David Terriquez -- aka "Dirty Dave" -- gets a certain amount of satisfaction from cleaning up foreclosed homes, many of which are filled with garbage.
Terriquez works as the field foreman for Columbia Heights-based DuAll Services, a company that specializes in property preservation.
To set an example for the workers he manages, "I have to show that I'm willing to do the dirtiest work," he said. Hence the nickname.
The company, which usually is hired by banks trying to prepare properties for sale, cleans up mostly foreclosed houses all over southern Minnesota. The circumstances run the gamut, but often they're so-called hoarder or garbage houses. DuAll cleans the homes within a two-day period.
Peter Majerle, who juggles communications and hands-on work at the company, said workers go into "places where entire families have dumped all of their refuse on the floor for years."
Majerle said he prefers the homes that seem too far gone to rescue. "I see it as a personal challenge," he said. "Some people run marathons or join Mensa. This is how I like to push the limits of my existence."
'Trash-out'
During "trash-out," or debris removal, workers might come across layers of mold on the walls, sewer backup, rotting meat, mice, stagnant water or a variety of other messes. At other times, however, such things as an abandoned Camaro, unused furniture and well-stocked cupboards also have surfaced.
