to challenge my paper-stealing neighbour?

[Thingaling]

I have a newspaper subscription I pay a fair bit of money for, which gives me digital access during the week and then the actual weekend papers delivered.

But for months now, I have only been receiving Saturday papers maybe twice a month and Sunday papers only once a month. The rest of the time they “disappear” before I can collect them from the entrance hall to our mansion block.

Two weeks ago, I saw my Saturday paper there (which has a label with my name and address on it) in the morning on my way out to the corner shop. When I came back ten minutes later, it was gone.

Armed with this intel, I asked the building security people to look at the CCTV for that ten minute window to see who had taken the paper.

It turns out that the thief lives in the flat above me - a normal looking woman, AFAICT from a non chaotic household. I don’t know her to speak to although I’ve talked to her husband before about water pouring into my flat from their broken loo and he seemed perfectly pleasant.

The security people (somewhat reluctantly) agreed to speak to her - basically saying we’ve seen you on camera doing it, just please stop. She apparently denied it then went mental “Are you accusing me of being a thief?” etc and then claimed she also had a subscription and thought it was hers (although we’ve never seen another paper delivered to our block, ever).

Security are now saying there’s nothing more they can do. AIBU to be really really cross about this? The brazen cheek of her!

Short of getting up at 5am to grab the paper as soon as it’s delivered, what else can I do? ?

If it happens again then ring the newsagent and make out you're the neighbour wanting to start weekend deliveries and can they send an invoice in advance for so many weeks worth? Or get up early wrap the new outside front cover around an old newspaper and put rice in it. Not as effective as glitter but will make a bit of noise and make her jump!

Knock on her door

Just out of interest, if I were to order myself 25kg of glitter from a craft company - or even a large ornate dog turd unique creation covered lavishly in glitter with 'Live. Laugh. Love.' stencilled into it from a 'specialist' online company - and somebody stole my parcel from my doorstep (or communal hallway if I lived in a mansion flat).... could the thief have me done for glitter bombing them when they opened their stolen booty?!

If it's delivered in the mail, can you notify the publisher of your slight amendment of address - to incorporate your delightful newly-bestowed flat name and ensure safe delivery of all future publications:

Sarah Robinson
The Sandra At Flat 9 Is A Cheapskate Thieving Cow Cosy Nook
Apartment 21
The Mansion House
Anytown

Assuming her name isn't also Sarah Robinson, she'll see that it's not for her from the first line, stop reading the address label, put it straight back down and never be any the wiser, will she....

Shame it isn't a local paper - they'd absolutely love to run the full-colour front-page scoop about the ongoing neighbour newspaper theft scandal!

Regardless of security’s attitude to confidentiality I really don’t think you have a choice here. I would go and knock on her door and tell her you know that she’s been caught on CCTV taking your paper. Tell her that however trivial it might seem to her, it is a serious offence to intercept or tamper with someone else’s mail and the next time she does it, you won’t hesitate to report it to the police along with the CCTV evidence. She needs to be clear that theft is theft and you don’t intend to enable her entitled behaviour.

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

It may also be a paper delivery from a newsagents. We simply don't know. In any case it's not a "serious offence". It's nicking a paper.

At what point does theft become serious, then? What if it was the postie himself/herself guessing that your mail was a birthday card and opening it to see if there's any cash in there that they could relieve you of?

'Nicking' is a minimising word, like when people nudge you and grin about their new acquisition that 'fell off the back of a lorry'. Can I help myself to bikes or lawn mowers from people's gardens and sheds, as long as I tell myself it's 'scrumping' rather than theft?

Postal operators interfering with mail is a separate offence under the Postal Services Act 2000.

I'm not just making this stuff up. A neighbour nicking a paper left unattended in a common area is theft. Of an item valued less than a fiver. The police will not be in the least bit concerned and it will not warrant a serious response.

That's not to say that the neighbour isn't an arsehole but let's not give OP inaccurate information.

@Nith

It may also be a paper delivery from a newsagents. We simply don't know

It's a mixed digital/paper subscription arranged direct with the newspaper. It won't be coming from a newsagent's.

My SIL has the same arrangement and hers comes from her newsagents.

The thieving cah! Is there anywhere where you can lie in wait and conduct covert surveillance on the hallway mail table to catch her red-handed?

Since your mail is left on the side do this.
Buy some coloured envelopes, print the address no of each flat on the front.
Inside just type To owner, please be aware a mail in this house is going missing. If you have had any mail go missing please contact security.
Do not sign.
Leave your letter there for a few days.
Bet she stops, once she realises everyone now knows.

I'd knock on her door and explain that you've had your newspaper stolen several times and have heard she also has the same subscription, ask if she's been receiving hers? Then tell her that you'll be going to the police and giving them the cctv footage. If she says you're being ott as it's a paper, make up some bullshit about having important documents going missing

Won’t the management company have to report theft to the police?

Our lot reluctantly did (I complained a lot) when some utter bastard wandered into our block and nicked an armful of parcels left in reception (incl 4 of mine which where Christmas presents I’d ordered). Another utter (resident) arse held the door open for him.

All in CCTV of course... funny how people always wear their COVID masks when they are thieving...

i would cancel my delivery and pick up from the shop, ask the shop to keep it for you

Be careful about neighbour intel, people can pass on inaccurate info. Is there any way you can monitor the mailbox yourself? Or as others suggest put a replica of the item in the box with a note inside it? If not, maybe it's worth sending a note round to all of your block explaining your mail is being taken?

Breadbin or similar at front door and paper goes in there, or lock on a box inside the front door

I'm not just making this stuff up. A neighbour nicking a paper left unattended in a common area is theft. Of an item valued less than a fiver. The police will not be in the least bit concerned and it will not warrant a serious response.

Depends where the OP lives.

The police wouldn't come out here for violence, but they did come out when someone had a £10 parcel stolen.

Different types of crime, different response targets.

Ask them for a subscription card instead and collect from your local shop

Be careful about neighbour intel, people can pass on inaccurate info.

That's very true, actually. The neighbour who put you on to the alleged culprit could just be using an innocent person as a cover - and actually be your thief.

Mind, she did seem to react very guilty when confronted. Hmmmm....

I suspect she’ll stop now she’s been spoken to but if it happens again. I’d go knock and say you’ve heard she has the same subscription has she received hers as yours hasn’t arrived.

Can you ask the delivery people, or security, to write your name or flat no clearly across the top so she can't claim it was an error?

@SchadenfreudePersonified

It's not mail. It's a paper delivery.

It will come direct from the publisher - ie in the mail. Mine does.

Not always.

My parents have a subscription to a newspaper that they get daily.

Rather than sending the paper in the mail, the publisher sends them vouchers that they use to pay for the paper which is delivered from the local newsagents.

She may not do it again now she’s been caught

I don’t think you should have to collect it from a shop though, the whole point of having it delivered is so you don’t have to do that

Has she carried on doing it? Don't you have a letterbox?

I'd go knock on her door and ask for my paper back.

Do you actually want the paper versions or are you happy to read it online? If online, then can you cancel the paper versions.

I'm surprised that you didn't mention to security that if she has the same subscription where is her copy of the paper? If there were two subscriptions, then the 'other' one would be left behind (unless she is actually taking both).
You would have no objection to taking the second subscription to read but as there clearly isn't a second copy of the newspaper being left for collection, then she is a thief and should be called out on it and steps taken to reduce mail theft.
That is the responsibility of building security or the property management company. I'd recommend getting mailboxes where any mail can be delivered for collection only by the residents of the actual flat/apartment it's intended for. Might make mail deliveries a bit slower but it should eliminate any mail theft.

I'd agree with the suggestions about addressing an envelope for each of the residents in the block and include a note that informs them that there is a mail thief in the building and you're making them aware. the mail area is now covered by CCTV to capture any further mail thefts and building security has been informed of previous occurrences.
Leave it unsigned. Make sure that you do one for every resident and address them to "The Resident, Flat 1" and so on or if you actually know the names of the residents, address it directly to them.

Best if luck!