14 BC update

[Thetan]

I liked Grey Gardens, too--both the docu and the film. It's interesting that you mention it, because I had the feeling in both versions that Big Edie was also hoarding her daughter to keep her from ever leaving her. There were moments when it seemed that Big Edie had deliberately sabotaged or undermined some Little Edie's opportunities. Kinda like Barb trying to keep Chris permanently childlike and reliant on her, not calling him out on any of his behaviors unless it made him more difficult for her, personally, to deal with him...or maybe I'm reading too much into this.

I don't want to hijack the thread by going into greater detail, but you're right. Little Edie did try to get away, but Big Edie still managed to reel her back.

 

[Optimus Prime]

It might have been said before, but in Barbs mind, Chris is as much a part of her hoard as anything else. He is not his own person to her, he is just one of her many treasures, and perhaps thinks of him as her property?

I wouldn't put it past her. Especially not when Chris reportedly is giving at least $500 of the tugboat to her and as we know he's constantly trying to figure out additional fund sources to avoid having to sacrifice more LEGO money to his mother.

 

[Beef Thunderpants]

That's not a staircase. Just an oddly shaped mirror they evidently didn't care for.

Wow, I always thought it was a staircase too. That's a weird mirror.

 

[SilentObserver]

Seriously though... I seem to remember Chris saying something about the house being repaired by September, and the insurance company only being willing to pay for their temporary accommodations until then. Does anyone else think it's unlikely that, based on the pictures, 14 Branchland Court will be inhabitable in (give or take a bit) two months? As another poster pointed out, it looks like nothing has been done.

I think they could possibly get it finished by September but it's doubtful. A few homes in my neighborhood received far more damage than 14BLC from an F3 tornado a few years ago and some of them were fully restored just 2 to 3 months later. By the same token, some are still in the same state they were the day of the tornado due to insurance issues or lawsuits.

The point is, they could have 14BLC restored by September but that would require high levels of motivation and little resistance from the Chandlers and, let's face it, I don't see them cooperating.

I personally think that 14BLC will wind up like some of the houses in my neighborhood that are still sitting vacant and heavily damaged 2 years after the tornado. More than likely 14BLC will continue to sit neglected and, since it's still relatively open to the elements, will be subject to mold, more damage, and vandalism. Barb and Chris will probably start renting somewhere instead of having something done with 14BLC. Eventually it will get to the point that neighbors start complaining to the city or county and then the property will wind up with liens on it if the county takes action to demolish it or clean the property up. Just my theory.

 

[rocket]

I like that others are bringing up Grey Gardens because post-Bob Charb really evokes that imagery for me

 

[Thetan]

I like that others are bringing up Grey Gardens because post-Bob Charb really evokes that imagery for me

Definitely not your run of the mill documentary. It's very engaging and absolutely fascinating (at least I thought so.)

 

[MrsFrizzle]

I like that others are bringing up Grey Gardens because post-Bob Charb really evokes that imagery for me

I am now imagining Tomgirl Chris in some of Little Edie's more imaginative outfits. At least the sweater turban would hide his horrendous skullet!

 

[Henry Bemis]

I like that others are bringing up Grey Gardens because post-Bob Charb really evokes that imagery for me

Not me. The thought of taking the song "Another Winter in a Summer Town" away from Christine Ebersole and putting it in Chris's throat makes me uncomfortable.

 

[garbageraider]

Skyraider verified in chat the other night that it's being repaired JUST enough for them to move in and it'll be shady as hell in regards of the quality of the repairs. Barb is apparently paying for it. They plan to move back within a few months. So yeah, Chris gets to move back into a partially repaired childhood home he saw burst into flames almost a year ago. I guess they won't have to pay for hoard storage anymore. They can move that half-burnt couch right back in :/

If you thought 14 Branchland Court was bad before, 14 Branchland Court v2.0 is going to be really, really, fucked up. It's a gutted, burnt out, rotting hulk of a building, and some shady contractors are going to do the bare minimum to make it "livable" again, turn on the utilities, and the Chandlers are going to move all their garbage back into a 14 Branchland Court that's even further dilapidated than it was a year ago.

You know how at the bottom of a pile of wet leaves, there's a bunch of leaves that are black and rotting, covered in maggots and worms? Imagine moving into a house that smelled like that, living 24/7 in a dark, enclosed rotting garbage pit. To make matters worse, everything that's left of 14 Branchland Court is covered in a black, sooty toxic residue left over from plastic and other crap that burned in the fire. Barb is fucking insane to be moving back in to a garbage dump horde house that burned for two hours straight, but not only is she doing it, she's only having the minimal repairs necessary done. The conditions there were so bad that Bob was eaten alive by parasites even as far back as 2011, but they've gotten worse each year since then.

I don't know what more to say. I just can't put it into words how disgusting, smelly, unsanitary, filthy, and toxic conditions are going to be for the Chandlers at 14 BC when they move back in. I don't think that they'll die or anything like that, but I wouldn't be surprised if they see immediate health effects after they move back in.

I'd rather live in a jail cell than at 14 Branchland Court. I'm not trying to A-Log here, I'm just appalled and telling it how it is.
Barb is fucking nuts.

 

[Mourning Dove]

If you thought 14 Branchland Court was bad before, 14 Branchland Court v2.0 is going to be really, really, fucked up. It's a gutted, burnt out, rotting hulk of a building, and some shady contractors are going to do the bare minimum to make it "livable" again, turn on the utilities, and the Chandlers are going to move all their garbage back into a 14 Branchland Court that's even further dilapidated than it was a year ago.

You know how at the bottom of a pile of wet leaves, there's a bunch of leaves that are black and rotting, covered in maggots and worms? Imagine moving into a house that smelled like that, living 24/7 in a dark, enclosed rotting garbage pit. To make matters worse, everything that's left of 14 Branchland Court is covered in a black, sooty toxic residue left over from plastic and other crap that burned in the fire. Barb is fucking insane to be moving back in to a garbage dump horde house that burned for two hours straight, but not only is she doing it, she's only having the minimal repairs necessary done. The conditions there were so bad that Bob was eaten alive by parasites even as far back as 2011, but they've gotten worse each year since then.

I don't know what more to say. I just can't put it into words how disgusting, smelly, unsanitary, filthy, and toxic conditions are going to be for the Chandlers at 14 BC when they move back in. I don't think that they'll die or anything like that, but I wouldn't be surprised if they see immediate health effects after they move back in.

I'd rather live in a jail cell than at 14 Branchland Court. I'm not trying to A-Log here, I'm just appalled and telling it how it is.
Barb is fucking nuts.

Well, the Chandlers have always been insane, unhygenic, and had really low standards, so I guess this is how it's gonna be.

 

[Thetan]

If you thought 14 Branchland Court was bad before, 14 Branchland Court v2.0 is going to be really, really, fucked up. It's a gutted, burnt out, rotting hulk of a building, and some shady contractors are going to do the bare minimum to make it "livable" again, turn on the utilities, and the Chandlers are going to move all their garbage back into a 14 Branchland Court that's even further dilapidated than it was a year ago.

You know how at the bottom of a pile of wet leaves, there's a bunch of leaves that are black and rotting, covered in maggots and worms? Imagine moving into a house that smelled like that, living 24/7 in a dark, enclosed rotting garbage pit. To make matters worse, everything that's left of 14 Branchland Court is covered in a black, sooty toxic residue left over from plastic and other crap that burned in the fire. Barb is fucking insane to be moving back in to a garbage dump horde house that burned for two hours straight, but not only is she doing it, she's only having the minimal repairs necessary done. The conditions there were so bad that Bob was eaten alive by parasites even as far back as 2011, but they've gotten worse each year since then.

I don't know what more to say. I just can't put it into words how disgusting, smelly, unsanitary, filthy, and toxic conditions are going to be for the Chandlers at 14 BC when they move back in. I don't think that they'll die or anything like that, but I wouldn't be surprised if they see immediate health effects after they move back in.

I'd rather live in a jail cell than at 14 Branchland Court. I'm not trying to A-Log here, I'm just appalled and telling it how it is.
Barb is fucking nuts.

I don't understand what's going on here. Is the insurance company being 'shady' or is this something that came abut because Barb was likely being an obstructionist, and kept the contractors from finishing on a timely basis?

What about local health codes? Surely a house that shoddily repaired wouldn't be considered liveable. Barb is a senior citizen. Living in the conditions you described isn't going to help her already declining health.

I'm also concerned about the electrical wiring. If the contractors do a half-assed job, there's the possibility of the repeat of the fire. I don't want to see that happen (and I'm certain that nobody else here does either.)

 

[Optimus Prime]

Skyraider verified in chat the other night that it's being repaired JUST enough for them to move in and it'll be shady as hell in regards of the quality of the repairs. Barb is apparently paying for it. They plan to move back within a few months. So yeah, Chris gets to move back into a partially repaired childhood home he saw burst into flames almost a year ago. I guess they won't have to pay for hoard storage anymore. They can move that half-burnt couch right back in :/

Ah, I wasn't aware of this development having already been confirmed. Thanks.

 

[crease danger]

I don't understand what's going on here. Is the insurance company being 'shady' or is this something that came abut because Barb was likely being an obstructionist, and kept the contractors from finishing on a timely basis?

What about local health codes? Surely a house that shoddily repaired wouldn't be considered liveable. Barb is a senior citizen. Living in the conditions you described isn't going to help her already declining health.

I'm also concerned about the electrical wiring. If the contractors do a half-assed job, there's the possibility of the repeat of the fire. I don't want to see that happen (and I'm certain that nobody else here does either.)

Then they would have a completely legitimate lawsuit on their hands and maybe get a little money from it for people doing a shitty job.

Back on topic... well, good for Chris for finally working on the medallions. But why wasn't he slowly working on them during the past weeks? Besides Pride, driving Barb places, and his new "sweetheart", what was he exactly doing?

 

[sparklemilhouse]

Barb is fucking insane to be moving back in to a garbage dump horde house that burned for two hours straight

Also, it snowed like crazy in the area at least once a week in the month after the fire. So tons of water damage and MOLD from the leaky tarp covered roof.

 

[Thetan]

If you thought 14 Branchland Court was bad before, 14 Branchland Court v2.0 is going to be really, really, fucked up. It's a gutted, burnt out, rotting hulk of a building, and some shady contractors are going to do the bare minimum to make it "livable" again, turn on the utilities, and the Chandlers are going to move all their garbage back into a 14 Branchland Court that's even further dilapidated than it was a year ago.

You know how at the bottom of a pile of wet leaves, there's a bunch of leaves that are black and rotting, covered in maggots and worms? Imagine moving into a house that smelled like that, living 24/7 in a dark, enclosed rotting garbage pit. To make matters worse, everything that's left of 14 Branchland Court is covered in a black, sooty toxic residue left over from plastic and other crap that burned in the fire. Barb is fucking insane to be moving back in to a garbage dump horde house that burned for two hours straight, but not only is she doing it, she's only having the minimal repairs necessary done. The conditions there were so bad that Bob was eaten alive by parasites even as far back as 2011, but they've gotten worse each year since then.

I don't know what more to say. I just can't put it into words how disgusting, smelly, unsanitary, filthy, and toxic conditions are going to be for the Chandlers at 14 BC when they move back in. I don't think that they'll die or anything like that, but I wouldn't be surprised if they see immediate health effects after they move back in.

I'd rather live in a jail cell than at 14 Branchland Court. I'm not trying to A-Log here, I'm just appalled and telling it how it is.
Barb is fucking nuts.

I'm also concerned about the possibility of 14 Branchland Court being full of black mold. In addition to the damage done by the fire, the house most likely sustained significant water damage and it's been sitting like that all through the hot summer months. These are the perfect conditions for black mold.

Black mold is serious business. It's extremely toxic, and it can cost tens of thousands of dollars to have it removed properly.

For anyone curious:
http://blackmold.awardspace.com/black-mold-toxic-stachybotrys-mycotoxins.html

I don't know what's going on, but I hope that the contractors aren't so shady that they'd let the Chandlers move into a potentially toxic house.

 

[Mechanism Eight]

With all this talk about Chris 'n' Barb moving back into what's essentially a disaster area, I wouldn't be surprised if Barb was doing it simply because their atrophied brain simply cannot stand being somewhere else due to how accustomed they were to just sitting there all day. Even though that's all they do by default.

I'm also concerned about the possibility of 14 Branchland Court being full of black mold. In addition to the damage done by the fire, the house most likely sustained significant water damage and it's been sitting like that all through the hot summer months. These are the perfect conditions for black mold.

Black mold is serious business. It's extremely toxic, and it can cost tens of thousands of dollars to have it removed properly.

If that level of unseen killer has taken residence in 14BC, there's a small chance that it could all be over within a shocking amount of time. With nowhere else to go to and no money to fix things, Both Chris and Barb actually just might die the same way they lived: Within and by their own filth.

Very unlikely, but a possibility considering the sheer amount of absurdity that's happened recently...

 

[Datiko]

Wouldnt the contractors from the insurance company fix the mold as well since it was caused by a fire? My insurance covered removal after a pipe burst since the pipe, and not my poor housecare, which caused the mold to grow.

Chris's and Barb's deaths are not likely to occur from anything related to moving home.

 

[Thetan]

With all this talk about Chris 'n' Barb moving back into what's essentially a disaster area, I wouldn't be surprised if Barb was doing it simply because their atrophied brain simply cannot stand being somewhere else due to how accustomed they were to just sitting there all day. Even though that's all they do by default.



If that level of unseen killer has taken residence in 14BC, there's a small chance that it could all be over within a shocking amount of time. With nowhere else to go to and no money to fix things, Both Chris and Barb actually just might die the same way they lived: Within and by their own filth.

Very unlikely, but a possibility considering the sheer amount of absurdity that's happened recently...

What I don't understand is how can a contractor certify a place is liveable without having some sort of agency (say public health or dept. of building codes) perform an inspection and verify this to be true. It seems like there should be some sort of oversight.

Barb and Chris may be assholes, but they don't deserve to live in a toxic, potentially life-threatening environment.

Black mold isn't necessarily caused by filthy living conditions. The water damage from the fire would be enough start creating an environment in which the mold could grow. My sister, whose house looks like something out of Better Homes And Gardens, had a black mold problem. Her basement used to flood on a semi regular basis. The mold started there. It cost over $20,000 to clean it up entirely (it spread to a couple of other areas of the house).

 

[Some JERK]

What I don't understand is how can a contractor certify a place is liveable without having some sort of agency (say public health or dept. of building codes) perform an inspection and verify this to be true. It seems like there should be some sort of oversight.

Barb and Chris may be assholes, but they don't deserve to live in a toxic, potentially life-threatening environment.

Black mold isn't necessarily caused by filthy living conditions. The water damage from the fire would be enough start creating an environment in which the mold could grow. My sister, whose house looks like something out of Better Homes And Gardens, had a black mold problem. Her basement used to flood on a semi regular basis. The mold started there. It cost over $20,000 to clean it up entirely (it spread to a couple of other areas of the house).

Usually those inspections are done at cost to the homeowner. I'd lose my shit if the county wanted to charge me to inspect/test for every single possible obscure health hazard that may exist before they let me move into my own house. I think they just want to know that the house isn't a hazard to others in the neighborhood, ie: that it's structurally sound and not going to come crashing down on anyone's head, burn up due to faulty wiring, or spray raw sewage into the yard because of half-assed plumbing. Anything else is your problem. Get sick and die because of black mold, radon, or critter bites? Oh well. Your fault.

 

[garbageraider]

I don't understand what's going on here. Is the insurance company being 'shady' or is this something that came abut because Barb was likely being an obstructionist, and kept the contractors from finishing on a timely basis?

Barb ended up getting less of a payout than she wanted, and later than she would have if she hadn't had trouble with the insurance company. The contractors repairing 14 BC only started working recently. It's not that the contractors are taking a long time, it's that they waited over 6 months to start working.

What about local health codes? Surely a house that shoddily repaired wouldn't be considered liveable. Barb is a senior citizen. Living in the conditions you described isn't going to help her already declining health.

"Local Health Codes"? In Ruckersville, VA? The town is a redneck shithole inhabited by ignorant, bigoted hillbillies. (no offense, Ruckersvillian) It's so bad, the Chandlers don't even stick out too much. People from most parts of the world/United States look at 14 Branchland Court and say, "OMG what about the health department", "health codes", etc, they're not getting it. Nobody in the local government gives a fuck about the Chandlers or 14 Branchland Court. When the first house tour video came out in 2009, the local health department (which has 2 people as staff and is based out of a trailer) did not care at all. Ruckersville is so trashy, that the Chandlers don't even stick out that much. Yes, really. The Chandlers live in a trailer trash Mecca, not in Beverly Hills, New York City, or some other cosmopolitan location. If the Chandlers want to move back into a toxic environment, no one will stop them.

I'm also concerned about the electrical wiring. If the contractors do a half-assed job, there's the possibility of the repeat of the fire. I don't want to see that happen (and I'm certain that nobody else here does either.)

Not to be A-Loggy, but if 14 Branchland Court (and all of Barb's garbage) burnt to the ground and they got an insurance check/payout, wouldn't the Chandlers lose little to nothing of value, be freed from their material burdens, and be forced to move into a location that would be more sanitary? In retrospect, wouldn't the Chandlers have been better off if 14 BC had just burned to the ground back in January? (all this is assuming that neither Barb nor Chris got/would get hurt)