House sitter and my obligations re: firearms

[ApronAmy]

Not sure why a house sitter is needed for a long weekend. If you're gone a couple of weeks, maybe, but better yet perhaps you should consider installing an alarm system.

Giving a 20 year old the keys to the house for the weekend has absolutely no historical precedent, so yeah, probably nothing will go wrong with that.

If your brain has led you to worry about a 20 year old coexisting with a collection of guns, you should probably listen to the nagging inner voice that is urging you to really think about this here decision.... just sayin'

Whoa. Way to be judgmental about everything! Her primary job would have been to take care of the dog, but that seemed superfluous to the question so I simplified it to house-sitter.

In case you missed it amongst the useful and constructive responses, this ended up all being hypothetical. I didn't go anywhere.

 

[ApronAmy]

WA requires you store them locked up in an approved safe. The end.

20 year old College chic? Maybe check the place over with a black light when you get back to see if she had any boys over.

Cool it with the misogyny. I know her AND her boyfriend and she would have had my permission to bring him over. Not the point of this question. Glad I got some useful input from someone who actually knows the law.

 

[ApronAmy]

@ApronAmy I teach legal aspects for most things firearms in WA. Respectfully the above post is an incorrect reading of I-1639. WA law does not require they be stored locked up, and there is no "approved safe" requirement (An Oregon law did just go into effect requiring this.) The WA law does state that IF you do not "secure" your gun AND someone else gets them and uses them, then YOU may be charged with a crime.
If the house sitter has a key or combo, or the safe is so cheap a kid could open it with a paper clip then she would arguably have constructive possession of it. This sounds unlikely and unless she uses it, you would have no criminal liability.
I agree with others above in not telling her what's in it. If she sees the safe your biggest risk is her telling her friends that you have a safe. Can't be too careful.

Thank you for the great info! The safe is small GunVault hidden in a canvas bag in the back of my closet behind way too many shoes. She would have had to do some serious digging to find it. Knowing what you shared about the the law, I feel confident in saying the guns were secured and liability would have been minimized. Thanks!

 

[Ferryman]

Lol, dog sitter would have made more sense.

You asked random internet people for advice. Got what you asked for. Didn't mean to insult you, I was giving you an opinion from the perspective of an old cranky boomer. Get what you pay for I reckon. No offense intended.

That said, Never trust anyone under 30!

 

[JohnnyMac]

I always use house sitters that bring their own firearms.

 

[JohnnyMac]

Our nannny's new boyfriend is apparently in the coast guard, so,

I hear ya.....I wouldn't trust a Coastie as far as I could throw him.

 

[nwwoodsman]

I wouldn't mention the firearms. Just make sure they're secure. What could be a sweet college girl now could be a raging meth head in a year or two looking for stuff to sell. She would know the layout of your house and that you have firearms. I am a little nutty about who I let in my home. If there is even a question about the security of my family or possessions, they're not allowed in...I don't have many visitors.

 

[chukar]

I hear ya.....I wouldn't trust a Coastie as far as I could throw him.

Might want to watch out for the rescue swimmers.

 

[Flopsweat]

I wouldn't mention the firearms. Just make sure they're secure. What could be a sweet college girl now could be a raging meth head in a year or two looking for stuff to sell. She would know the layout of your house and that you have firearms. I am a little nutty about who I let in my home. If there is even a question about the security of my family or possessions, they're not allowed in...I don't have many visitors.

A perhaps more likely scenario is that she could very innocently and accidentally pass on information you don't want getting around. Seems like you've got the main message down; She doesn't have to know, and you don't have to go to extraordinary lengths to lock up your guns.

Too bad your travel plans got scuttled, stick around and you'll get used to us. Some are a bit abrasive but there are really only about three verified aholes here out of the about 60,000 members. You'll pick them out quickly if you run across them. And no, I'm not one of them. I don't think I'm one of them. No. Well whatever.

 

[Alexx1401]

Whoa. Way to be judgmental about everything! Her primary job would have been to take care of the dog, but that seemed superfluous to the question so I simplified it to house-sitter.

In case you missed it amongst the useful and constructive responses, this ended up all being hypothetical. I didn't go anywhere.

Welcome, this group is like any "gun group" on the net. Many times you read jokes about it. Someone will ask a question, they get great answers, along with a few comments that really have nothing to do with the question they asked. All in all it's kept a little more tame than the old open forums were anyone could say literally anything. So let the bad roll off. You will get a LOT of good to any question asked.

 

[NeoBlackdog]

As an extra layer of security you can put an exterior door lockset on the closet door. If they can't open the closet, they can't get to the safe.
Edit to add;
This is assuming a hinged door, of course! Bypass closet doors, not so much...

 

[308]

Don't be judgmental you misogynists

 

[Stomper]

I hear ya.....I wouldn't trust a Coastie as far as I could throw him.

Hey, at least they buy their own crayons to eat, unlike those freeloading Marines!

 

[Stomper]

A perhaps more likely scenario is that she could very innocently and accidentally pass on information you don't want getting around. Seems like you've got the main message down; She doesn't have to know, and you don't have to go to extraordinary lengths to lock up your guns.

Too bad your travel plans got scuttled, stick around and you'll get used to us. Some are a bit abrasive but there are really only about three verified aholes here out of the about 60,000 members. You'll pick them out quickly if you run across them. And no, I'm not one of them. I don't think I'm one of them. No. Well whatever.

C'mon, nobody says that about you as far as you know!

 

[Stomper]

Don't be judgmental you misogynists

One person's judgmental misogynist is another's' realistic biologist……

 

[Flopsweat]

C'mon, nobody says that about you as far as you know!

 

[deadeye]

Thank you for the great info! The safe is small GunVault hidden in a canvas bag in the back of my closet behind way too many shoes. She would have had to do some serious digging to find it. Knowing what you shared about the the law, I feel confident in saying the guns were secured and liability would have been minimized. Thanks!

This should be bolted down either to a wall stud or the floor. Much too easy to cart off and open later at their convenience, I was envisioning a much larger safe. This would also make it easier to access when or if needed.

Just an observation..........

 

[bbbass]

I was going to respond with sage advice that was asked for, but I'm afraid I might get judged, yelled at, criticized, and accused by OP. Cuz, ya know, I'm like, all sensitive and such.

 

[Flopsweat]

I was going to respond with sage advice that was asked for, but I'm afraid I might get judged, yelled at, criticized, and accused by OP. Cuz, ya know, I'm like, all sensitive and such.

And just what is that supposed to mean?






j/k

 

[LibertyNews]

I'd make sure she was properly armed, knows where the spare mags are, and familiar with the fields of fire for the home