Robbed!

We’ve been remodeling our home this year, and we’re almost done. We started moving things back in about a month ago, and we’ve been putting things away gradually, as we finish the “punch list” of items that still need to be completed before we can fully move in. I go by the house every day at lunch-time to get the mail, and I usually go inside to check the messages on the answerphone.

Today was my coworker’s sixtieth birthday, so we took her out to lunch. Which meant that I didn’t get to go by the house until about 6 p.m. When I pulled into the driveway, I noticed that the kitchen light was on. I didn’t think much of it … my Dad has been going over there in the evenings to finish off various projects, and I just assumed that he’d forgotten to turn it off last night.

I got the mail, tossed it into the car, and walked up the walk to the porch. Unlocked the security storm door and the two inside door locks, and pushed on the door. It wouldn’t open. Finally gave it a strong enough push to open it wide enough to get my head in … the living room was a shambles. I thought some of the moving boxes had fallen over until I glanced over and saw the television armoire standing wide open and pulled away from the corner into which it’s usually snugly pushed. That was when it dawned on me that someone had ransacked my house.

I backed out and ran to the car, where I called Daddy and then the police non-emergency number. Which put me on hold for what seemed like ages. It was probably five or ten minutes. I got mad, hung up, and called 9-1-1, which also put me on hold. This time only for a few seconds. They dispatched the police right away, and I waited on the drive for Daddy and the policemen.

So far, we’ve determined that they took a lot of Daddy’s tools, my new lawnmower, the television, the DVD/VCR, every DVD in the house, a portable radio, most of my small kitchen appliances (including a brand-new juicer that I hadn’t even taken out of its box yet!), all the liquor out of the pantry, a box of garbage bags, some clothes, and some jewelry (including my Lord of the Rings jewelry and my Harry Potter Time Turner). They also appear to have taken some checks and some records from the file cabinet.

The good news is that they left all of my valuable books (which I have now removed from the house), my flute, and the children’s computer, which is apparently so old that it’s not worth the metal and plastic it’s made of (except it still works fine for games).

The other good news is that all of the jewelry that I care about is all at my parent’s house, along with my computer (the fancy, expensive one) and the safe where I store my most valuable jewelry, the savings bonds, and the important documents. And no one was home, so no one was injured when they pried open the back storm door, broke out the deadbolt (which was attached with three-inch screws and has a two-inch lock), and broke out the library window.

Still, I feel violated and angry. This is the second time my lawnmower has been stolen. And the first time my house has ever been broken into. I’m really kind of dazed. I sobbed and sobbed while waiting for Daddy, but I can’t cry now. I can’t hardly think.

I’ve called most of my credit card companies and the credit bureaus and reported all my cards as stolen and put a fraud alert on all my accounts. I’ll have to take at least part of tomorrow off from work to go to the banks and close my accounts, and to call the remaining credit card companies to report the stolen cards. We aren’t sure that they got any financial or personal info, but since it’s been almost a year since I was in the file cabinet (we just brought it out of storage last weekend!), I want to play it safe. I’ll also have to call my insurance company and get an adjuster out there right away.

It’s going to be a tough weekend, I think.

Tags: challenges, credit cards, Family Life, robbery