I accidentally stole something: AIBU not to fess up???

[YonderRevoltingPeasantWhoIsHe]

Had a really excellent, glitch-free Christmas except for one thing!!

We were having all the family over and didn't have enough chairs. So a colleague said we could borrow two from her flat - we've been over for dinner a few times so know where it is. She was going to be away so she left us a key to the balcony door. The balcony is not the way we normally get to her flat - normally she buzzes us in through the main door, which is on another street, if that makes sense - balconies to flats let out into a smaller alley type place.

So we went to pick the chairs up after dark a couple of nights ago. I got to the alley where the balconies are and found her flat. It was two away from the lamp-post, just like she said. I tried the key in the lock and it fit in but then wouldn't budge - but she'd said it was very stiff and really needed to be hauled on. Then I noticed that in fact she had left two chairs right outside the balcony door. How thoughtful! I thought. I took them.....

So of course it turns out they weren't hers. I somehow got the wrong flat and the fact that there were two chairs outside was total coincidence. Do I put them back tonight sneakily and hope no one notices? Do I put them back with an apologetic note, a bottle of something nice, but no signature/ contact details? Or do I write a full confession and/or bang boldly on the door and tell them what happened?

If I go by and it's dark AIBU to just put them back without saying anything?? Or is that really terrible?

Let us know what happened OP. If this happened to us we would find it very funny but would also be relieved we were not a target for crime.

Will do, when I am back tonight!!!

Looking forward to it better than the Christmas telly.

Why not write the note to your friend to say thank you, they were a great help and here's a bottle of wine to say thank you. Then when you knock on the door to return them you can bluster omg you're not xxx, omg I'm so sorry, here's the wine and note, I'll take the keys back to her separately yadda yadda yadda.

And 'discover' the mistake when you return them. Might be a lot easier than trying to explain from cold iyswim.

I'd explain face to face

Tell the truth and shame the Devil yonder. Honestly, I'd laugh if you'd mistakenly pinched my chairs.

zipzap do you often make up elaborate stories to try to solve simple things? In your experience, how does it turn out?

Genuinely not having a go. It's just that a friend is always doing this and usually lands herself in deeper shit than if she'd said: 'Oops! You'll never guess what I've done.'

I'm still with leave the chairs outside, knock and run.

I will ask DP to get in the car as soon as we are both home - I will post from jail and let you know how it's all gone!!

zipzap I am soooooooooooooo not that good an actress.

Will keep an eye on DM website for news Yonder.

Marking my space for update later

lol this sounds like something I would do!

I think you should take a picture of the chairs, "tie them up" (i.e. put rope around them) and send a ransom note - "a bottle of booze, or the chairs get it"...

Or maybe not. If it were me, I'd knock on the door, explain in person what had happened and take them back. But then I have no shame.

Okay, sorry to disappoint all you vultures kind advisors, but we returned the chairs with no drama.

DP and I took them round and I had written a big sparkly card with a profuse apology and my first name and mobile no. in it. When I had originally picked up the chairs, the flat had floor to ceiling metal blinds down (this was why I couldn't see inside to see it wasn't my colleague's place) and when we returned, the gate was exactly as I'd left it (shut, when I came the first time it was open) and the blinds still there.

We left the chairs + card and then DP said, 'you know, go back and get the card - ten to one they are away for the whole holiday and never even missed them, you're only potentially landing yourself in trouble' - so I did.

I think that's the best result you could have hoped for. And relax......

haha! Many years ago my DH and I, ermm, 'borrowed' a pub parasol/umbrella thingamy from outside their pub cos it was raining very hard and we were absolutely trollied (we even got in a black cab with it - no questions asked!! ) and when I woke up the next morning and saw it in our hallway, I got DH to take it back before the pub opened with a wee note of apology for having, ermm, 'borrowed' it in the first place. :o

I'm glad it worked out so well. although its a right anti-climax

LOL what an anti climax - if only chairs could talk

I wonder if any of my patio furniture has ever been on an adventure without me knowing about it?