That ’ s the obvious story and an important one , to be sure . But as Wendy and I talk , it becomes clear that several stories intersect at West Place . To really understand , you need to back up to the moment in time when a woman fell in love with a house .
“ It was a disaster ,” she tells me , describing the state of her Victorian home when she first saw it . “ It probably was a disaster already when it went into foreclosure , but then people began breaking in , stealing copper pipes , vandalizing . Someone in charge of the property decided to rent it out so it wouldn ’ t be vacant . But the tenants soon became squatters , and as they were served with eviction notices , they became angry . They spray-painted , tore out walls and fixtures . They all but destroyed it .”
Wendy , however , didn ’ t see just the mess before her eyes . She ’ d wanted a big Victorian home since childhood , and this one spoke to her .
“ The way the house sits on the land , sort of kitty-corner , looking off down the road ,” she says , “ there was just something about it . I ’ d been drawn by the acreage , but I knew the minute I saw this house that it was meant to be my home .”
There was one problem : By the time Wendy saw the house , it was already
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