Pocono News Section

Family Regrets Placing "Free" Sign in Yard

Family Regrets Placing "Free" Sign in Yard - Friday, July 17, 2009 at 3:50PM EST

Reported by: Laurie Monteforte
Friday, Jul 17, 2009 @ 03:50pm EST
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HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, MONROE COUNTY - If you want to give something away you better think twice about putting it in your yard with a sign that reads "free."

A Pocono couple preparing to move to Florida learned you may end up giving away more than you planned.

The Snover family has a lot less to pack in their moving truck than they expected. Patti and Bob Snover said thieves stole from plastic moving boxes they had on their front porch. "I feel violated," said Bob.

The couple told Eyewitness News the thieves took advantage of their generosity. Earlier this week the Snovers placed a dining room set near the road with a sign that read "free." "It doesn't say free on anything else," Patti pointed out.

The next morning Bob found a bunch of people rooting through his moving boxes. He laughed, “I come out the front door and they’re like buzzards picking at an armadillo.”

Bob said he told several people the items in the boxes were not for sale so they left his house but did not return what they had taken. Bob said, “The stuff was already in their cars then. I couldn’t see it.”

The dining set was placed along the curb. To get to the family’s other items the thieves had to walk across the lawn and onto the front porch. Patti said, “That’s a little intrusive and I feel violated.”

Patti told Eyewitness News the thieves took some of her family heirloom Irish Crystal. She wants it back. And she wants other people to learn from her mistake. She pleaded, “Please can everyone learn from our experience not to trust anybody any more.”

The family said police will not investigate because they had a sign in the yard that read "free."

If you know anything about the stolen items call Patti at 570-801-3211.