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.

[ichifanny]

@MintyMabel

You haven’t done anything wrong OP apart from being too trusting or assuming that people aren’t all petty criminals

As someone else has said, would this be the case if she had left 1k of cash sitting in her drive?

Yes it’s still theft if it’s on your property

[Spinachtastegud]

Blimey you should be able to leave things on your own driveway without worrying they may be taken. How dare anyone think they can just help themselves! Where's the common decency of people fgs....

[RampantIvy]

Blimey you should be able to leave things on your own driveway without worrying they may be taken

Yes you should, but IMO it is being disingenuous and naive to think it never happens or won't happen. I live in a low crime area, but local Facebook pages and Nextdoor are full of people complaining about thieving scroats who take garden furniture, pot plants, cars etc. Sadly, it happnes, and saying that it shouldn't happen won't stop them.

We went away for the weekend. I hid our garden chairs from view in the house (they had been in the conservatory), and we put the garden bench into the garage.

[Cherrysoup]

I think your neighbour is being a knob and I would send the police round to him. The crime is theft by finding.

[Kezzie200]

Maybe the camera doesn't work but he wants people to think it does

[FactsAndFigs]

I’d put it on your local fb group but I agree with others about your neighbour that would put my nose out.

I’ve had scrap ppl knock on door asking for stuff purposely left out front, they are not supposed to go onto property and just take.

Had a bike and rocking horse sat waiting to go for week. Thief’s round here don’t take what u giving away.

Ive few times woke up realised I left front door ajar overnight that doesn’t give right for others to come in so as for those who say about op leaving stuff out same goes.

[YogaLite]

To be honest the police probably won't be interested, we had a bike stolen from the garage and because at that time the garage was unlocked, they were not interested at all. We couldn't even claim on insurance.

[BeenAsFarAsMercyAndGrand]

You SHOULD be able to leave all kinds of things on your driveway without them being taken. But unfortunately, thieves exist.

Which is why most people don't leave their valuables on their driveway.

[BeenAsFarAsMercyAndGrand]

@Kezzie200

Maybe the camera doesn't work but he wants people to think it does

I think this is pretty likely tbh.

[Nocutenamesleft]

@BeepBoopBop

I lived in Oostende. In Belgium for a while. The shops didn’t even lock their doors at night. Back in the 90’s.