from time to time, i have worked for habitat for humanity, not in any official capacity, but just as a grunt, swinging a hammer. there is a project in my city, that has been very difficult, it was to be five acres and 22 homes, but because of an adjacent neighborhood pressure, and the city issues, it was shrunk to a large lot and 3 homes. well the volunteers were busting thier butts to get these three families in by thanksgiving, and all three families had given notice at thier current residents. the volunteers were down to putting in floors, cabinets painting and pouring the driveways, on schedule and under budget.

well...monday night, some p.o.s snapped the locks and stole all the tools from the site. lazer levels, chop saws, all of it. the volunteers are bringing and using thier own tools, but are now fighting to stay on schedule. i'm not associated with this particular project, but i'm seeing red right now. if any of you have been part of these projects, you know, it's a work of heart and soul, and to see this ripped out from under people who are working for others, puts my blood pressure into the stratosphere......

i'm going to go by this weekend and see if there is anything i can do to help. even if it's to supply my compressor or a case of nails. i hate these types of stories, and the holidays just compounds it, kinda like when you hear somebody ripping off a car full of toys, or somebody stealing a wheel chair. where do you have to be in life, that ripping of a charity, is an option??????

I'd be equally as ticked about the neighbors who created pressure to shrink the project from 22 to 3 homes. HFH homeowners are likely to be much better neighbors and likely to keep their propery up than any random neighbor they are likely to get.

Maybe locals could also volunteer a little time to patroling the construction area to keep cretins like the mentioned theives away. Not that the volunteers haven't already done enough, but being too careful never did any damage. Wouldn't you like to just once catch some punk perpetrating such a crime?

Wish I was local, I'd pitch in with some help and tools.

Rich ........ as much as I'd like to give the neighbors a thumbsup for helping. ........

I'm betting its one of them that STOLE the TOOLS !!!

Never,never,never leave anything on a construction site that you would not want to walk away. Construction sites are notoious for theft of tools,materials and appliances. Thats pretty much nation wide. I spent many years in a trade. The last thing I wanted to do at the end of a hard day was load all the tools into the truck just to unload them in the mourning, but I always did. I can count on one hand the amount of times I left my tools on the job over twenty years. The only time I had anything stolen it was out a vehicle that was parked off the job site.

X2 Brad.

HFH homeowners are not given their homes, they are loaned the money and must pay it back as well as volunteer a certain number of hours with the organization, IIRC. I would think they would make very good neighbors.

X2 Brad.

HFH homeowners are not given their homes, they are loaned the money and must pay it back as well as volunteer a certain number of hours with the organization, IIRC. I would think they would make very good neighbors.

yup.. with no interest..
I'd like a mortage like that.
it's a good cause..
but, to many in those houses"worked the system"

I've helped frame a couple of habitat homes in Boise and know about the volunteer efforts. On the large commercial jobs around here the contractors keep the job boxes closed and a close eye on tools even during the day, they seem to walk away if they are out of your sight. Pretty low when a tradesman will steal tools another needs to make money. Most also have hired night security because of materials getting stripped out of the buildings after it is put in.

yup.. with no interest..
I'd like a mortage like that.
it's a good cause..
but, to many in those houses"worked the system"

A guy I work with just told me he saw on a news program that 90% of those people that get those houses foreclose on them, 90%. If thats true... :sad:

but, to many in those houses"worked the system"

Don't take this the wrong way, but I've gotta ask -

Do you have data to support this, or is this your "perception"?

was on the 6 oclock news a month ago..
wbz
one even went so far as to cook the books to get one..
then rented it out