Should you buy that kitchen sink?

By Dan Tilkin, KATU News and KATU.com Staff Published: Apr 17, 2010 at 2:09 PM PDT Last Updated: Apr 17, 2010 at 3:50 PM PDT
The center two Craigslist ads, posted April 14, appear to be from an Albany man whose home is in foreclosure. »Play Video
The center two Craigslist ads, posted April 14, appear to be from an Albany man whose home is in foreclosure. As such, we bring you this On Your Side investigation.

ALBANY, Ore. – For those on the prowl for slightly used appliances and fixtures, these Craigslist ads are enticing: 

    "Amazing price" on a stainless steel faucet...
     A garbage disposal for a $100 bucks...
     A "like brand new stainless steel cooktop..."

These are some of eight ads posted on Craigslist this past week by an Albany homeowner. And all could make the responder party to a crime.

Another ad lists more things attached to the structure: "cabinets, oil rubbed bronze faucets, vessel sinks... bath hardware." Another ad explains: "Getting rid of house and our loss is your gain."

"In my opinion, if things are nailed down, you shouldn't try to take them out," said neighbor Helen Van Handel (the law backs her up). "But I've been in places where they've even taken light bulbs."

In Trent Merton's house, we don't know about the light bulbs. However, we do know he has advertised the "light fixtures."

Over the past year we've covered stories of several people arrested for stripping things from their homes before they lost them to foreclosure. We even chronicled the arrest of a man by the name of Grigoriy Bogoslavets, who was convicted of aggravated theft after he ripped things out of the house he lost in Damascus. Stripped items included kitchen cabinets, the fireplace and toilets.

That's why a viewer called us to look into what appeared to be another homeowner doing the same thing now.

After getting turned down on the phone to talk to Merton, we went to his front door. He provided no answers. So we turned to neighbors for possible insight.

Neighbors said the home has shown no outward signs of financial distress. "I've not heard anybody say anything about that going into foreclosure," said neighbor Van Handel.

However, lending records from Bank of America show the house is scheduled to be auctioned off at the end of April. It will be up for auction at the Linn County Courthouse in Albany.

From all these ads it looks like the homeowner is trying to sell as many pieces of the house as he can before he has to turn it over to the bank.

Real estate agents who specialize in foreclosures confirm it is against the law to remove some items from a house you know is going back to the bank. Those items include anything that is attached to the house, such as cabinets or faucets.

Taking a refrigerator or removable stove is OK, but you can't just take the stove top.