A new homeowner purchased a neglected house at a foreclosure auction, and what he found inside days later forced him to call 911

A new homeowner in Burlington, Connecticut, discovered the skeletal remains of three people inside a house purchased at a foreclosure auction earlier this month. The property, located on Stanwich Lane, was acquired on June 6, but the grim discovery did not occur until the resident called 911 on Sunday to report the remains.

According to BroBible, the house itself was built in 2002 and sits on more than two acres, though it was in a clear state of neglect when the auction took place. At the time of the sale, the grounds were overgrown with dense grass, weeds, and plants. Despite this condition, the property featured two recently installed signs that read “Keep Out” and “Owner Occupied Premises.”

Interestingly, no attempt was made to enter the home on the day of the June 6 auction. Town records indicate that the previous owners, Paul and Sally Anne Cash, purchased the home for more than $800,000 in 2019. The property eventually fell into default, and the foreclosure process officially began on August 1, 2025.

The Discovery Nobody Expected

According to the details provided, the mortgage servicer sent the notification of default to a post office box at a UPS store in Avon, which is located thirty minutes away from the residence. The state of the home had been a concern for some time. A state marshal attempted to serve the Cashes at the house on August 18, 2025, but the visit proved difficult. The marshal reported that he had to “climb over the balcony to get to the door because the trees were overgrown.”

When he knocked, there was no answer. A neighbor told the marshal that they had not seen the occupants “in years” and that the property had been abandoned for at least a year. The legal fallout from this discovery is already underway. Attorney Christopher H. Thogmartin, the court-appointed attorney handling the foreclosure, filed a motion on Tuesday questioning the validity of the court’s ruling.

In the motion, Thogmartin wrote, “While a disturbing mystery in and of itself, the discovery of these human remains poses a possible question as to the validity of the foreclosure judgment, depending upon the identity of the bodies and the time of death. Given the question as to the possible validity of the underlying judgment, the undersigned committee respectfully asks the court for direction regarding adherence to the deadlines prescribed in the court’s standing orders.”

Investigators from the state police’s Western District Major Crime unit are currently working to piece together what happened. State police have stated that the three individuals may have been dead for several months. As of Tuesday morning, the identities of the deceased had not been verified, and the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner had not yet determined the causes of death.

It is particularly strange that the previous owners managed to live in the area for seven years while maintaining such a low profile. Online voter registration websites showed that neither Paul nor Sally Anne Cash held any licenses, permits, certifications, or registrations with the state of Connecticut. Furthermore, they apparently had no social media presence at all. This deep isolation stands in contrast to recent viral neighborhood harassment.

As the investigation continues, the court will have to decide how this discovery impacts the status of the foreclosure and the future of the property.