I found a safe during a tenant move out. Tenant has no idea.

I found a safe during a tenant move out. Tenant has no idea.

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.

0Reply
81 views

Most Popular Reply

Investor · Jasper GA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
8y

@Eli Altman  Call Geraldo Riveria. 

See this reply in the discussion

35 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Investor · Laurel, MD · Member since 2016 · 395 posts · 191 votes
    8y
    Originally posted by @Matthew Paul:

    Get a torch and cut it open . If its not the tenants and no one else has ever come looking for it , I would say its yours 

     You don't think he should take it to his local police station then.

  • Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    8y

    Why ? 

  • Bernie NeyerPro Member
    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.

  • Real Estate Investor · Plumas county, CA · Member since 2011 · 150 posts · 88 votes
    8y

    I bought a 6 pack of metal cutting blades...we used a sawzall. Used up the whole pack.

  • Professional · Nokomis, FL · Member since 2013 · 123 posts · 99 votes
    8y
    Originally posted by @Bob B.:

    @Eli Altman  Call Geraldo Riveria. 

    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.

  • Mindy JensenPro Member
    BiggerPockets Money Podcast Host · Longmont, CO · Member since 2014 · 7k+ posts · 10k+ votes
    8y

    @Eli Altman , my  bank will notarize for clients for free. Check with your bank.

  • Rental Property Investor · Oakland, CA · Member since 2017 · 32 posts · 19 votes
    8y
    Great call. I'll have to check on that.

    Originally posted by @Mindy Jensen:

    @Eli Altman , my  bank will notarize for clients for free. Check with your bank.

  • 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.

  • Ryan MurdockPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    8y

    Thanks for updating us @Eli Altman . I've been refreshing this page every 30 seconds all day today in hopes of seeing you strike it rich :-)

Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.