My things were stolen off my driveway

[Anordinarymum]

One day when I was out some people came onto my private driveway and removed things which were clearly not left out for scrap people to take.
The items were at the top of my drive and of value. There was my grandson's pushchair which we had taken out of the car and put by the front door with a blanket and baby wipes and a cup. There were plastic boxes with lids containing kitchen electrical equipment , plates, pans and kitchen utensils and toys all neatly stacked ready to go into the garage. There was other stuff too and obviously not rubbish. Boxes of shoes and boots and two large items belonging to my son
My garage is full and the items were going in there as soon as I got rid of some furniture.

I had only been gone for 30 minutes and when I got back I noticed a boot on the path... and then I saw everything had been taken.
This means whoever did it had come across the path and onto private land.
If I ever leave anything out to be collected it is always placed next to the path and not on my driveway so it is obvious I do not want it, and the scrap people always knock on my door and ask.

My next door neighbour was burgled a couple of years ago when he went on holiday. They got in the house and took jewellery and money and things out of his garage.
We never heard a thing as the burglars got in through a window at the back.

He quickly had CCTV installed. He told me it was an expensive and state of the art system; his house and the road in front were all covered so anyone coming anywhere near would be caught on camera.

The day this happened to me he was in his office upstairs and saw the men arrive in a van and take my things. The van was parked facing his house.

When I got home I naturally knocked on his door and asked him if he had seen anything and he said yes he saw them taking my belongings.

I asked him if he could give me the number plate of the van from his CCTV and he said he could not access the footage.

I reported the theft to the police and they asked me if anyone had seen anything and I had to say my neighbour did but didn't see the number plate. No forensics as they did not leave anything behind and nobody could give the number plate so the crime could not be investigated.

I know my neighbour very well. We are good friends. I respect his decision not to help me but feel sad he has chosen not to. I have not fallen out with him, but feel disillusioned.

[blisstwins]

Does the company charge him to access the footage? Might report of an incident drive up his insurance rates? If you have a relationship could you circle back and ask if there is a cost or other worry he has?

[RampantIvy]

@Gilead

The amount of people so willing to stamp on another when they’re down is appalling. Spiteful, smug and unkind.

I don't think people are being spiteful. In many places it really is a given that stuff that is obviously not new left on the drive is a free for all for people to help themselves to.

[DavidTheDog]

Why look for the worse motive in his behaviour?

Perhaps it isn't so "state-of-the-art" or he has let the subscription slip and feels to embarrassed to tell you? Perhaps he thought you'd arranged collection of some items and didn't realise they were being stolen? Perhaps you caught him at a bad time? Perhaps he didn't realise they were lots of items of high value but presumed it was a pair of boots?

This strikes me as one of those situations where we would quickly forgive and excuse ourselves for very similar behaviour, but ascribe it as ingrained character of someone else.

[Sumerisicumenin]

I doubt your stuff was taken by people thinking it was free stuff.
My local Facebook groups put out warnings when we get opportunist cruisers in vans casing out the neighbourhood for items that can be lifted, and they’re also pretty good at circulating images of stolen goods.
Yes it was daft to go out for 30 mins without leaving a guard, but the theft is the fault of the thieves. Most people would have left a note saying ‘Free’ or ‘Help yourself’ to make it clear.

[PurBal]

Someone stole a plant pot from outside our front door once. Took the plant out, planted it in our border for us and took the (really nice, ceramic) pot. Really weird and upsetting too (had been a gift). People will take anything that's not nailed down. Lesson learned I think OP.

[Anordinarymum]

@NoraButty

Does your neighbour not mean he literally cannot access the footage? Some of these security cameras are surveyed by the company that installs it. Meaning that a burglar can’t simply disable or tamper with a home recording,

If that is the case it’s probably not in his contact to apply for footage when something has happened in the street but not to him.

I am not sure . You are probably right about the contract though regarding the street.

[SoupDragon]

OP the only one to blame here is you.

Don't you think the thieving scumbags are to blame at all then? How odd.

Whilst I agree that it isn't wise to leave valuable items out in front of your hose, why is it perfectly acceptable to victim blame in this scenario and not in others?

[Anordinarymum]

@DavidTheDog

Why look for the worse motive in his behaviour?

Perhaps it isn't so "state-of-the-art" or he has let the subscription slip and feels to embarrassed to tell you? Perhaps he thought you'd arranged collection of some items and didn't realise they were being stolen? Perhaps you caught him at a bad time? Perhaps he didn't realise they were lots of items of high value but presumed it was a pair of boots?

This strikes me as one of those situations where we would quickly forgive and excuse ourselves for very similar behaviour, but ascribe it as ingrained character of someone else.

I'm not looking for any motive really. I was just a bit sad that he did not want to help. It's over now.

[SoupDragon]

As an aside, my friend did have an issue with their CCTV where they couldn't access the footage for some reason but it was solvable.

[Ozanj]

Lesson learned. You now know not to leave stuff on your drive or help your neighbour.

[Hallyup6]

What is wrong with people? The op leaves stuff on her driveway for a few minutes and people are saying that she's in the wrong? What the hell?! Driveways are not a free for all. At the end of the drive, near the pavement, perhaps, but some cheeky sod has come onto her property and stolen her stuff!! Can't have been the scrap man taking boots and plates can it, really?!

Op, I'm sorry that you've have some little shit do that to you. Fwiw, when our neighbours had their car numberplates stolen, the police went round door to door to ask for CCTV. I hope your neighbour co-operates.

[Anordinarymum]

@Ozanj

Lesson learned. You now know not to leave stuff on your drive or help your neighbour.

I will always help my neighbour. I have done before and will do again

[MolyHolyGuacamole]

@Anordinarymum

I'm not surprised it got taken. I'm just shocked at the cheek of them. The stuff was there before we left and gone when we got back. I had tried to sort the garage out that morning and placed two boxes inside. I put a box containing computer things in my hall and I was intending to move the rest of the items when I got back. I had not intended going out but I had to nip out to collect something which is why I took the pushchair out of the car and placed it by the door and that is when they came. The large item by my front window was covered up in case it rained. I say I was gone for 30 minutes but it was probably less than that when I think about it.

The cheek? You're talking as if people accidentally thought you were giving the stuff away.

They STOLE it. Knowingly. Crime of convenience.

[CheesyWeez]

I'm very sorry to hear this OP.
The cheek of some people .
Our car was stolen off our drive one night. We were in and didn't hear a thing. It feels horrible.

Good idea to keep an eye on selling sites, you might see your stuff come up.

Our plumber regularly has his van broken into for his tools. He has now spray-painted his tools a distinctive colour so that he can easily spot them if scrolling through selling sites. I know that won't help you OP but maybe someone reading might think about it.

I'm sorry this has happened to you

[Anordinarymum]

@Hallyup6

What is wrong with people? The op leaves stuff on her driveway for a few minutes and people are saying that she's in the wrong? What the hell?! Driveways are not a free for all. At the end of the drive, near the pavement, perhaps, but some cheeky sod has come onto her property and stolen her stuff!! Can't have been the scrap man taking boots and plates can it, really?!

Op, I'm sorry that you've have some little shit do that to you. Fwiw, when our neighbours had their car numberplates stolen, the police went round door to door to ask for CCTV. I hope your neighbour co-operates.

Thank you. I was beginning to think I was going bonkers. I did not want to give too much info out, but I can assure you the stuff was not just randomly left out. It was stacked up at the top of my drive. Some of it was covered up under my front window and it was obvious it was not being thrown out. The large item covered up had weights on the cover so it would not blow off in the rain.

It was the theft of the pushchair that upset us the most. It was parked by the front door and there were things on it.

Yes they were shits and I have been burned by them and on here :)

[Thecatsawinner]

We are moving house and made sure that nothing was left outside without someone there because people leave stuff on their drive to be taken by passing people. It happens.

Next time keep stuff in your hallway?

Can you claim on your insurance?

[FriedasCarLoad]

Not sure why you're getting such a hard time, OP. I live in an ok but not fantastic area (former council estate) and loads of households leave their pram outside their front door.

[IronTeeth]

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation

You left stuff on your drive and went off for half an hour. I'm not surprised it went! No one else knows your drive rules...

Perhaps he genuinely can't access the footage?

What so items left on your driveway are there to be taken?

Is your car on your driveway, can I take that as I don't know your drive rules...
That's a low bar

[fashionablefennel]

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation

You left stuff on your drive and went off for half an hour. I'm not surprised it went! No one else knows your drive rules...

Perhaps he genuinely can't access the footage?

what "drive rules"?
Do you mean that you don't trespass or break in to enter someone's property and steal stuff?

Ahem... sorry to break it to you, but it IS a rule .

Sadly it seems you have to lock and alarm everything these days, but theft is very much a criminal offence.

[IronTeeth]

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation

The value of the goods was over 1K

Would you leave 1k cash unsupervised on your drive for half an hour?

And that there is your victim blaming

You should be able to leave things on your property without someone taking it.

Re the neighbour, probably dummy cameras

[Sometimesfraught82]

All a bit.... odd

[TheoMeo]

Maybe he knows the people who stole the stuff - or thinks he might.
Maybe it was a family member of the neighbour - hence would see the stuff there.

Anyway get your own cctv.
I friend of my DDs called, left his bike at the door, came in said hello, I said don't leave your bike outside - when he went out it had gone.
It was a v quiet street.
So, the lesson was learned - don't leave stuff out.

[whiteroseredrose]

Awful victim blaming going on here.

Since when did stuff left at the top of a drive make it acceptable to steal it? And where does it stop?

Kids bike on the drive when they've run in to get something? Toys from playing on their own drive.

Open car boot while packing to to go on holiday?

The assumption should be that unless it is clearly labelled 'free stuff' then keep your mitts off. Otherwise be prosecuted.

It is NOT your fault. You should be able to leave stuff on your own property without people thinking its a free for all.

Re your neighbour, the camera might not be real but he doesn't want to admit it.

[Sometimesfraught82]

I suspect the cctv is dummy
He told you he had installed and state of the art because for some reason - he wants you to steer clear

[RampantIvy]

You should be able to leave things on your property without someone taking it.

In an ideal world, yes you should. In the real world, you can't. There is a reason why insurance premiums are lower if you have the right type of locks/burglar alarms etc because there are some nasty thieving scroats who will seize any opportunity to steal.

You just can't assume your belongings will be safe. IMO the OP was naive to think her unattended belongings would still be there.

We also get regular updates on local FB pages about suspicious vehicles in the area casing people's houses and gardens.