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.
Investor · Chanute, KS · Member since 2016 · 160 posts · 60 votes
8y
You don't need to pay anyone to open it, unless you want to use it. Don't you watch "Storage Wars"? Simply drop the safe on the corner of the hinge side repeatedly and it will open. They've done that with several different safes.
Wow... there's a call back from WAY back! Little trivia for you... Doug Llewellyn (People's Court) was the producer behind the show and thought it was going to be his HUGE money maker! Maybe that's why he is back on People's Court these days :-)
Rental Property Investor · Oakland, CA · Member since 2017 · 32 posts · 19 votes
8y
ok, small update:
i compared my options. based on youtube i should be able to crack the thing open with a long pry bar ($16, as my normal crow bar doesn't look like it'll give me enough leverage) in ~2 minutes. how do they get away with calling these things "safe"? this is clearly the fun/storage wars/small-time heist option.
i also emailed first alert, the manufacturer, and they told me that if i send them a notarized statement of ownership ($15 for notary) that they'll email me the combination. this way i'll end up with a $120 not-so-safe of my own. i could sell it and make a few bucks or keep it long enough to forget it in a property at which point one of you fine people will buy the place and exercise option 1: attack it with a crowbar.
plan is to open it up on sunday. i'll post what i find.
Rental Property Investor · Oakland, CA · Member since 2017 · 32 posts · 19 votes
8y
Opened the safe today. Found two soggy owners manuals and a bag of silica that had clearly outlived its utility. Guess I shouldn't be surprised given how long it had been there. Certainly fun to dream, though.