From Firehouse.com/Firefighters Discussion Forums

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July 5, 2006 -- On the West Coast, some firefighters call it a "Habitrail house." In the Midwest, it is often a "packer house." In parts of Nevada, it is a "multiple waiting to happen," meaning a multiple-alarm fire. But in New York City, and along much of the East Coast, a dwelling jammed rafter-high with junk is referred to by rescue personnel, with dismay and no small degree of respect, as a "Collyers' Mansion."
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A Colliers Mansion is a Dwelling (Private Dwelling, Apartment etc.) That is filled with filth, Trash and General Refuse. It is common to find hermits and Junk Collectors with these conditions in thier places of residence.
The term was coined after two brothers who came from a wealthy family in Harlem (Harlem was a wealthy neighborhood in the Late 1880s to early 1900s) Inherited the Brownstone from their parents. They were recluces. One of the Brothers was blind and the other cared for him. Only leaving at night the brother would leave to gather only essentials and return home.
Well Since both of the Colliers Brothers were very suspicious of the outside world the one who left created booby traps in the pathways created by reams of papers and Trash.
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Several years ago, I had a couple of incidents in a house like that. I've been to many homes of pack-rats, but this one takes the cake. First incident, the elderly female occupant fell and could not get up. The woman from "Meals on Wheels" heard her when she went to deliver her food and called 911. I entered through the back door and had a couple of fishing poles that were over the door fall on me and saw piles of junk everwhere. She was easy to find, there were only a few paths in the house through all the debris. She was alert, lucid, not injured and refused all medical assistance. (read more of what they are saying at:http://tinyurl.com/e72ht)