Published: February 24, 2007

Trash Tracker
Hoarding makes owner’s ‘mess’ unlivable

The property: 601 S. Memorial Ave., unincorporated Winnebago County...

Published: February 24, 2007

Trash Tracker
Hoarding makes owner’s ‘mess’ unlivable


The property: 601 S. Memorial Ave., unincorporated Winnebago County

The problem: Neighbors complained to Trash Tracker about the home, which has a condemned sign on the front door. On a recent weekday, a truck was parked in a small side driveway. Trash cans, plastic buckets and chairs, cardboard boxes and large pieces of wood were scattered on the side drive and back porch. Other debris, including pots and pans, and a collection of tires on the roof of a shed were visible inside a fenced backyard.

Who’s responsible: The property is owned by Terri Slowthower, according to Winnebago County records.

What’s been done: The Winnebago County Health Department condemned the house last year after deeming it unfit for human habitation. The property owner exhibits some hoarding tendencies, said Health Department inspector Dave Dominguez, who discovered several cats and dogs and piles of items when he inspected the house last year.

Slowthower can be in the house from dawn to dusk to clean, but she is not allowed to live there.

“The house is just pretty much a mess,” Dominguez said. “She goes there and piles stuff up, and then it goes away and she piles more stuff. It’s kind of a continual process for her.”

Slowthower is due in court Tuesday for a hearing on the property.

If she manages to bring her residence up to code, Dominguez said, she can live there again.

What you can do: If you see a messy property in Winnebago County, call 815-987-3000 and ask which department can help. In Rockford, you can file a complaint with the Neighborhood Standards Division, 815-987-5566, or e-mail NSComplaints@ci.rockford.il.us. You can also tell us by calling 815-987-1350 or filling out an online form at rrstar.com/trashform.

What we will do: Check back to see if the house is cleaned up.

— By Sarah Roberts

Post a Comment | View All COHDonna wrote: So your recommendation is to have people "report the messy house they find" and then what you will do, is "see if the house is cleaned up later". Where is the therapy offered to the sufferer of this Compulsive Disorder? If you are going to exploit the problem across your pages, at least you could offer the SOLUTIONS and resources for help for sufferers at the same time. Compulsive Hoarding is now being understood to be a subset of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), almost completely involuntary, hard to treat except with CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) & support. There have been brain scans done that show Compulsive Hoarders perceive discarding possessions as "punishment". There is a whole body of research about this-the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation's Hoarding Website can be found here: http://www.ocfoundation.org/hoarding/ It is often not a matter of ''oh just throw it out'' for sufferers, as they have great anxiety around letting go, which can be greatly exacerbated by pressure and threats from family members, friends (or e.g.-being published in a newspaper and enduring public embarassment for this condition they can't manage on their own without professional treatment!) Hoarders are often highly intelligent people, who suffer from a mental illness that is a source of shame for them. Exploiting them like this is not only irresponsible, it is unkind. Donna Austin Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 11:49 pm Elizabeth Nelson wrote: When I first read about the concept of the 'Trash Tracker', I wasn't sure what to make of it. The kind of homes that would qualify for this kind of public humiliation are often owned by people who suffer from a genuine mental disorder. Compulsive hoarding is as real and serious as any addiction or disorder such as anorexia (i.e. hoarders don't SEE the problem for what it is, just like addicts or anorexics do not recognize the state of their health). I was conflicted in my initial reaction to this idea, because I know that many compulsive hoarders would benefit from outside intervention, particularly when living conditions are unsafe and hazardous. However, the latest installment of 'Trash Tracker' confirmed all my worst fears. The article concedes that Slowthower has hoarding tendencies and describes behavior that almost certainly defines compulsive hoarding disorder. So she is not allowed to live in her home any longer and the property is condemned. What else, other than the public humiliation of your newspaper article? Is Slowthower receiving any therapy for her disorder? are social workers even involved, or is she merely branded with the letter T ("trash") and locked out of her home? My own mother suffers from hoarding disorder and I am the LAST person to argue in favor of a person's right to self-neglect in a squalorous home. Still, I am astounded at the lack of sensitivity in drawing such negative (and unnecessary) attention to someone in need of mental health services. I hope your readers will consider educating themselves instead of pointing fingers of ignorance at the suffering of others. Would your paper publish an article with the theme "Flakey Finder" that included profiles of people with learning disabilities? I hope not. Please consider what 'hoarding tendencies' actually means in the context of mental health-- think about what kind of stigma you encourage by implying that hoarders are merely 'bad neighbors' who should be reported and publicly shamed. For more information about hoarding disorder and its impact on families, visit childrenofhoarders.com Elizabeth Nelson Ann Arbor, Michigan Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 7:12 pm

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