PTA requesting payment for football boots that are ours.

[WineIsTheAnswer]

DD1 lost her boots just before Christmas. She asked at lost property, checked lockers, asked teachers, reception etc I also asked teacher and checked lost property. Unfortunately cleaning the mud off weekly had worn away the name on the outside and the sticker inside had almost completely come off (dark inside so the only way of marking them.) So I accepted they were gone, my mistake not re-labelling them.

The school has a history of coats etc going missing only to turn up on the back of others with the label cut out a week later. The school does nothing in these cases.

Now I find them on the PTA FB page as part of a large picture of stuff for the next sale. I messaged the PTA lady and asked to collect them or asked for them to be left at reception so I can get them back. She responds saying all lost property is given to them by school at the end of term, they were handed to them at Christmas so they are now PTA. I explain they must of been handed in on the last day as I had checked lost property in the morning. I also think it's unfair, if you forget something on the last day it's automatically PTA's on the first day of term but I haven't said that yet.

She asked for proof, I told her the size, about the faded name (now she knows the name, she should be able to still make it out) and sent the online order receipt. She's now offering to sell me them back ahead of the sale as a goodwill gesture. I've told her I expect them to be returned to school on Monday and if they aren't will presume the PTA has stolen them. I'm being told I'm BU, so am I?

Blimey, I would say I am surprised, but I am not sure if anything actually surprises me anymore. It's just so wrong.

Good luck tomorrow OP, let us know how you get on.

Waiting for update - the nerve of some people. Although some of our PTFA were very hard working, can’t help but agree with LipstickHandbagCoffee that the same “certain” kids get all the lead roles in all assemblies/ plays. Pushy parents and their equally pushy kids. Good luck OP.

It’s shit like this that gives the PTA a bad name, as evidenced by all the nasty comments about PTA parents on here.
Our PTA are not batshit crazy, power hungry or helicopter parents, we are not a clique ( everyone is welcome, more the merrier as it would make our lives easier) or any other evil coven with an agenda.
We are not saddos, we don’t hate anyone or bitch about anyone or exclude or judge anyone. We don’t have sad empty lives, we don’t get off on the power ( don’t have any) and we are not smug in the slightest.
We raise money to buy extra stuff for school -that’s all

And neither of my DC ever got a part in anything, well to be honest DS got to hold up a sign once at Harvest festival.

And hopping green can I add one other 'we are not SAHMs with nothing else to do but go out and lunch'

I've had issues regarding my son's property being 'lost' at school. A t-shirt went missing out of his bag and was found eventually when a few other boys were throwing it around the playground. Once the t-shirt had gone missing I was on at the school constantly and when it was found they got the boys who had taken it to write a letter of apology. Last year his coat went missing off his peg. I went in a few times, spoke to people on the phone, had teachers ringing me with updates, but no coat was ever found. Made me really angry because my child's possessions should be safe in his bag or on his peg. In the end I have up. If that coat was to turn up at a sale of lost property I would lose it because school should have a record of complaints of lost items and when found, given to the rightful owner. If passed on to be sold, this is theft because it's already been noted as missing. My experience of schools is to keep on at them. So ring up and ask to speak to the head or your child's teacher. Do not pay for your own goods. If you want to make a kind gesture to the schools sale you could always offer to swap with a pair of shoes you no longer like/wear/hate the sight of. That way the school have something for their sale. Good luck.

shimmer forgot that one, none of our PTA committee are SAHMs.
(2 are actually Dads as well)

At our school all 'lost' property goes in a big box at reception.

Anything named goes back to the child.

Unnamed goes out at the end of half term on a table in the playground, and parents can look and claim whatever they think is theirs. Anything left over goes to the charity shop [grim]

The 'second-hand' sales tends to be of donated, outgrown stuff, not the lost property - which is unwashed, biro-covered, mud-splattered stuff.

Fingers crossed for an easy resolution on this one, you're obviously in the right if you have to take this further but who needs the stress of it?!

Did you get it sorted, OP?

Our PTA aren't SAHMs either. I was very involved for a few years, when working and it was a good way to keep in touch as I didn't do all the hanging around and after school activities.

Now I am a SAHM I've less inclination to be honest. I spend enough time at the school picking up and dropping off and like to spend my free time on things nothing to do with the children!

I agree with a PP. I'm a teacher and have never met a normal member of the PTA, they are all indeed "weirdo helicopter parents".

Waiting with bated breath to see if the OP got the boots back. If it were me, I'd have told them I would buy them back, then taken them and not paid.

I concur, the desire to be on PTA should disbar one from being on PTA

According to a family member who has dealings with one, the same principle applies to parish councils

Update - boots are home.

PTA chair emailed me late last night to say she had been informed and that they will be returning the boots to school for school to deal with as they are no longer unclaimed.

She's told me lots of people have asked about the boots either asking to buy/price/size or claiming them. (I suspect there's lots of buy/price/size people and only one claim - me) so the PTA lady was trying to be fair?!?! None of that holds up to me. She has kindly forwarded the proof to DH to speed things up, he already has this from me emailing him.

I spoke with DH who handed them over after a discussion about how the system for last week lost property needs changing.

Now to get the Sharpie out and cover them with her name.

so they cannot even express humility ... tisk...

well done for getting them back OP

And another CF bites the dust.

Trying to be fair? Silly woman.

Glad you got them back OP.

Well done op! Am assuming DH meansdeputy head in the latest post?

Well done OP!

Well done op! Am assuming DH meansdeputy head in the latest post?

I went back through the thread trying to work out what her DH (husband) had done!

Yes, sorry to confuse. DH is Deputy Head, DH in the usual MN way is non-existent so I didn't think.

That's fair enough op

Yaaaay ! X
How pathetic is pta ?... id still be tempted to go on fb page and claim all the things they are selling or put lego in her shoes x

YANBU. Tell the woman that you have proved that they are yous/daughter’s.
If she continues this charade and won’t give them immediately, then you’ll take her to the small claims court. Show her you mean business by showing her your application form for small claims court.
That, or involve the police immediately.
Don’t take it lying down!