to think this IS stealing and it DOES count?

[Snuffalo]

Sister in law has a little piece from a fishbone cactus potted up on her windowsill, just starting to show new growth. I asked if I could have a cutting once it's established, and she said sure, or I could just go to (fancy houseplant shop up the road) and see if there was a bit on the floor, because that's where she got the cutting.

She swears she didn't break it off - that it was already broken off and on the floor near the 'parent' plant (this is believable, the shop is really crowded and you have to brush by the plants to get through).

Her argument is that it was a tiny piece (true - it's an inch long at most) and that it would have just been swept up and thrown out anyway.

My arguments are 1. unless she took the piece to the proprietor and asked if she could have it, it's still stealing. Who's to say the shop owner wouldn't have potted it up herself? and 2. the proprietor paid for the rent, soil, plant food, and put in the labour to create and nurture the plant that dropped that little one-inch cutting and SIL is effectively stealing that money and effort.

This wasn't an ACTUAL argument, just a discussion, I'm not dobbing her in or cutting her off over it, but just curious to see how other people view it.

Theft. Obviously. Really if you take stuff from some where that sells stuff, if you don't pay you are stealing it. It's not taking a cutting. Or picking up a wilted leaf. You are a thief.

And actually it's NOT an act of minor harm. It steals money from me and my employees and all the other people involved in supplying my business. If you do this you are a thief.

This was definitely theft/shoplifting, and you should report her to the police ASAP.

Snuffalo. I’m sorry for the horrible comments you’re getting on here. I thought this was supposed to be a friendly site - full of all types of personalities, ages and classes, and not even just for mums!

Looks like I was wrong.

I worked for a nursery. They were my friends. We wouldn't care if you picked up a broken piece off the floor or the tables.

IF it was already off the plant. Wouldn't like anyone to break it on purpose.

Legally? Idk. But I've done it. I've asked or not asked, depending on how difficult it was to track someone down.

Frankly. Lately, the plants I've purchased have seemed to be poorly potted. They often die far too soon. I'm a green thumb and most things want to live so most of my plants multiply.

Considered completely immoral by the plant police, I suppose, but i think that I've been cheated often enough by shoddy plantings that if I find a leaf on the ground, i pick it up.

And, as far as harming the business, a free leaf that makes a customer happy, means I have a happy customer.

Who will buy another plant or maybe something else bc my business is friendly.

A free leaf off a succulent is like taking a plant as that is how you propergate succulents. They root incredibly easily.On my kitchen window sill there is about a dozen different succulent leaves all with fresh roots waiting for me to pot them.

Snuffalo. I’m sorry you’re getting such a hard time for such a harmless post. I thought this was going to be a friendly site :(

Hmm, that is an interesting one. I guess it is in a gray area, I would lean towards it being classed as stealing. My reasoning is that that plant cost the owner money, SIL took some of that plant, without asking, regardless of whether it fell off the plant or not. If she wanted it she should have paid for for herself. However, I can also see the other side of the debate! Good question OP!!

But they’ve clearly labelled it rubbish by putting it in the skip. When does it stop being theirs?

The act of throwing it away means you no longer want it. It shouldn't be your possession or theft once you've decided to and have binned an item. That's just my opinion, the law is strange.

But they’ve clearly labelled it rubbish by putting it in the skip. When does it stop being theirs?

I'd say it stops being theirs when the skip has been collected. They could have thrown something into the skip, then realised they still need it, so have until the skip is collected to retrieve it.

Has anyone thrown something into their bin, then realised after? On Christmas day we've had to rifle through the paper wheelie bin to retrieve a gift that had been scooped up by mistake with the paper, once it was jewellery in a small box.

No one's rewriting the law, they're saying morally since it was rubbish to the shop owner it wasn't stealing.

The question is whether it's stealing, not whether "morally" it's stealing. And it is.

"I would say not stealing, she hasn't deprived the shop owner of the opportunity to take cuttings from the 'parent plant'"

This is the old 'Making a copy of a video, ebook, music recording etc. is different to steaing a car' fallacy. The owner still has possession of the original, so he loses nothing. But he DOES lose something - the sale he might have made to you.

This is the old 'Making a copy of a video, ebook, music recording etc. is different to steaing a car' fallacy. The owner still has possession of the original, so he loses nothing. But he DOES lose something - the sale he might have made to you.

Exactly. Only this is even worse because you're actually going into their shop to do it! Whether it's illegal or not I would feel like a real CF doing that.

Call the police

Why would you even give this a second thought? It's a piece of unsellable plant to be swept up and binned... Lame.

Is this real??

I would have taken it too!!! Then decided it was up to fate whether it grew or not.

Life is short unless she made off with a full plant. I know people who take cuttings from front gardens - overhanging plants. I have not done this. However, is she generally a thief? If not forget about it.