Rental Property Investor · Oakland, CA · Member since 2017 · 32 posts · 19 votes
So I was doing a move out walk-through with a tenant and saw a big box on a shelf in the laundry room. I asked him about it. He said he had no idea what it was and that it was there when he moved in in 2009. Felt pretty heavy. I spun it around a bit and saw that it's a First Alert fire safe with a standard rotating dial, about 18" cubed. The property has turned over twice since the tenant moved in so tracking down who it belongs to is likely a chore. I can see the serial number so I could check with First Alert to see if it's registered. Other than that, not sure what to do. Any advice? Thanks.
Rental Property Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
8y
A cheap Harbor Freight angle grinder and a pack of cutoff wheels will make quick work of it too if you get to that point. Don't forget your safety glasses :-)
Investor · Saskatchewan , Saskatchewan · Member since 2017 · 311 posts · 233 votes
8y
If it’s a hotel style safe, YouTube “rare earth magnet safe open”
Then remember this next time you consider all your goodies safe in your vacation resort closet safe
Investor · Princeton, TX · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
8y
@Eli Altman I would simply open it and see what is inside before I worried about who owned it. The person that left it might have not wanted to bother with hauling it. They are fairly cheap and heavy.
Are you sure it is a fire safe and not anti-theft safe? If not look at the bottom. A fire safe might not have any system to attach in to the floor.
Can you describe it better?
If it is a fire safe, it will most likely have papers in it that will clearly show who left it there.
Rental Property Investor · Oakland, CA · Member since 2017 · 32 posts · 19 votes
8y
Yeah, yeah, my first thought was opening it too. Sort of like a mini-episode of Storage Wars. Photo is attached. Honestly seems like more trouble than it's worth.
Rental Property Investor · Oakland, CA · Member since 2017 · 32 posts · 19 votes
8y
a resounding "open it" from the community. next time i'm up there i'll bust it open and post what i find. if it's drugs they're your drugs not my drugs.
Investor · Princeton, TX · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
8y
To me that looks like a First Alert 2087F or possibly 2087F-BD. It is a cheap safe. It might have been simple heavy enough that they did not want to move it. I would not be surprised if it is empty. Make sure you try to turn the handle before you turn the dial. Right under the dial is an override key hole. The key might be sitting around.
Real Estate Investor · Plumas county, CA · Member since 2011 · 150 posts · 88 votes
8y
I found a safe in a house I had just purchased too.This house had sat empty for about a year and I had known the former tenants (both deceased) for many years. Ironically the electrician was there working on the place when my handyman plunked it down in front of me and asked who owned the safe. The electrician was the son in law of the deceased tenant. There was indeed something in side as we could hear it move when the safe was tilted. I took it home, called a locksmith. Turned out the safe was too old to find a combo, even though we had serial numbers. Family of the deceased tenant was hoping a family ring was in there and maybe a handgun. I had agreed to return any family keepsakes. Locksmith wanted a few hundred to open it. My son cut it open as others suggested. No family ring...porno tapes!
Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2016 · 94 posts · 93 votes
8y
This is the most exciting BP post I’ve read.
The suspense is killing me.
Please let us know what’s inside. Even if you just lie to us... We need to hear the ending! :)
Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
8y
Unless someone died or its stolen, my money says it contains nothing of value and if it does, I would be too honest to keep it - lol. Cut away you curious cat.