GPS coordinates lead demolition crew to destroy wrong house

Tired of blaming GPS on petty mishaps like the destruction of cars, a demolition crew in Georgia has managed to accidentally destroy an entirely wrong house based on GPS coordinates. Oddly enough, it wasn't even the first time they'd been by: the man who cuts the grass noticed that the power box was missing from the home and holes were punched into the walls about a month ago -- it was suspected as vandalism, but it now seems that the stealthy, directionless demolition company was to blame. The demolition company says it had "paperwork" authorizing the destruction, complete with the coordinates and a description of the home, which the owner's father had built with his own hands "brick by brick."

[Thanks, Leonard]

[Mr.E @ Jun 13th 2009 3:43PM]

Martin Freeman has the best bemused face:)

[Richard Lai @ Jun 13th 2009 8:53PM]

Great film too! (took me a while to get the connection)

[bluesky_v2.01 @ Jun 13th 2009 9:05PM]

"It's a bypass. We've got to build bypasses."
Great book, decent movie.

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Jun 13th 2009 9:12PM]

Also happened in "Stranger Than Fiction" . . . not by GPS though, as far as we know. Still, a pic Will Ferrell screaming on the opposite corner from Arthur Dent would've been even funnier, and a harder reference to catch.

[SABRAGE @ Jun 14th 2009 5:02AM]

The dude who just put Will Ferrell above Arthur Dent needs to go wash his mouth out with soap. An Drain-o

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Jun 14th 2009 3:11PM]

@ sabrage

Why so much rage? Did you actually read what I wrote?

[ghex88 @ Jun 14th 2009 3:22PM]

Homer Simpson would be my choice: DOH! :)

[Emailacar @ Jun 15th 2009 6:43AM]

In fairness to the man, bemused is the only acting expression he is capable of. Bless his cotton socks.

[heffeque @ Jun 15th 2009 9:57AM]

I guess this was Georgia from the US...

[Sporkinum @ Jun 15th 2009 12:54PM]

"But Mr Dent, the plans have been available in the local planning office for the last nine month."

"Oh yes, well as soon as I heard I went straight round to see them, yesterday afternoon. You hadn't exactly gone out of your way to call attention to them had you? I mean like actually telling anybody or anything."

"But the plans were on display ..."

"On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them."

"That's the display department."

"With a torch."

"Ah, well the lights had probably gone."

"So had the stairs."

"But look, you found the notice didn't you?"

"Yes," said Arthur, "yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying Beware of the Leopard."

[GreezyG @ Jun 13th 2009 3:43PM]

I think they will be rebuilding that house with solid gold bricks!

[chris @ Jun 13th 2009 5:21PM]

It's sad that everyone thinks that accidents like this just justify people getting millions in compensation.

A: The home must of been unoccupied.
B: The home must of been run down.
C. Nobody was caring for it (There was holes in the walls for over a month).

They should get a new house of the value of their old one. That's all.

[Seminole @ Jun 13th 2009 5:37PM]

Chris,

First off, the holes were put there by the demo company. Second, the house was built by their father by hand. There is enormous sentimental value attached to it. Third, you suck at reading comprehension. If no one was caring for the house then why the hell would the guy who mows the lawn call the owner and tell them the house was being demolished? You don't mow the lawn of a house you aren't caring for...

[ViaTorci @ Jun 13th 2009 5:41PM]

@Chris

Actually, the house was occupied. The resident came home from work to find his house in a heap.

[FriscoSooner @ Jun 13th 2009 5:45PM]

@ Chris

It's called English. check it out sometime.

[Samboini @ Jun 13th 2009 5:58PM]

chris needs to lrn2english

[Malkmus @ Jun 13th 2009 6:03PM]

@Chris

They only deserve to be compensated for the house? What about everything in it? For all we know, everything that guy owns, or has ever collected during his time on this planet, was destroyed in that house (seeing as how his father built it, it's probably the only place he's ever lived). I think you'd feel differently if your home was demolished.

[something clever @ Jun 13th 2009 6:21PM]

Chris not only sucks at reading comprehension, he also sucks at writing.

"Must Have" not "Must of", dufus.

[Ben @ Jun 13th 2009 7:19PM]

Lol, "must of" I learned that when I was in middle school or earlier.

[jwtrooper @ Jun 13th 2009 7:25PM]

Wow... I'm not sure what article everyone else was reading but I agree with Chris. It sounds as if the home was unoccupied and they guy was informed of the initial damage and final demolition via a third party. It's also stated that the guy was contacted in Sandy Springs in Fulton County when the demonlished house was in Carroll County. Also it is an assumption that the holes were put there by a demolition company but doesn't state whether any repair was made.

The guy was probably recently inhereted the house and only holding onto it until he could sell it or otherwise. There are also typically laws which require a person maintain property that they own. This is only my assumtion but don't think it's a far reach.

Leave Chris ALONE!!! hehe

[Jason Martin @ Jun 13th 2009 7:44PM]

The house was indeed unoccupied. It was the owner's childhood home. Family heirlooms were still inside.

http://www.wsbtv.com/video/19717268/index.html

[Rory @ Jun 13th 2009 10:13PM]

The sad thing is that no matter which one of you is right about how much they SHOULD get for it, they will most likely either get nothing at all or take years to get it. With the economy the way it is, the legal process and any amount awarded will most likely bankrupt the company. Their debts will be cancelled and they will never pay the owners of the demolished house. The only recourse would be to try to prove responsibility of an individual at the company and sue him directly. This would be difficult to prove, take forever, and even then the best they could do would be to get a few hundred dollars a month by garnishing his wages if he is even still employable.

[vampritt @ Jun 13th 2009 10:34PM]

@chris

please learn your english well.. do it by visiting this site more often http://www.engrish.com/

[chris @ Jun 13th 2009 11:33PM]

All houses are "Hand Built" so that by itself means nothing. And unless his father was a master craftsman
I would deduct from the houses value if "He" built it. I own a house built by the owner and I'm still repairing
and rebuilding things he did wrong.

The owner should be fully compensated for the contents and the house itself and maybe a little extra. But I'm
tired of all the people that think the only way they will ever become rich is to sue someone else or a company.
And I can tell many of YOU are that way by your comments.

[Julian Boardman @ Jun 13th 2009 11:51PM]

Chris "I own a house built by the owner and I'm still repairing and rebuilding things he did wrong."

Guys, let's leave Chris alone. It's obvious from his above statement that he suffers from skitsofrenia. "I own a house built by the owner" That is the funniest thing I've ever read. Let's hope he's not a teacher, squishing child's poor minds with his terrible engrish.

[rBz @ Jun 13th 2009 11:58PM]

everyone, please excuse chris. his daddy never built a home brick by brick, so he doesnt know the worth of sentimental value. it is safe to assume that he has never received anything of sentimental value either, and will probably never know or FEEL anything close to it in his life time. poor child...

[Ian @ Jun 14th 2009 12:10AM]

Well, it could be that Chris is a high functioning autistic and therefore lacks human empathy.

[CJ @ Jun 14th 2009 1:47AM]

Or he's just an idiot, which is much more plausible.

[SalmonStereo @ Jun 14th 2009 2:07AM]

... also the reason why everybody hates Chris.

[IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (BarCODE) @ Jun 14th 2009 2:32AM]

@Jullian

Do you mean schizophrenia?

[Cassini @ Jun 14th 2009 3:51AM]

"...a demolition crew in Georgia has managed to accidentally destroy an entirely wrong house based on GPS coordinates."


Idiots.

[evplasmaman @ Jun 14th 2009 3:54AM]

People people, you are all missing the real tragedy, there is some poor basted out there with a house still standing who payed for a demolition and came home to find his house still intact.

[Agent .25i @ Jun 14th 2009 11:05AM]

evplasmaman = My Hero.

"The man who cuts the grass told Byrd about a month ago that the power box was missing and there were holes punched into the walls. They both thought it was vandalism. Now, Byrd believes it was part of the preparation for the demolition." - Article

The dumbfuck knew his house had holes in it, they chalked it up to vandalism, and he STILL left the house alone. Now, he cares for family heirlooms? BS. He should have gone over right away... a full month before the demo, and made some calls. He cared not for the items contained within the house. That is obvious. Think of it.

If you cared for something, you would go check on it right?

Dont get me wrong, this is a tragedy, but don't pity Byrd too much. He's a moron of epic proportions for ALLOWING this to happen. A month... AN ENTIRE MONTH he knew that his house was compromised.

The Demo company needs to close, shut down, have licenses revoked. Basis, using GPS co-ords to demo a home. FFS. I know Georgia's down south, but come on. How much of an idiot are you to destroy a home based on GPS co-ords?

[SimbaDogg @ Jun 14th 2009 2:10PM]

@ chris..and specifically your 2nd comment...

dude, you're a fucking douche bag. because you're living in a shoddy house, you think that people in this country are automatically incapable of doing stuff on your own. why do you think people like bob villa are so famous (the do it yourself guy, semi spokesman for craftman tools, basis for tim taylor on tool time), or there's shows like horsepower tv, trucks, or shady tree mechanic. there's lots of people who build their own houses, their own cars, their own VERY nice furniture. you're a douche on so many levels its mind boggling.

[Jason @ Jun 14th 2009 5:02PM]

@ agent

I resent that... I was born and raised in the south, and it's not actually that bad.

[mabhatter @ Jun 14th 2009 11:36PM]

This is a problem with copper theft from secluded houses in here in Michigan as well. It's cute to build a house dead center of 10 wooded acres where nobody can see you. It's not so cute when you have to leave the house for months at a time because of family or work commitment and you got no neighbors looking out for you. Up here the thing is to steal copper from foreclosed/empty houses. Any house with piled up mail or a sale sign is a target. Hell, half the time neighbors are happy to see "somebody" in the house not knowing they're looting the place.

This was horrible and sloppy from the demolition company's part. I'd venture the house was far enough out people didn't think they needed to put up address numbers on the house. My wife delivers phone books over the summers and close to 50% of houses don't have damn numbers on them. She also worked at a utility billing office where they took bills for light poles and barns in the middle of Texas with nothing but a mile marker as a billing address. It's not at all outlandish a demo company would want to use GPS "to be sure" right up until they send b-grade secretary out to the site and she goes to the wrong place!

Demo companies have insurance for this sort of thing. They'll quickly settle at several times the home value and fire said b-grade secretary for effect.

[iLoveApple @ Jun 13th 2009 3:43PM]

Noob got pwned fo sho.

[b3tan @ Jun 13th 2009 4:27PM]

noob? The person who owns the house is a noob? How the hell did you come to that conclusion? It doesn't even make sense.

[Boards of Canada @ Jun 13th 2009 4:29PM]

He love Apple... must be a noob!

[Jake @ Jun 13th 2009 6:54PM]

Only noobs blame technology

[MegaBite @ Jun 13th 2009 9:37PM]

You an idiot fo sho.

[MegaBite @ Jun 13th 2009 9:37PM]

You an idiot fo sho

[MegaBite @ Jun 13th 2009 9:38PM]

I didn't just say that.

[Kizorblade @ Jun 14th 2009 1:42PM]

You did actually.. twice

[miko34 @ Jun 13th 2009 3:45PM]

Now he can rebuild his home ... brick by brick.
We have the technology.
He can make it better than it was.
Better, stronger, faster ...


Seriously, though ... that sucks.
They should be called the Global Positioning Stupids.

[BigD145 @ Jun 13th 2009 4:27PM]

Technology saves us all.

[davidavermillion @ Jun 13th 2009 3:46PM]

Judge: I don't care if you've "got paperwork" or not. You tore down someone's house, and you're going to be rebuilding it.

[Drew Green @ Jun 13th 2009 4:01PM]

I sure as hell hope that's what happens.

[b3tan @ Jun 13th 2009 4:29PM]

Surely it still is criminal damage? Just because it's a company who made a mistake doesn't deny the fact that a group of people unlawfully blew someones house up.

[Ghen @ Jun 13th 2009 5:49PM]

I'd rather have the money to rebuild it rather than spiteful demolitioners with mortar, but that's just splitting hairs.