Van was a Hoarder

Our Wealthy Neighbor Lived a Life of Poverty

Last year I wrote here about Vance “Van” Vivolo - wondering where the hell he was. Just noticed that they were clearing out his house and was not shocked to see that he was a hoarder.

According to his next door neighbor before Van vanished he was carrying around a cattle prod and an air horn and antagonizing people walking by on the sidewalk. He was definitely the only person around these parts with a Trump sign in his yard. I think he is institutionalized now since I can find no records of his death.

Van had money from a family trust but was unable to enjoy it because of mental illness. He never left his property. His windows were always covered and he didn’t have trash service.

Van’s father Tony worked his way up from selling flowers at the Pike Place Market to being a real estate mogul. According to the Seattle Times, he “sprinkled cologne on them, then sold them in the evenings to men taking wives or girlfriends to nightclubs, or to women in the red-light district.” He ended up owning five Taco Time restaurants and numerous other parcels.

Tony had six children. One of them, Steven, was disinherited from his will. The Vivolo family trust sold the property under the University district Safeway for $25 million in 2021.

Van’s house is a tear-down. It last sold in 1978 for $34,000 - $165,000 in today’s dollars when adjusted for inflation. Redfin estimates the current value of the home to be $650,000.

—Alex

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