A 74-year-old hotel worker’s hoarding has spiralled so far out of control that he now cannot get into one of his homes.
Michael Saunders bought his first home 40 years ago and after living there for 20 years, he bought the house two doors down for his mother but shortly after she passed away.
Now the front door and window to one of his West Midlands semi-detached homes is blocked by a seven foot high pile of furniture, bin bags and boxes.
The local council had to call in professional help from hoarding specialists Tee and Caz from the N Gervais Extreme Cleaning team due to the state of his properties.
Mr Saunders said: ‘I work in a luxury hotel. I play the piano at night for the guests. I cook the breakfasts and I am the duty manager of a 69 bedroomed hotel.
And the last few years I have been helping people who have been less fortunate than myself.
‘I am also Governor of a care home not far from where I live, in which I do the bingo for ladies and gentlemen there and also play the piano for them on a voluntary basis. I lead a very, very busy life.
‘I then went into hospital with cancer. I was in hospital for six months. I had the loss of salary for six months and then I was asked not to lift anything for about 11 weeks.
‘And obviously things got in to a dilapidated state.’
Tee and Caz said they were shocked by the amount of stuff Mr Saunders had been able to accumulate over the years.
Tee, 42, said: ‘Mr Saunders’ hoarding is on a level five, which is really extreme – it’s the highest level. For the fact that he is hoarding in both his homes, in his cars, in his garden and he is hoarding in the car he is actually driving.
‘He has had foxes living inside his home. They have been gaining access through an underground cellar hole.
‘There is a lovely conservatory, which he’s not able to use because it’s absolutely full with his bits and bobs. Old curtains, an old suitcase, TV, empty paint buckets, lampshades, old newspapers and a printer – things that he actually doesn’t need to use.’
She added: ‘There’s a lot of broken crockery and carrier bags that have disintegrated, so you can see how long they have been here. It’s such a shame because he really needs to use this property. He spends most of his time in his car and it’s really, really not good.
‘He doesn’t actually have a kitchen here. That’s not even a sink.’
Tee said: ‘Mr. Saunders doesn’t admit to having a problem. He says all his possessions are for something, some reason or they have got value. But not all of his stuff has value and not all of his stuff he needs.
‘During the clean-up he has been happy, chirpy, cheerful. But he is in denial.’
Hoarding gyűjtögetés
Pass away elhalálozik
Local council önkormányzat
Property ingatlan
On voluntary basis önkéntes alapon
Obviously nyílvánvaló
Dilapidated tönkrement
Accumulate felhalmoz
Gain access bejut
Conservatory üvegház
Bits and bobs vackok
By Charlie Bayliss For Mailonline
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5135941/Hotel-worker-unable-home-hoarding.html#ixzz508YHTCZD
