I was talking with one of my neighbors when they told me that people had been observed in Manorwood going through the recycling bins.  It occurred to us both that the only reason people would be interested in what was in the recycling bins would be if they were looking for personal information, in order to steal identities.

It seems that every day there are more reports of identity theft. What we throw away in our recycling bin may be just what the identity thief is looking for.

For example, occasionally credit card companies will include a blank check in their credit card statement, to enable their customers to get cash advances simply by filling out the check and cashing it. The check is usually at the end of the statement along with some uninteresting verbiage, and is easy to overlook.  If you happen to throw that check away and along with it a sample of your signature, you may have given an identity thief an early Christmas present.

If you don’t own a paper shredder, perhaps it is time to think about getting one.

[1] Drawbacks – (1) You have got to discipline yourself to take the time to shred documents.  (2)  Shredded paper can no longer be recycled, it must be put in a sealed bag before it is put in the garbage.

[2] Positives – You may just save yourself a LOT of grief (but if you do you’ll probably never know that you escaped the crooks).

Sunrise Terrace Neighbors,

Squatters occupying the house at: 11915 136^th Ave E, have been evicted.  On December 17^th the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department boarded the house and posted a condemned notice.  Unlawful entry may be considered trespass.   Please call the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department if you suspect any unauthorized persons or activity on this property or any other property.  Code Enforcement Condemned Notice below:

• Pierce County Case Notification, case number 68128.
• Community Liaison Program Coordinator, Amanda 253-798-4814
• Officer Jason Arbogast, Code Enforcement, 253-798-8582
• Pierce County Sheriff’s Non-Emergency number, 253-798-4721
• Emergency number, 911

See earlier posts “Update on 11915 136th Ave East” and “Vacant House?  Be Alert for Squatters” for specific details on contacting Pierce County Authorities.

It appears that once Squatters have settled into a house for a while it is much more difficult to get them out than if the problem were addressed in the first day or two of their occupancy.  For this reason, we are requesting residents of our Neighborhood to be especially vigilant about vacant houses on their street.

We would offer these suggestions:

1. If a real-estate sign goes up, make a note of the agent’s name and phone number.  If someone moves into the house, call the realtor to make certain that it has been sold or rented. If the realtor says the property is supposed to be vacant, call 911 and report a possible burglary in progress.

2. If there was never a sign, call the owner to make certain that the new occupants are not Squatting. ( This is one of the reasons we need to keep the Neighborhood Directory up to date.  ) If the owner says the property is supposed to be vacant, request he call 911.

3.  If you can’t do either 1 or 2 above, then call and e-mail Kirk Hall (253) 840-0411, kahalljr@comcast.net . I will pass the message to  one of the Architectural Control Committee members, and give them all the information you have (house address; when people living there showed up; how many people; what sex are the people; number of vehicles present; changes they have made to the property ( example: garage door removed/ broken; windows/doors broken ); whether you have already called the realtor or owner, and what kind of answer you received.

4. There is a lady named  “Amanda” at the Sheriff’s Department.  She is the  Community Liaison Program Coordinator.  Her number is 253-798-4814.  She said to call her if we notice any further damage to the house or any criminal activity.  If necessary she will pass the message along to the Community Liaison, Deputy Jeff Papen.

If someone calls in a crime they should take the Deputy’s name and phone number and request a follow up from him/her. That way they know an officer checked on the situation.

Note:  Many of our neighbors do not read the post we put on the Blog.  Sometimes it is because they do not get the Alert Notifications we send out when something new is posted, because they never asked to be on the Alert Notification List.  This is a particularly important post.  Please take time to ask your nearest neighbors if they get the Alerts and if they have read this post.