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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think my neighbour stole my laptop?

568 replies

StarWa · 15/01/2022 19:35

This is going to sound a bit ridiculous, but I promise it's true, unless I've lost my mind.

I went away for three weeks. During this time I asked my NDN to look after my cat - I left all the food, litter, poo bags etc.

I offered them £10 per day to do this, however, they refused and said I could repay the favour one day. We are quite friendly, she's a teacher and he works for a bank - both late thirties. Not that it matters, just so I'm not dripfeeding.

I take in a lot of Amazon deliveries for them and they would do the same for me.

I got home today and my laptop is gone - I always keep it in the same place on my desk. It was 100% there before I left. Thinking they might have moved it for whatever reason (fine) I text her to ask.

She told me I better not be accusing her of stealing it because she would never do that. I said I wasn't saying that at all, just a bit perplexed as I didn't take it with me.

Now she hasn't replied, but she's read my message.

OP posts:
DickMabutt73962 · 18/01/2022 20:39

@ZorbaTheHoarder

Go round and ask if you can borrow her laptop for a while, as yours has gone missing?
Grin
Jenjen26 · 18/01/2022 20:44

Maybe she was gonna nip round to nick the telly so she had something to watch while playing on her new laptop

SchadenfreudePersonified · 18/01/2022 20:44

[quote QOD]@morrisy

probs my fave thread ever lol

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/a1498923-Shouting-at-me-in-the-supermarket?msgid=107191847#107191847[/quote]
The buggers here have taken it down!

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 18/01/2022 20:45

Oh for God's sake. Go and ask her or call the police and report a theft.

Stop dragging it out as a (non) drama.

britneyisfree · 18/01/2022 20:48

Wff

ParkingDiagram · 18/01/2022 20:56

@GreenFingersWouldBeHandy

Oh for God's sake. Go and ask her or call the police and report a theft.

Stop dragging it out as a (non) drama.

This, really.

If your laptop really has gone missing then you should report it to the police. I find it unimaginable that someone could come back from holiday, find an expensive piece of tech missing and then piss about on Mumsnet creating drama rather than report it stolen.

KaptainKaveman · 18/01/2022 20:56

Whatever has happened to the laptop, she is responsible. If you do nothing she's got away with it. Grow some cojones OP and sort it aaaht.

Tulips21 · 18/01/2022 21:00

I'd 100% be contacting the police

tribpot · 18/01/2022 21:05

Have you tried to locate it yet OP? Instructions from Microsoft.

Cassandrainthenight · 18/01/2022 21:16

@ParkingDiagram, I very much can imagine doing exactly that, first you need to be sure you haven’t gone crazy and search for it everywhere, second we had a trailer (much more expensive than a laptop) stolen and the police couldn’t care less, certainly it was made clear that no one would ever waste resources looking for it. I knew someone who did have a burglary and an expensive TV stolen and was laughed at by police when he expected them to do something about on top of just logging it 🧐🧐

MadeForThis · 18/01/2022 21:18

Go and bring wine!

ConfusingWorld · 18/01/2022 21:21

I concur with recent posters. If you feel certain that you left it where you thought you did, and it's no longer there (or even in your home, despite you having searched high and low), and your NDN says they have no knowledge of it, then it must have been stolen. Regardless of who actually took it, the police need to be involved, because theft is a serious crime. It would be strange not to report it.

Also, if your laptop has been stolen (which it must have been if you have ruled out the possibility of it being somewhere in your home), and your NDN is the only other person who had a key while you were away, then it must be your NDN who is responsible, whether or not they personally took it, or knowingly (or unknowingly) allowed someone else into your home. There is no other possibility. You did not give them permission to let anyone else into your home, so at best they have been careless with security, and at worst they have betrayed your trust.

Why are you still dithering about reporting the theft, and worrying about offending your neighbour? Is it because you still have a small bit of doubt about whether your memory is serving you correctly? If you really have no doubt, then your neighbour must be responsible (and most likely knows that), so they will know inside that you're NBU, even if they make out like you are.

Enough4me · 18/01/2022 21:30

Where is your power cable & have you followed @tribpot link to locate your device?

Zonder · 18/01/2022 21:32

Did you take the prosecco round? We always take something round for the neighbors when we have been away. They feed the cat once a day and put the bins out on the road.

Bouledeneige · 18/01/2022 21:38

Just to join in the confusion I've lost my laptop case. I am not the neighbour in case you're wondering.....

WeatherwaxOn · 18/01/2022 21:46

@GreenFingersWouldBeHandy

Oh for God's sake. Go and ask her or call the police and report a theft.

Stop dragging it out as a (non) drama.

And report the theft of "T-rexing in the supermarket", too.
HelloFrostyMorning · 18/01/2022 22:03

@GreenFingersWouldBeHandy

Oh for God's sake. Go and ask her or call the police and report a theft.

Stop dragging it out as a (non) drama.

This. ^ I was quite invested in this yesterday (as some other posters were,) but it's just boring now. It may be true, but as 'greenfingers' said, the OP is dragging it out now. Whether it's to try to fill the thread, or to attempt to get it into 'classics' I have no idea, but it's boring now. I have lost interest personally.

I'm sure I'll be flamed for that, but that's how I feel. I don't care if she gets the laptop back or not now. Yeah I know 'what a curmudgeon!' but it's getting too drawn out now. Just bang on the neighbour's door and ask if she's seen it, phone the police and report it as stolen, or just drop the whole thing and hope it turns up.

BertramLacey · 18/01/2022 22:06

The OP has already said she cannot find it using the search function, that was already posted on the first page or two.

lottiegarbanzo · 18/01/2022 22:36

You're going to feel a fool when you remember where you hid it. Or find out who else dropped in and borrowed or moved it.

The neighbour hadn't seen it at all.

ShaneTheThird · 18/01/2022 22:56

It's in the bread bin 🥐

TurkeyRoastvBubbleandSqueek · 18/01/2022 23:01

[quote HelloFrostyMorning]@GreenFingersWouldBeHandy

Oh for God's sake. Go and ask her or call the police and report a theft.

Stop dragging it out as a (non) drama.

This. ^ I was quite invested in this yesterday (as some other posters were,) but it's just boring now. It may be true, but as 'greenfingers' said, the OP is dragging it out now. Whether it's to try to fill the thread, or to attempt to get it into 'classics' I have no idea, but it's boring now. I have lost interest personally.

I'm sure I'll be flamed for that, but that's how I feel. I don't care if she gets the laptop back or not now. Yeah I know 'what a curmudgeon!' but it's getting too drawn out now. Just bang on the neighbour's door and ask if she's seen it, phone the police and report it as stolen, or just drop the whole thing and hope it turns up.[/quote]
^^
NOT This!

I am still very invested OP 🙏🏻 so please tell us the next installment 🙏🏻
I think that your ndn has seen this thread, and was going to come around last night to let you know that she had accidently broken your laptop, but got cold feet when she read some more of the replies. Whether it was an accident, or her giving the keys to someone else so that they could feed your cat, (I am as sure as I can be that she didn't "just" steal your laptop) it does look as if she was responsible in some way for it's disappearance, and she has embarrassed herself into denial being her only choice.
FTAO the OP's ndn: please apologise to the OP for your embarrassed denial, and explain to her what happened. I can almost promise you that you will feel so relieved and much better afterwards!

Enough4me · 18/01/2022 23:03

You've lent it to your mum?

StrangerThanSpring · 18/01/2022 23:50

Do you have insurance?

I would go crazy without my laptop. I think maybe you have to draw a line under it and claim it on the insurance, if you have any, which will probably mean a police report.

If you don't have insurance, I wouldn't bother reporting it. The police probably won't do anything anyway.

But, I guess you need to find a new cat sitter.

WingingItSince1973 · 19/01/2022 00:37

I'm new to this thread and had such hopes of having a conclusion because it was posted in Saturday. Got to the end and still none the wiser. I do think something odd is going on with your neighbour. Weird how she said she was coming over then didn't and is acting a bit shady. Maybe too many detective stories for me. Hope you get it sorted x

ButtonMoonLoon · 19/01/2022 01:04

I’d let her know that you’re reporting it to the police because you’re worried someone may have broken in. So you’re giving her the heads up in case they contact her to ask if she saw anyone lurking around or anything.
If she’s got anything to confess that should prompt her to do so