You might have heard of some of cases where someone died, and nobody knew about it until the person's remains were little more than a skeleton.

Oddly enough, modern automation with conveniences such as automatic bank drafts could keep the lights on, and nobody would notice until someone complains about the stench.

Let me paint a picture...


Older man, retired, lifelong bachelor, not dating or seeing anyone. 

Personality, he's largely kept to himself. Neighbors rarely have more conversation than a passing greeting - most often he crosses paths in nearly opposite directions, he comes when they go, no time to talk. 

His extended family  already think of him as a phantom. Some years he can make it to a big family gathering at the holidays, and most of said relatives live anywhere from states to continents away.
Some relatives thought he was *already* dead - most of his generation are dead.

He still works a part time job, just enough to keep doing something.
Said job is on a rather irregular schedule - some weeks, he can put in 30 hours, other weeks he might get nothing. Also a bit seasonal, the dry spells can last up to a month. 
Schedule is usually emailed out to him, though sometimes he'll be called in - "can you fill in for Tom on Wednesday?"

Health could be better, but he's not in any obvious danger - doesn't smoke, rarely (if ever) drinks, no recreational drugs. Walks most places, to the point where he has to keep a starter pack for his car because the battery constantly goes flat. 
Biggest danger healthwise is that he argues with his physician about taking medication, he's trying to take as little as possible. He misses doctor appointments without much notice, though usually work is the cause of this.

Doesn't bump elbows with the landlord too often. Handles a lot of his own repair work, declined work as the property handy man more than once because the hours would go over what his retirement would permit.

The apartment building where he lives has a fair number of short(er) term leases, most lasting only a year. Nobody pays any mind to the Old Guy in 6F - they only see him maybe twice in a given month.

He's computer savvy enough to know how to set up automatic bill payments and bank drafts, so he doesn't have to worry about forgetting monthly utility bills. He has his paycheck, stock dividends, retirement income, and social security directly deposited to his bank account, obviating trips to the bank and mailbox.

He's a quiet man and he likes it that way. 



Well, here's where all of these things become red flags for what is about to happen.

A health problem that has claimed otherwise perfectly healthy people takes him down: an aneurism, a weak spot on an artery, in his brain lets go; resulting in a combined hemmorhage and stroke. He dies in his sleep.


And here's how nobody notices:

* He's not dating or seeing anyone. No dog to bark.

* He's a phantom to his rather distant family, and as stated some think he's already dead.

* His neighbors might go weeks between sightings - and meeting him in passing could be described as a sighting, he's nearly always going the opposite direction.

* Heck, even the LANDLORD hardly ever speaks to him.

* Part time jobs, often in retail or related businesses, have to deal with slow times. Expendables have to be expended, and someone like The Man In 6F who isn't worried about loss of income, could accept taking some time off.
That dog might bark if he passes during a busier time of year and his bosses start calling, but during a down time nobody would notice.

* The rent and utility bills are handled by computers and automation. If his rent includes utilities, that's one less dog to bark. This can go unnoticed for *years.*

* Missed appointments are an unreliable watchdog: if The Man In 6F had a habit of missing appointments without much notice, only calling weeks to months after the missed appointment to schedule another one, they might not say anything until it gets out of hand.