http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/13/gps-coordinates-lead-demolition-crew-to-destroy-wrong-house/
Tired of blaming GPS on petty mishaps like the destruction of cars, a demolition crew in Georgia has managed to accidentally destroy an entirely wrong house based on GPS coordinates. Oddly enough, it wasn't even the first time they'd been by: the man who cuts the grass noticed that the power box was missing from the home and holes were punched into the walls about a month ago -- it was suspected as vandalism, but it now seems that the stealthy, directionless demolition company was to blame. The demolition company says it had "paperwork" authorizing the destruction, complete with the coordinates and a description of the home, which the owner's father had built with his own hands "brick by brick."
Damn GPS. They better sue the GPS manufacturer for selling faulty equipment....
That story is a year and a half old. It was discussed back then on the old forum.
I don't recall if we ever found out how the coordinates were derived.
not really new...
several years ago a roofing contractor's demo sub stripped the roof off the wrong house because the contractor gave the sub the wrong street address of the house. The funny part of the story was he tried to sell the owner on paying for the roof but he would throw in the demo for free or something like that.
The owner made him put an entirely new roof on the house for free of course.
Gotta admire the cojones the contractor had ...
... to attempt the sales job!
HA!