Newspaper Publishes Wrong Address - Woman's Belongings Stolen as Result

[matcom]

<snip>

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- A Kansas woman who had her possessions stolen blames the city's newspaper.

Kris Bryan said the Lawrence Journal-World printed a mistake in a street address, causing her apartment to be cleaned out by thieves, reported KMBC-TV in Kansas City, Mo.

Bryan said she returned home after work one day and saw strangers loading up her belongings into their vehicle. When she asked what they were doing, they showed her a classified ad in the newspaper. The public notice stated that all things at 1319 Tennessee St., Apt. 3, would be thrown away if unclaimed.

"It was just a real shock," Bryan said. "I was freaking out. I told them that's my apartment -- there's been some mistake."

It was a one-digit mistake -- the newspaper ad should have read 1339 Tennessee St., the television station reported. The ad was placed because a woman in that home passed away and no one had claimed her belongings.

Bryan said the people she confronted returned her things, but her TV, DVD player, movies, furniture and a 7-week-old kitten had already been taken from her apartment.

"I was crying, bawling," Bryan said.

She said she wants the newspaper to pay $3,500 for the stolen items, but that can't replace her lost kitten.

"Sometimes you can't get away with your mistake, especially when someone gets hurt because of them," Bryan said.

http://www.wftv.com/news/4800586/detail.html

[Mutley]

1. Weren't her doors locked?

[ET Awful]

3. What does that have to do with it?

If they WERE locked, people break into locked apartments every day of the year.

If they weren't, it's still the fault of the newspaper for drawing attention to her home.

It doesn't really matter whether they were locked or not. The newspaper, through it's failure to print the proper address, is still liable.

[Mutley]

4. Oh I know it's the newspapers fault.

But if I were responding to that ad and the house's doors were locked, I would just leave. I think most reasonable people would just leave, instead of breaking into the house.

[ET Awful]

2. They stole her KITTY?

:(

That's just wrong.

The newspaper needs to pay more than $3,500 for the items, they need to compensate her for time, effort, and the entire cost of seeking out replacements, along with find the person that took the kitten and somehow negotiating it's return.

That's just fucked up on so many levels.