding-remediation specialists typically charge between $5,000 to $20,000 for a home cleanup. Crews sometimes recover valuable items to help with the cost of the cleanup, but most of the time it’s a whole lot of nothing.

Hoarders believe that they’re leaving behind their treasures for their family members, but most of the time the family just wants to walk away. “For many who inherit the hoard, there’s simply no room left to grieve.”

Hannah Buchdahl, An Unwanted Inheritance, Newsweek, Jan. 26, 2011.

Special thanks to Karen Boxx (Associate Professor of Law, University of Washington School of Law) for bringing this to my attention.