Pinching from a skip. Yes or No?

[Rainyrunway]

My NDN are having renovations done and they have a skip outside their house full of random stuff. I just saw someone drive past, then reverse the car, get out and start rummaging. They grabbed a couple of bits out, stuck in their car and drove off. I found it quite funny (but a bit cheeky) personally and dont think id mind if someone knicked something from a skip outside my house. But it got me thinking. Would you do it? Is it ok? Or is it's stealing?

I have a lovely upholstered chair I took out of a skip many years ago; it just needed a bit of repairing.

I did wait and go back for it after dark though 😁

Skip Rats! DH was a legend in his 20s - half our house is furnished from skips. I got my BFFs treasured wedding present out of a skip! But ask. I know someone who was prosecuted for 'theft by finding' for taking from a skip as they were selling it for scrap. Check and you're all good.

This.

Good etiquette is to ask if you can, but who would really say no?

technically it’s an offence- theft by finding but unless they complain to the police it wouldn’t be found out why not just ask them they are unlikely to say no.

No.

Doesn't matter if its clear the person intends to chuck it, it's stealing. If you want something from a skip on private property, ask permission.

I wouldn’t do it. Surely it’s obvious who the owners are and that they don’t want it, so what’s wrong with a quick courtesy check by knocking on the door to ask.

What if the skip is on the road?

No I would say it isn’t only because there’s some skip companies round our local area that give you a better price if you are adding scrap metal or something they can sell on.

i would be rather annoyed if I had to pay an extra £50 because someone took the scrap metal I had promised to the skip company

But it is actually stealing in law. The stuff in the skip still belongs to the owner. Best thing to do is ask.

Doesn’t matter. It’s still technically stealing.

I wouldn't mind. Round here people are more likely to try to fill it!

I'm fine with people.taking stuff from skips.and do it myself ( sitting on lovely oak chair right now...set of 4.from a skip though asked first)

I'd suggest wearing gloves though if you're rummaging about as people.sometimes.put broken glass, wood.with nails sticking out, rusty metal etc. in them

My friend got 2 le cruset casserole dishes with lids ...still jealous

Generally, it's fine. I'd say if you see something on top, take it. If you want to rummage through, ask.

We had a big clear-out some years ago (the landlord paid for the skip, and we cleared it out ourselves as just wanted it done). The stuff in there was tatty, damaged rubbish that was only good for landfill. We bagged it up to take it from the back of the house to the front so it didn't damage our stuff.

People were ripping open the bags and turning them upside down, throwing the stuff everywhere to have a root, then leaving empty-handed. Made the skip an absolute state, woke us up at all hours while they were having their rummage and it ended up taking up loads of space. Could have all been avoided if they'd just asked first!

I would be happy somebody took my RUBBISH away. You are inadvertently helping somebody who can’t afford it and it’s also freeing up more space in your skip/saving you money by having to get another one. Don’t see the issue except maybe you don’t want them on your property?!

There was a comedy incident where I live where some dodgy scrap dealers went round an estate which is known for broken appliances dumped in front gardens and basically took it all in the night. The residents were kind of bemused and then when someone pointed out that they would be selling it all for scrap they got irrationally angry that someone else would benefit even though they wouldn’t have personally benefited. I would just be happy I didn’t need to lug it to the tip.

I'd ask if it was on a drive, possibly not if it was at the side of the road. We didn't mind people taking stuff when we had a skip though.

I found it quite funny (but a bit cheeky)

This is how I'd view it. Probably more polite to knock and ask - not least in case you happened to pick out the one thing they were getting round to pulling back out the skip

Agree

Nope, not without asking. I had a kitchen done and work full time so had to trust the builders to follow instructions. They didn't and more than once I came home to find things in the skip (on my drive) that shouldn't have been. I had to climb in to get them back. I'd have been furious if those things had gone as they are presumed "fair game".

The comment was more because the poster referred to private property.

I think to be honest anyone putting stuff into a skip should expect this and leave a note to say please knock etc if they want people to ask. Otherwise I genuinely don't see why anyone would care that someone else was repurposing something they were too lazy to give away so just chucked it into the skip.

We live in a village and we used to get an annual communal skip that would be parked on the village green for everyone’s use. (About 50 houses).

I had to go past it every day so I would see it wax and wane as stuff got put in and taken out. Most people just put a bit in so everybody had a chance to use it.

It stopped when they realised the local pub owner had started to fill it practically 90% full on the first day it was out. There’s always one.

I got an amazing photo frame (it's huge) from my neighbours skip, I did ask though.

My Mum redid part of her garden with old turf/rockery stones that one of her neighbours had put in a skip (again she asked).

This

We had a skip, we had a parcel delivered, a minute later the guy knocked back on the door and asked if he could take afew things out of the skip.
Not a problem at all