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[MrsBrady]

This message was self-deleted by its author (MrsBrady) on Tue Feb 25, 2014, 05:48 PM. When the original post in a discussion thread is self-deleted, the entire discussion thread is automatically locked so new replies cannot be posted.

[LeftofObama]

1. Maybe you should call the police just to be on the safe side.

That would definitely freak me out!

[LeftofObama]

3. I don't know either,

but if you didn't put it there, and your cats didn't put it there, and your landlady didn't put it there, someone had to have been in your apartment.

[hopemountain]

52. i agree. report it.

get a remote viewing surveillance camera. have someone qualified walk through your apartment who knows about hidden surveillance in the event you are already being listened to or watched. no, this is not my wild imagination. i was spied on by my landlord. the sick fuck.(the local sheriff said i had no proof it was the landlord - but my report is on record in the event the landlord has a "pattern".)

[NYC_SKP]

4. Is there a drawer above that cabinet?

Might prior tenants have kept snacks in that drawer, and the pixie stick gotten stuck outside the drawer in the glides and stayed there after they moved out until you moved in when it then just fell out one day?

Is that possible?

[Downwinder]

5. Is there an attic space?

[sammytko]

6. Is there a drawer above it?

If so, maybe it was way in the drawer from a firmer tenant and it fell from the drawer to the shelf below.

[womanofthehills]

7. Hide a cheap voice activated recorder in your house

turn in on when you leave.

[rug]

8. Why do you think they're called pixie sticks?

‘Tis said their forms are tiny, yet
All human ills they can subdue,
Or with a wand or amulet
Can win a maiden’s heart for you;
And many a blessing know to stew
To make to wedlock bright;
Give honour to the dainty crew,
The Pixies are abroad tonight.

[MrsBrady]

13. hadn't thought of it that way

[Enrique]

14. have you seen this man hanging around your neighborhood?

[MrsBrady]

15. not unless he's moved to Fort Worth.

[lost-in-nj]

16. have you had any guests with kids

Recently? Maybe they were walking around and put it in there for safe keeping? Just a thought.... It would freak me out to. Lost

[MrsBrady]

39. no kid guests...

[Downwinder]

17. Do the cats have a door?

Thought about the video of the cat inviting friends in.

[MrsBrady]

18. lol...

no...they don't go outside...not ever.

but that would be like them, if they did.

[siligut]

19. Are you being gang stalked?

This is just the sort of thing they would do to unnerve you.

[MrsBrady]

38. I don't think so... n/t

[WhoIsNumberNone]

20. Is the daughter a teenager by any chance?

I'm just wondering if it's possible the daughter "borrowed" the keys and spent the evening in your apartment. When I was a teenager this was a common enough stunt. While I was in high school I went to no less than three small-scale get togethers held in unoccupied houses. Twice one of us had the key to an unoccupied rental property owned by someone's parents. The other time a friend and his family were out of town, and we broke into his house and drank beer. Each time it was just our inner circle of friends who did it, and we were careful not to do any damage, or leave any other evidence that we had been there.

Do you imagine something similar could have happened in your case?

[MrsBrady]

34. she's 3....

so at least that's out...

that's why I was thinking daughter and candy.

[tavernier]

21. Do you have an exterminator?

Our bug guy uses straws similar to this in appearance but with some kind of insecticide to kill ants. I always thought they looked like pixie sticks.

Just a guess.

[MrsBrady]

23. well, it actually has the label still on it

so...I wish.

[siligut]

25. That is a packaging error to be sure.

Poison that looks like candy; what could go wrong?

[tavernier]

26. Yeah, no kidding, but I think he makes them up himself,

and he always explains that it is poison. I just wasn't sure if other exterminators used the poison in the straw trick.

[tavernier]

24. You could mention to your landlady and daughter, with all innocence,

that you are going to put in a nannie cam, in case it happens again.

I'm not accusing the kid, but if it was teenage "thing", she won't do it again if she thinks you have a camera going.

[TheMadMonk]

27. Why tell them? In fact if it is them, you defintely want to catch...

them out, if they're litterally or figuratively sniffing through your smalls.

Secretly recording video on your own property (unlike voice anywhere) is essentially exempt under privacy laws, except where there is an enhanced expectation of privacy, ie bathrooms or bedrooms, and even bedrooms can be a grey area.

Kitchen, living areas are generally open slather, provided you are careful not to record audio.

[SEMOVoter]

28. I would also be freaked out.

have you considered a monitor?

[MrsBrady]

41. this morning i'm considering some kind of hidden

camera situation.

but I don't know that I can really afford anything.

I'll have to look into it.

[SEMOVoter]

50. Peace of Mind is an Investment

I have no experience with monitors or in home surveillance.

I haven't looked yet, but maybe another thread topic on a "cheap-good-easy" monitor is in order.

Not to interlope on your story, but late last night I was sitting on the couch and I swear I heard someone open and close the kitchen door leading to the back porch. It squeaks with a distinct sound. Just adding this to say I might be also interested in any information other DU'ers have on home monitors.

Not skarit yet, but certainly on alert.

[XemaSab]

55. If you have a friend who hunts

a trail camera would work.

A webcam also might work, and that would be cheaper.

[forestpath]

56. Sometimes weird, unexplainable things happen. I have had things

in my house move...in one case from one room to another...when I hadn't touched them. (Nor had anyone else as I live alone except for two cats but they were not the type of item a cat could manipulate.) But they were things I owned, not things I had never seen before. That would be even freakier.

However, the other night an internal door in my room changed positions (cats were not in that area during the time period it happened) and I was afraid somebody had broken in and was hiding in that room so I called the cops for that (thankfully, there was nobody else in my house except me and the cats).

But because you rent that would add an extra layer of concern. So I would call the police if that happened to me, unless somebody confessed.

[tblue]

29. Calling Agatha Christie!

Dang! I'm trying to think of a logical explanation but I am just stumped. Are you absolutely sure nothing else was moved or removed? Have you had visitors in the last few days, or since you last opened that cabinet? Who have you had over in the last 2-3 weeks? Is there a chance someone brought that into your home a while ago and you only now just noticed it? And lastly,...do you believe in poltergeists? Haha...maybe?

Keep in mind that whoever did this doesn't appear to have any really ill intentions. They didn't steal or damage anything. If the only evidence is a pixie stick, it was a harmless break-in actually. Somebody was hungry and went into a cabinet. Why not take this as a reminder to really secure your home and property better. Do whatever you need to do right away. This incident may be sort of a good thing after all. You'll be safer because of it. Don't worry too much, sweetie. Hey, you have a great story to tell now!

[HeiressofBickworth]

30. Hmm -- now there's a puzzle

You said the landlord's missing set of keys is unrelated, however, possibly it IS related. The teenager may have taken the keys in order to have access to your space -- for what purpose, who knows. Could be anything from the thrill of being where one is not supposed to be, or for some other illicit purpose. I like the idea of some kind of security monitor. And don't tell anyone you've installed one, it would give the snoop a warning and you would never know who it was.

From what I've read, it isn't uncommon to have a landlord or someone else with access to the landlord's set of keys go snooping in tenants' apartments. Possibly to steal something, but more likely just being nosey.

[In_The_Wind]

31. Move.

[MrsBrady]

36. can't n/t

[Moondog]

32. Another vote for "move".

[cleveramerican]

33. Yes you should be freaked out!

1 question,
When was the least time you were in that particular cabinet?
was it a few days ?

[MrsBrady]

35. either

that morning or the morning before

[Baitball Blogger]

40. I suspect Honey Boo Boo.

Pixie sticks are known as pageant crack.

[MrsBrady]

42. Honey Boo Boo comes to Fort Worth?

hmmm. Glad I don't have cable tv.

[Baitball Blogger]

45. There are some hunting cams that you can buy for under $100.00

Just add batteries and an SD card and find a place to hide it where they can't see it. Some are a bit clumsy in size (about the size of a book) but you can shop around for something smaller.

That way, you'll have a chance to collect evidence.

[warrior1]

43. How old his her daughter and

who else do you know would have access to the keys to your apartment beside the land lady?

This statement in your op "So for some reason the land lady was having trouble locating my house keys." Screams out to me.

If you put in a camera, don't tell the land lady or her family. I think one of them is the culprit. IMO.

What also would be interesting is invite a friend you trust, and sneak them into your apartment. Leave like you normally do and see if your friend has a visitor.

[MrsBrady]

44. daughter is 3

i'm gonna look into getting a camera or something

[warrior1]

46. link to some hidden cameras

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Camera-Photo-Hidden-Cameras/zgbs/photo/12909791

Also, check you computer and set a password if you don't all ready.

[MrsBrady]

47. yea I have a password on startup...

thanks for the link

[warrior1]

48. Another question

Does you landlady know you found this object in your house?

[MrsBrady]

49. yea, I called her

to ask if she and her 3 year old daughter had been at the apartment...
because I was hoping the answer would be yes...

but no they hadn't been. and she didn't know what to think of it either.

[LeftofObama]

51. Please give us an update if you find out what happened. n/t

[MrsBrady]

54. I will

I don't really have any money to spend on some cameras, but
I'm going to find a solution and get something going in the next few weeks.

I'll let you know. so far nothing else weird.

Thanks

[hopemountain]

53. trust your level of concern

and your intuition

[agracie]

57. First of all...

Do not assume your landlady is telling the truth. The key story sounds a bit shaky.


Second, are there any mfg. numbers on the pixie stick wrapper that would help the manufacturer tell you how old it is ? It's a stretch, but It might have fallen from the drawer above... and it may have been there for a long time.

[840high]

58. I would have made

sure the police knew about this.

[riderinthestorm]

59. Honestly, your landlord's lying. She's been in your apartment and her daughter left the pixie stick

The key story is fishy and she has a young child whose the right age for that kind of candy.

I'd lay odds she's snooping to see if you are the "right" sort of tenant because if you were trashing the place, after 6 months it would be evident. She's sussing you out to see if she's going to renew in another 6 months.

I'm sorry about that. Some landlords do some shitty things. Its illegal but I know it happens. I've talked to others who have owned rental properties and know there are some who want to inspect without notice.

When I suspected tenants were trashing a place I usually concocted a story to gain entrance if I could but always while the renters were there (knock knock! "So sorry but someone just said there's smoke coming from the basement window - can I just check to make sure nothing's wrong down there? It may be nothing but I want to make sure!" Even if they didn't let me go into the basement, just standing in the doorway gave me enough of a view to see if there was any trouble afoot -which dammit there almost always was . I hated being a landlord and will never do it again).

I don't think you have a poltergeist. I think you have a nosy landlord and an inquisitive child whose lost her pixie stick.

[MrsBrady]

60. well....

I have a year lease and....

I don't think they were there...but I don't know...

I'll get some cameras up.

[Llewlladdwr]

61. Was an exterminator in that day?

I've seen exterminators use something like this (a straw filled with sugar and boric acid) as an ant bait. Maybe this?

[MrsBrady]

62. see post 21 and subthreads...

thanks

[marzipanni]

63. Who changed the locks?

If the landlady or her husband did, was the three year old with them?

[warrior1]

64. just checking to see if this had be resolved

[agracie]

65. I was wondering the same thing. nt

[agracie]

66. Inquiring minds want to know...

How did this all turn out ?

[LeftofObama]

67. LOL!

I was just wondering the other day if this ever got resolved.

[texanwitch]

69. I know the feeling.

I found a strange coffee mug in my house one day.

Don't know how it got there.

It was from a company that is in another state.

No one will admit to the mug, so it is a mystery.

[nolabear]

70. I think you missed the obvious.

You got a case o' pixies, girl.

[warrior1]

71. Thanks MrsBrady for the update.