Friday, November 12, 2010

3 Part Series: Inside the Life of a Hoarder

Part 1: Inside the Life of a Hoarder

Have you ever known a pack rat?

Or maybe you just can't seem to get rid of your stuff. Welcome to the home of a Hubbard woman who's perfectly content living the life of a hoarder.

As you take a look around Joyce Pratt's bedroom, you're immediately struck by all the stuff she has. Her kids say she has too much, that she's a hoarder, but Pratt believes otherwise.

"I never have to go shopping for gifts because I always have something here," Pratt said.

Joyce's gifts extend beyond the bedroom and fill every space of her apartment. Before our cameras got there, she said she frantically filled six boxes just to make room for our reporter to get inside.

Pratt said she doesn't see how this could be a problem: "Not really, not really for me. If it bothers other people then so be it."

Looking around there's so much stuff, you almost can't focus your eyes on anything. In one shot, there was a lollipop, a sweet potato, pictures, batteries, bells, angels, flags, fans and this list goes on, including a mink stole we found lying in a pile..."
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Part 2: Cleaning a Hoarders' Home

In part one of our hoarder series, we introduced you to a Hubbard woman who's not ready to make a change in her pack-rat lifestyle. In part two of our series we take a look at what it takes to clean up once a hoarder is finally ready.

For more than 20 years, Spring Fresh Cleaning services in Boardman has handled every type of professional cleaning job you can imagine, but cleaning up a hoarder's home can be a bit different than your typical job...
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Part 3: Hoarding is Treatable, Not Curable

A Columbiana family was facing stiff fines from the city for all the stuff they'd collected.

So much in fact camera crews from the A&E TV series "Hoarders" came out to film them in May. Six months later, we go back to the Curl home to find out if they've been able to keep it tidy.

"Whew, that was very stressful time," said George Curl.

You'd be stressed too if you were facing fines of up to $50,000 a day for zoning violations. That's exactly where the Curl family found themselves six months ago..."
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