Kids partying and trashing millionaires vacant house

[aolwien]

I just can't get all worked up to give a shit about this either way. Rich millionaire guy who could play with a ball has his second home trashed by a bunch of spoiled, privileged rich kids.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/ex-nfl-player-home-trashed-hundreds-partying-teens-article-1.1460006

The word went out on Twitter — and hundreds of hard-partying characters turned out to trash the upstate New York home of a former NFL All-Pro.

Brian Holloway, who played for the Patriots in Super Bowl XX, watched the Labor Day debauchery via photos and text messages sent from inside his vacant house by the malicious merry-makers.

[1-Old-Man]

1. The vandals should be tossed in Jail and the Rich Guy should be taxed. Beyond that, who cares?

[trumad]

7. What makes you think he's not taxed?

[1-Old-Man]

10. If he's got a second mansion he certainly isn't being taxed enough.

[trumad]

11. Jesus fucking Christ on a trailer hitch.

Has nothing to do with this story.

[cherokeeprogressive]

15. ^^^THIS^^^

All fucking day long...

[JustAnotherGen]

62. +1

[Cleita]

14. If it were in California, he's not being taxed enough.

I don't know about New York.

[Dreamer Tatum]

32. Why would you say that? nt

[Cleita]

46. Because it's true.

Property is taxed at 1% by the state in CA. I think this is fine for single residence homes. However, when it comes to second homes and vacation homes, people should be taxed more and for those who own mansions, who are from out of state and out of country, they should pay a lot. I'm talking about the likes of John McCain, Mitt Romney, Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey, many Saudi Princes and many other not so famous multi-millionaires and billionaires who have mansions and vacation properties in CA. Maybe we can go back to having decent social services in CA like we did before the Jarvis Amendment was passed.

[Dreamer Tatum]

51. That is utterly and completely laughably false.

Educate yourself before you say stupid things, please.

The state doesn't tax residential real estate in California. Tax rates differ substantially by CITY. Furthermore, Prop 13, to which you allude, protects people from the tax effects of rapidly increasing values. If a house trades today, the tax basis is based on the VALUE today, and the owner is responsible for that. If you are interested in countering the effects of Prop 13, then you should be ecstatic when new homes are built and when old homes are sold.

You would do well to read a little on the matter.

[Cleita]

65. You would do well to read up on the matter.

Yes, cities and counties assess taxes as well, but for your information.

A Property Tax Bill Includes a Variety of Different Taxes and Charges. A typical California property tax bill consists of many taxes and charges including the 1 percent rate, voter–approved debt rates, parcel taxes, Mello–Roos taxes, and assessments. This report focuses primarily on the 1 percent rate, which is the largest tax on the property tax bill and the only rate that applies uniformly across every locality. The taxes due from the 1 percent rate and voter–approved debt rates are based on a property’s assessed value. The California Constitution sets the process for determining a property’s taxable value. Although there are some exceptions, a property’s assessed value typically is equal to its purchase price adjusted upward each year by 2 percent. Under the Constitution, other taxes and charges may not be based on the property’s value.

The Property Tax Base Is Diverse. Property taxes and charges are imposed on many types of property. For the 1 percent rate, owner–occupied residential properties represent about 39 percent of the state’s assessed value, followed by investment and vacation residential properties (34 percent) and commercial properties (28 percent). Certain properties—including property owned by governments, hospitals, religious institutions, and charitable organizations—are exempt from the 1 percent property tax rate.

http://www.lao.ca.gov/reports/2012/tax/property-tax-primer-112912.aspx

However, don't bother to reply because I know you make it your business to bring misinformation to this website. I remember all the biased misinformation you post about South America. So you will continue to post misinformation here. I'm sure good social programs and getting the homeless off the streets like it used to be here in California isn't your cup of tea is it?

[Dreamer Tatum]

71. Try to understand this: the State of California does not levy residential real estate taxes.

I'm sorry you don't get it, but as someone who's paid them for MANY years now, I know of what I speak.

Your link makes my case, not yours.

[Cleita]

23. Well, probably the kids at the bottom of it are rich kids in the neighborhood,

who knew the mansion was empty part of the year. I saw so much of it when I worked as a bartender at a bar that catered to young people. The destructive ones, the ones who tried to steal fixtures, the ones who had no respect for the staff or the establishment would turn out to be rich kids when caught, often the spawn of some wealthy Beverly Hills lawyer or entrepreneur.

I'm sure they can be caught and forced to pay for the damages, or daddy will anyway, which is usually the case.

[Sunlei]

55. yes, whoever sent the first invite tweets are behind the party.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

58. If someone has a nice home, I'm sure they're not being taxed enough....

If someone has a crappy home....still not taxed enough....

If they're able to find a decent underpass, fuck them too!

Unreal how angry some of you people are.

[yellowcanine]

78. Most states have a higher tax rate on a second house.

Most states have a "homestead exemption" or "primary residence" exemption, which lowers the tax rate on the house which is the primary residence. And besides, property taxes are based on the value of the house, so I would guess that he is paying quite a lot of tax on a second mansion. People who have a lot of money can afford fancy houses. So what? Being envious of the rich does not help us or the less fortunate. Get over it.

[Historic NY]

83. What make you think its a mansion...... ??

in a town of just over 2300 people. A little looking you'd would have found its an old farm, as many are that dot upstate NY, many just abandoned years ago. I'm sure he pays his local property taxes but to have 300-400 asshole kids some priviledged come and trash it isn't right.

[Raine1967]

87. AGREED. I cannot add more without sounding like an echo chamber.

I am from upstate NY and I know exactly what you re talking about.

[gopiscrap]

85. I think comminity service would be better

[KansDem]

2. A culture of violence spawns a culture of violence...

Who would have guessed?

[trumad]

5. That makes no sense

it was the dudes home.

[aolwien]

18. Not a home, a house

That he barely used. And yes, football is a violent sport.

[trumad]

25. home ...house

What difference does it make.

I can't believe the troll douchebags in this thread.

[Gormy Cuss]

35. House: piece of property. Home: place where you live, place where you are connected.

The different connotation is why realtors have converted their sales pitches to describe listings as "homes" rather than houses, condos, or apartments.

[KansDem]

47. I spent three years playing football in school

If there's one thing I learned it was that "respect" comes with the ability to bash your opponent; to the ground, if necessary. I had coach after coach tell us that you gave no quarter. If you were injured, you "ran it off." And we were always prepped for the next game and the opportunity to "stick 'em!"

I spent those three years on the line, on both offense and defense; the last year as the center. I separated a wrist and broke a collarbone during that time. It was a violent mindset.

I got out of football and ran track and cross country for a couple of years. I found such sport to be much more self-fulfilling. I competed against time and distance and myself, not "the other guy." I wasn't as good as my opponent was bad.

Having said that, I've been to a couple of tailgate parties since graduating. I witnessed the "warrior" mindset that precedes the game. Beer and "team spirit" ran unabated. It was as if we were ready to enter the Coliseum to witness another fight to the death.

I wonder of the young "adults" who trashed the house: how many of them bought into the mindset of violent sports? Why would they trash a house if they didn't believe that doing so wasn't thrilling? Or fulfilling? What enters the minds of such miscreants if such behavior wasn't, in their view, desirable?

One is reminded of the mindset of the Steubenville "rape crew."

In football, we trash the opponents on the field; in partying, we trash the contents of a house. It's not the stuff society should be based on.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

59. Yeah, I'm sure the kids picked it to show those nasty football players....

....that their blood money is unacceptable!

As if they would have cared if the guy was an athlete, a doctor, a lawyer....

[KansDem]

63. We are a violent society

We are entertained with violence. I was merely pointing out that such a mindset leads to the the notion that trashing a house in the name of "partying" is acceptable.

Remember Steubenville? That wasn't the high school's chess club!

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

64. Your "point" makes no sense and is irrelevant to the story

Sorry to break it to you.

[bunnies]

3. Its not cool to trash other peoples stuff.

I dont care how much money that person has. Behavior like that is disgusting, disrespectful and theres no excuse for it. Little shits.

[enlightenment]

53. That's the point.

All the rest is just excuses.

[tammywammy]

57. +1 n/t

[trumad]

4. Wow! Stunned by your bullshit comment

How would you like your fucking house broken into and trashed by home invaders.

Really a fucking stupid post.

[aolwien]

12. If I had three or four I probably wouldn't care

[frylock]

29. no, you'd fucking care..

I have 3 bicycles. should I be unconcerned if one gets trashed or stolen because I have 2 more? the hatred on this board directed towards professional athletes is fucking disgusting.

[brooklynite]

49. Hmm, clearly you're not being taxed enough

[frylock]

60. no doubt

[cpwm17]

22. Yes, this class warfare stuff is bullshit

It's nothing but bigotry. Those kids need to be prosecuted.

[aikoaiko]

6. Its wrong, the guilty should be punished, and the insurance company should pay up.

With pictures and video it shouldn't be too hard to build an easy case.

[HappyMe]

8. It doesn't matter how much money

somebody has. Breaking in and fucking up somebody's home is wrong.

[Boom Sound 416]

9. Can I do it?

Welcome to DU

[Shrike47]

13. You should get 'worked up' no matter who is the victim.

Kids vandalize and have for a long time. Doesn't really matter whose house it is. Needs to be deterred.

[aolwien]

17. Quite franky, I just don't give a shit.

Now if it was my neighbor or family member, yeah, I'd care. But really? Who cares if I care? If it was somebody I knew, I would go help them clean up or buy them a beer or something, "Caring" is about as useless as "prayer". And I damn sure don't CARE if some trog millionaires second house that he probably uses two weeks out the year get's trashed.

[Dreamer Tatum]

33. You cared enough to post about it, Ms. Rand. nt

[joeybee12]

16. If he's got enough money for 2 homes, why no adequate security system?

[Lurker Deluxe]

61. Exactly

He should have had para-military style security and these kids should have been shot on site ... or ate least held in the basement and tortured a bit.

FFS!

[AngryAmish]

19. I went to a few of these parties in my youth.

It reminds me of Fernanda Wanamaker Wetherill's debutante party. (I think it is the same Wanamake of the Wanamaker Trophy fame). I played golf once with a guy who was at that party - good times had by all IIRC.


http://nymag.com/news/features/scandals/fernanda-wanamaker-wetherill-2012-4/

[SecularMotion]

20. I haven't seen this fact reported anywhere else

Holloway has unsuccessfully tried to sell the 5,000-square-foot home, which sits on 200 acres and is valued at $1.5 million, for several years. He said he's presently at odds with Berkshire Bank over the mortgage, and the bank has threatened to auction the property off in 45 days.

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/ci_24118802/estimated-300-teens-allegedly-trash-house-former-nfl

[closeupready]

21. Great parenting, upstaters.

[alcibiades_mystery]

24. We used to have parties like this in the abandoned mansion of Arthur Hammerstein, in Queens

(Of Rodgers and Hammerstein fame)

They were pretty killer parties. The mansion, however, was long, long empty.

[Jenoch]

43. Why are you proud of your

law beaking activities? You seem to be bragging about breaking the law.

[alcibiades_mystery]

48. ROFL

Trust me, this was the least of them!

[cali]

76. Actually, he wasn't the Hammerstein in Rodgers and Hammerstein

That was Oscar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodgers_and_Hammerstein

[Gemini Cat]

26. So... I want to make sure I have this right...

...you don't like sports, so it's ok to trash a former or current player's house?

[aolwien]

27. Didn't say it was okay

I just don't care.

[HappyMe]

30. Well, if your place gets trashed,

I just won't care.

[aolwien]

31. Some anonymous poster on the internet

I wouldn't expect you to.

[tabasco]

34. Do you always post multiple times on message boards

about things you "don't care" about?

It seems you have too much time on your hands, like the scummy little vandals.

[closeupready]

68. Part of me wonders if threadstarter was in on the party,

posting here doing some kind of weird PR damage control/trial balloon/etc.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

70. My guess is it's someone trying to troll DU for "anti-rich person" sentiment....

....that they can carry back to other boards obsessed with DU and say "Look at the DUmmies!"

Sadly, they were mildly successful.

[closeupready]

72. Yes, in fact, that HAS happened to numerous members here.

Even me - not kidding.

So yeah, it could very well be as you say.

[Raine1967]

41. And yet you cared enough to post a link about this story.

Funny how that works. Mind if I give you my further interpretation?

I don't care, but I want you to comment on a story that I don't really know about

See my post below. He might be a guy with a lot of money -- he was trying to sell the house. This crap happened and is now trying to use it as a teaching moment.

You see, I cared enough to learn a little more about this story.

[hunter]

28. I've never lived in a place where a house could be safely left unoccupied.

If I had a second home I'd let an eccentric old military officer and a private detective live there, rent free.

Maybe not these guys, but certainly people who could kick rotten rich kid ass.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnum,_P.I.

[tabasco]

36. Too bad. You've never lived somewhere with nice neighbors. n/t

[hunter]

50. The vast majority of my neighbors are very nice.

"Nice" seems to be inversely proportional to the amount of money in a neighborhood.

Too many people in the U.S.A. are wealthy because the are rotten. It's no big surprise when their kids turn out to be rotten too.

Having money changes the nature of the crimes, but doesn't seem to change the rate. In one neighborhood you get rich kids trashing a house in a giant party, in another neighborhood you get homeless people or drug addicts looking for shelter or stuff they can sell.

[tabasco]

54. But you said:

"I've never lived in a place where a house could be safely left unoccupied."


Those don't sound like "good neighbor" kind of places.

[hunter]

66. People are not home, they are at work.

People like me who can work from home are rare. I do keep an eye open for trouble, but hell, I can't even keep the graffiti off my own back wall. What am I supposed to do, stand out there 24-7 looking crazy mean and holding a baseball bat?

[alcibiades_mystery]

38. ROFL

Perfect!



Don't forget, Magnum was a Naval officer and combat veteran, too.

[bigwillq]

37. No one has a right to do this to anyone, whether the homeowner is rich or not.

These vandals should pay for their crime.

[Raine1967]

39. And yet the guy is trying to turn this into a teachable moment.

The house was on the market, the kids trashed the place.

Here is a local news account.

He set up a website, helpmesave300.com, to reach the young people involved — not to punish, but to try to educate them in choosing a better course for their lives. From the accounts the young people used, he said, it appears that they were students from several area schools, New Lebanon among them.

Holloway said he is “haunted” by the deaths of two young Stephentown men in the past two years — Michael Demick, killed in a car accident in which police theorized speed was involved; and Chris Baker, a passenger in a car driven by a young man who had allegedly been drinking alcohol.

Over the years, he said the two “were at my house, with my kids. What didn’t I say? What could I have done to save these kids’ lives?

Maybe some of people here on this thread could not trash this man (and the people who live in the area) and instead see that he is trying to use this as a teachable moment? He loved the town and now he is actually trying to do some good with a really shitty situation.

I would call that a really good thing.

You know, lemons and lemonade or something like that.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

56. Sadly, it's harder to "teach" spoiled rich kids

They are so used to mommy and daddy telling them there is nothing to worry about, they'll bail them out.

We have a town nearby that is very upscale, and they had a crackdown on large teen house parties after a couple of kids were killed drunk driving. Did it stop the house parties? Not at all, and the parents are generally unapologetic about throwing them.

[Raine1967]

86. I totally understand what you are saying.

That said, it looks like what Holloway is doing might actually be working. http://troyrecord.com/articles/2013/09/19/news/doc523a5a9725454832384269.txt

A cleanup crew composed of Holloway, six Cohoes High School students and some parents disposed of 10 55-gallon bags worth of empty alcohol bottles and carpets soaked in urine and began repairs on broken windows and door frames during the afternoon.

The mess was the handiwork of an estimated 300 high school students who took part in a "flash party" at the home — located along Route 43 — on Aug. 31, when the home was vacant. The party drew students from Albany to Pittsfield after word of it spread via Twitter, according to Holloway.

Upstate NY has some pockets of wealth but this situation I think has little to do with kids of rich parents. The town where this happened is not a rich town.

to go back to your point, yeah parents can be dumb... this is also from that article: His aggressive actions in the wake of the party have angered some parents of the alleged partygoers.

I suspect that Holloway can afford to fix the house up -- but I appreciate this approach.

[Brickbat]

40. .

[Raine1967]

42. +1

Nice to see I'm not the only one noticing that...

[cherokeeprogressive]

44. Some people are simply pieces of shit.

Others are worthless vandals.

I have no use for either.

[The Straight Story]

45. Hunh. Wonder what forced those kids to do it. No guns involved, can't blame that

Maybe they were drugged or possessed by demons?

We have to find out how they were able to do this and get a hold of congress - OMG looks like alcohol was involved!

How did teens get it? Straw purchases? We need more checks on the people who buy alcohol. If they have ever had any mental issues or a record they should not be able to buy it, they might give some to kids.

Mandate safes in all homes and unique serial numbers on each bottle - and you can only buy it if your name is entered into a system matching you that bottle (and let's put in some nano tech so that if someone else drinks your alcohol and does a crime we can trace it to your bottle).

How many die from things just like this each year? Alcohol has no real use, people can just drink water - I didn't see that right in the constitution! Therefore, we do not have it.

[Decaffeinated]

52. Teenagers acting like bastards?

I am just shocked...

Ok.. not that shocked. Felony charges for all of em...

[hughee99]

67. How did Holloway become a millionaire? It wasn't from playing O-Line in the mid-80's.

It sounds like this home was the one he grew up in. After reading the article, I haven't quite figured out where "Rich" and "millionaire" factor into this story at all.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

69. I honestly barely remember him

When I heard the name I tired to recall him, I thought he was African-American and a defensive back.

It's possible he's one of the few guys who made some good investments with his money.

[hughee99]

73. I didn't remember him either.

I'm not sure he was a millionaire at all. I think this might have been an assumption from the OP based on what players now make. When Holloway left the league, the TOP player (Eric Dickerson) was only making about $1.3 million, and as an O-lineman, I'm sure he was nowhere in that neighborhood.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

74. Football players always get the shaft

I remember someone pointing out that Marshall Faulk in his prime as the MVP of the league made about 1/3rd of what a bum like Jose Offerman was paid by the Red Sox!

[questionseverything]

75. something seems off

the owner sees pics on net while the party is going on,calls cops and they find NO ONE?

200 to 400 party goers and the cops arrest no one?

[itsrobert]

79. He's behind on the mortgage and cant sell the house

Could he have played a role in starting the party in pursuit of insurance payoff?

[questionseverything]

81. i doubt that

i am more wondering if the cops actually investigated when he called

[B2G]

77. Wealthy people deserve to have crimes perpetrated against them

Got ya.

[Democrats_win]

80. Save our Schadenfreude for the truly deserving.

Some of the sentiments in this thread make it clear that we don't like people who are arguably unjustifiably rich. Yet this guy isn't the problem and we must save our Schadenfreude for the truly deserving!

We know it's the billionaires who lobbied our government into making life in these United States unlivable. On the job, we are micromanaged so that the billionaires can make even more money. The benefits our government once provided are now going to pay for bush's folly in Iraq. Pollution, climate change, poverty. Thanks to the GOP and their wealthy patrons, they deserve the absolute worst that mankind can dish out.

[Historic NY]

82. So you condone burglary and vandalism....both felonies in this case.

Stephentown Ny is in the middle of no where on the Mass border. A guy who played football 27yrs ago and saved his money for a modest farm house in a little town.


http://www.ctpost.com/news/crime/article/Ex-NFL-player-s-NY-home-trashed-by-partying-teens-4824363.php


enjoy your time here wein....

[gopiscrap]

84. yeah I am kind of apathetic about it also however they should be at least

given community service and tagged with reperations

[Demo_Chris]

88. Our society tells people every day not to care...

The message is that we are all in this alone. And for the most part it's true. Why then wonder when others act like sociopaths?

Do I care that some millionaires second mansion got trashed? I do not. No more than he cares about me or my problems.