Mike Stapleton and Susan Kendall were in the process of moving to a new home in Topeka, Kan., when they returned home for their last batch of items, only to find that it had all been taken, Chicago Sun-Times reported.
The couple blamed multiple neighbors for allegedly entering their home and removing the last of their items including their lawn mower, hedge trimmer, gardening items, photos and family heirlooms before calling Wayside Cross to clean up the rest.
Aurora’s Fourth Ward Ald. Rick Lawrence reportedly received a complaint about the conditions the house was left in and ordered a cleanup after assuming the house had been abandoned.
Neighbors told Lawrence the house was unlocked, but Stapleton insists all the doors were locked and he told a neighbor where the spare key was hidden.
Stapleton was not charged for the cleanup since he never abandoned the home and many neighbors returned stolen items such as a crock pot, extension cord and even $700 for the hassle, according to the Sun-Times.
Aurora Police launched a criminal investigation in the matter, but as of Friday no charges were filed, the Sun-Times reported.
