https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/m...-can-do-hoarders-wife-loss-over-clutter-boon?
An elderly hoarder in Boon Keng has left his neighbours and wife at a loss due to his habits.
PHOTO: Shin Min Daily News
Their relationship has become like a zero-sum game - he keeps adding more to his hoard, while she stands by, constantly at a loss.
An 80-year-old man has left his wife at her wits' end as his hoarding habits have earned the ire of residents of Block 2A, Upper Boon Keng Road, Shin Min Daily News reported on Friday (May 10).
The corridor, fire riser and stairwell has been filled with his items, creating an inconvenience not just for his neighbours, but also his wife - the 70-year-old Lu told Shin Min that she knew about her husband's problem, but couldn't do anything to help.
She had repeatedly attempted to convince her husband to stop hoarding but gets ignored, causing them to get into arguments.
"I know about these problems," she said. "I know my neighbours are unhappy, but there's nothing I can do."
Speaking with Shin Min, a 57-year-old resident surnamed Lin said that he had moved in about a decade ago, and the clutter was already present then.
He had tried to speak with the elderly man about his habits and things had improved at first.
However, the pile of junk began to grow again soon after, and the corridor got narrower and narrower, leaving Lin feeling like he lives in a garbage dump, he told Shin Min.
Additionally, the elderly man even hits the walls with electronic appliances at night to dismantle them, disturbing Lin and his family.
Lin said he had tried multiple times to persuade the man to put a stop to his habits, but to no avail, culminating in an argument between the two families last Sunday (May 5) where the police were called.
"It's not just about the clutter," the 67-year-old housewife said. "If there's a fire, it'll be dangerous. How can we escape if the corridor is filled with clutter?"
The Shin Min reporter also noted that the fire riser was used by the elderly man to store various miscellaneous items, ranging from bicycles to oil drums.
These objects were placed on the pipes themselves, leading neighbours to worry if that could adversely affect rescue or firefighting operations.
Responding to queries by the Chinese publication, the Jalan Besar Town Council shared that they had visited the man on Thursday (May 9) and instructed him to remove the clutter.
However, they also noted that this request has been made to the man many times before, and while he would comply with instructions, he would store more items in his vicinity soon after.
AsiaOne has reached out to the Jalan Besar Town Council for more information.
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'My neighbours are unhappy but there's nothing I can do': Hoarder's wife at a loss over clutter at Boon Keng block
An elderly hoarder in Boon Keng has left his neighbours and wife at a loss due to his habits.
PHOTO: Shin Min Daily News
Their relationship has become like a zero-sum game - he keeps adding more to his hoard, while she stands by, constantly at a loss.
An 80-year-old man has left his wife at her wits' end as his hoarding habits have earned the ire of residents of Block 2A, Upper Boon Keng Road, Shin Min Daily News reported on Friday (May 10).
The corridor, fire riser and stairwell has been filled with his items, creating an inconvenience not just for his neighbours, but also his wife - the 70-year-old Lu told Shin Min that she knew about her husband's problem, but couldn't do anything to help.
She had repeatedly attempted to convince her husband to stop hoarding but gets ignored, causing them to get into arguments.
"I know about these problems," she said. "I know my neighbours are unhappy, but there's nothing I can do."
Speaking with Shin Min, a 57-year-old resident surnamed Lin said that he had moved in about a decade ago, and the clutter was already present then.
He had tried to speak with the elderly man about his habits and things had improved at first.
However, the pile of junk began to grow again soon after, and the corridor got narrower and narrower, leaving Lin feeling like he lives in a garbage dump, he told Shin Min.
Additionally, the elderly man even hits the walls with electronic appliances at night to dismantle them, disturbing Lin and his family.
Lin said he had tried multiple times to persuade the man to put a stop to his habits, but to no avail, culminating in an argument between the two families last Sunday (May 5) where the police were called.
'If there's a fire, it'll be dangerous'
Another neighbour surnamed Yang told Shin Min that her worries also extend to fire safety."It's not just about the clutter," the 67-year-old housewife said. "If there's a fire, it'll be dangerous. How can we escape if the corridor is filled with clutter?"
The Shin Min reporter also noted that the fire riser was used by the elderly man to store various miscellaneous items, ranging from bicycles to oil drums.
These objects were placed on the pipes themselves, leading neighbours to worry if that could adversely affect rescue or firefighting operations.
Responding to queries by the Chinese publication, the Jalan Besar Town Council shared that they had visited the man on Thursday (May 9) and instructed him to remove the clutter.
However, they also noted that this request has been made to the man many times before, and while he would comply with instructions, he would store more items in his vicinity soon after.
AsiaOne has reached out to the Jalan Besar Town Council for more information.
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