Chief witness to plundering of house isn't saying a word

The mystery at 2008 Pillsbury Av. is quickly becoming the Case of the Ravaged House. It is a story about a famous architect and builder, a renowned designer, a suspect appraiser, some wily preservationists, angry neighbors, intrepid bank sleuths and the owners, former foster-care providers who can't be found.

And let's not forget the giant parrot left in the basement, who's not talking.

Three weeks after the estate sale in south Minneapolis that started it all, the bank holding the mortgage has sued the owners of the abandoned historic mansion, as well as the firm that conducted the sale. Preservationists who want to make sure the house is not subjected to any further indignities have been encouraged by the sight of guards circling its perimeter.

I have a suspicion that before it's over, we're going to find Mrs. Peacock dead in the study and Colonel Mustard holding a candlestick.

Let's return briefly to the weekend of June 12, when Piccadilly Estate & Moving Sales held an impressive sale for the house owners, Peter Sturm and Kendahl Sweet. It featured exquisite china, a grand piano and life-size marble statues of naked guys.

Also for sale was just about everything that was not nailed down, and some things that were -- windows that look like they came out of a church, fireplaces featuring carved lions, even the brick stanchions affixed to the rear porch.

Some people asked what the heck was going on. Others shopped and ran.

Two immediate problems with the sale: One, the owners were behind on two mortgages and headed for foreclosure by TCF. Two, the house was designed by Kees & Colburn with T.P. Healy as the contractor, the interior designed by John Bradstreet, all famous in their day.

Preservationists went mad.

TCF rushed in, got a temporary restraining order and changed the locks. Bank investigators have since had a hard time finding Sturm and Sweet, but as of Tuesday were in contact with the couple's lawyer.

According to the bank's suit filed in Hennepin County District Court against the owners and Piccadilly, Sturm and Sweet obtained an initial mortgage in 2002, and a second in 2006, which included all improvements and fixtures. The banks says they have been in default of those loans since January, and TCF has moved toward foreclosure.

Neither the owners, nor Piccadilly, have returned calls about the situation.

The delinquencies on the loans against the home appear to have come on the heels of action by the agency that licensed Sturm and Sweet as foster parents. Joan Riebel, executive director of "Family Alternatives," recommended in November that the couple's license be suspended. Riebel said they were not caring for children when they abandoned the home.

For its part, Piccadilly should have known that city ordinances prohibit selling off doors, windows or fixtures that would make a home uninhabitable, said Marian Biehn, executive director of the Whittier Alliance. She says preservationists are looking for ways to ensure that estate sales get more scrutiny, especially now that tough times make it more tempting for owners to strip a home before losing it to foreclosure.

Piccadilly's appraiser Chad Lage, who told shoppers the home was being remodeled, says on the company's website, www.piccadillyestate.info, that he has appeared on the PBS program "Antiques Roadshow." When I called the show, I was told that Lage has not appeared on television, but briefly worked for the show as a "generalist" doing intake screening of items.

"Our concern is that the way he has characterized his relationship with "Antiques Roadshow" is inaccurate," said Judy Matthews, a spokeswoman for the show.

Preservationists who are trying to get the Pillsbury Avenue home officially designated as significant might take encouragement from the language used in TCF's lawsuit. The removal of fixtures, it says, would "utterly ravage" the value of the home, and "there is no adequate way to recover the unique and historically significant fixtures" if they are sold. Furthermore, TCF argues that stripping the home would have "a disastrous impact" on "the surrounding neighborhood and community."

Biehn said that "it's good that TCF recognizes the historic value of the home, and believes in protecting not only their own asset, but the neighborhood's asset."

Oh, and no need to call me about the parrot: He has a new home, the only player in this tale so far to find a happy ending.

jtevlin@startribune.com • 612-673-1702