Building a new home can be exciting, but for some property owners in West St. Paul new homes have drawn unwanted guests.
Construction in the area around Pipeline Road and Grassmere Road has been the target for thieves this fall.
As Sylvester Gajdamowicz and his girlfriend watch their house take shape, they’ve faced more and more aggravation.
In November, Gajdamowicz says a $13,000 trailer was stolen from his property. Then, Thursday, there was more bad news.
His neighbour messaged him to say suspicious people and vehicles were on his property.
He said thieves stole the front door of his bobcat worth $3,000 and tried to take another dump trailer.
He believes they got stuck in the snow -- and left behind the trailer and a truck cap that belongs to the suspects.
"They are determined. They want stuff," said Gajdamowicz.
Down the road, more trouble. Doug Hilderman said in October a bobcat was stolen from his business, costing him work contracts worth up to $80,000.
He's lived in the area for 20 years, and said as construction mounts, so too does the stolen property.
“It's a bigger problem. I mean the homeowners are defenseless,” said Hilderman.
Theft is so common in this new neighbourhood some victims say it's moving beyond a financial problem, that people feel scared and have no idea when the criminal activity will stop.
Peter Campbell is a councillor with the rural municipality and is building a new house.
Campbell said he's lost about $3,000 worth of equipment and supplies since he began construction, and one time, even found strangers inside the home.
"They were just looking around, you know ‘it was nice house checking it out’, and I told them it wasn't a museum for tours,” Campbell said.
"I think it's a little freaky for everyone else around the neighbourhood, that people are driving around trying to find specific targets," said Gajdamowicz
The RM said RCMP and a neighbourhood watch group patrol the area, but it's not enough to stop the problem.
To help protect property and stay safe, RCMP suggest people invest in monitored alarm systems, create an illusion of occupancy when possible, and keep outdoor lights on.
