The object
There wasn’t just any object in the basement. The police found a real tank. The tank was a Panther, one often used by the German army. The 40-ton monster was the main attraction of his collection.
The police weren’t impressed: it was 100% illegal to have such a dangerous vehicle in your possession. How the man had ever gotten the tank into his basement was a mystery, but there it was, a real Panther tank.
An interesting piece of history, but still…