Thieving neighbour

[krustykittens]

This is an unusual one. We have a small holding and some of our land borders that of a local farmer. When we first moved up here, about three years ago, there was an old cattle hay feeder in our winter field. We never used it, as we have heard awful stories of horse's getting their legs caught in hay feeders and also because when the grass runs out, we bring them down to a sacrifice area closer to the house and feed them hay there until the summer field is ready for turn out. We have had problems with this neighbour fly grazing animals on our winter field, driving quad bikes across it when we were resting it for haylage and generally being a prick, so we locked the gates so he couldn't get in. While walking around our winter field a couple of months later, we noticed the hay feeder was gone. Now it has appeared in his field next door. He obviously took it before I locked the gate and it took me a while to notice. I am raging but my DH has pointed out that we have no way of proving it is ours and we never used it anyway. But I am furious he has come onto our land and stolen from us. We don't have machinery of our own and it is hard to shift by hand - I'd love to simply take it back behind a locked gate and see what happens. What would you guys do? Let it go or say something. He's a dishonest bastard to the core and there is no love lost between us!

I'd drop him a note saying it look identical to your feeder that was stolen a month a go and asking where he bought if from because the police are interested in a spate of farm thefts in the area and are trying to track down the thief. The police would like to know what the best way of getting hold of him to come and have a chat are.

I hate cheeky neighbours. We only have 3 bordering our land - one used to drain his cesspit into our field, one lets his dogs chase the ponies and kill chickens, one throws his rubbish over the fence into our field (I caught him at it and asked what he was doing, and he replied 'well, I don't want it in MY field!') I think rural living brings out the best in some people and the worst in others.

I would call over and mention that it has been stolen and causally ask is there anything missing from their property or did they see any one around the property divide as you will be making a police report.

Backinthe box that is awful! Neighbours like that are exactly the reason why I wanted to live in the middle of nowhere. But you have to live next to someone on this island. Ladies, thank you for your advice. If that doesn't work I am going to tell him that unless I get it back, I am going to exercise the shit out of my right to roam, all over his bloody fields! We are in Scotland and as a courtesy, I stay out of neighbour's fields unless I have permission but he hates horses, so this might be a way of getting back at the thieving bastard!