Basically, Person A goes to Person B's house when they are in the middle of decorating their house and moving stuff about into the loft and garage etc.
Person B needs to get into the loft and says they are going to use a small step ladder to help lift them in.
Person A says 'hey, you can borrow my loft ladder, I have had it 30 years, it's a really good one, and it goes right into the loft.'
Person B says 'it's OK, I will cope, I can just swing myself in, and my wife can pass the stuff up to me.'
Person A says 'nah don't be daft, I will bring it around after....'
Person B says 'erm OK then, ta...'
A month later Person A needs to get into their loft, and asks Person B for their loft ladder back. Person B said they thought they had it back, and they are pretty sure it's not in their house.
A few weeks later, despite Person A and Person B mooching around Person B's house and garage and shed a few times, the ladder is gone. Person A is furious as the loft ladder is 30 years old and is very valuable to him. A new equivalent would cost around £130-£150.
Person B has loads of people in and out - 3 teen sons (one aged 19,) and loads of young men regularly go in and out. They have also had friends and family around a number of times, so maybe someone took it, nobody knows, but it's gone.
Should Person B buy a new loft ladder? Or should they not, because Person A insisted Person B borrows the loft ladder, when they didn't even ask to borrow it???
In other words, does Person A need to suck it up and accept it's lost?
Also, surely if this thing had been so precious to them, they should not have lent it to someone?
Thank you. Would appreciate advice on this, thank you. 