Back to SoWal Lounge

People cannot own anything!

Lady D avatar
SoWal Insider
1,723 views
Why is it dishonest people always want what someone else owns and don't think a thing about stealing it, in broad daylight yet. Got home from work today and found our gate at the bottom of our stairs open, this leads to the backyard area, not to mention I found our metal storage building door open, missing from out of our building was our $400 Stihl chainsaw. :pissed:

We just happened to be outside using it yesterday in the front yard for all to see when at 3 different times yesterday a total of 3 thugs just happened to be cutting through our street to go to another street. Our street is always a cut through, either by car or on foot.

They didn't do it overnight or early this morning. I was outside standing just above that very gate this morning talking to this neighbors cat who was in my azaleas smelling the leaves and flowers. The gate was closed and so was the building.

And my husband went down through there sometime during the day before work but didn't open the door to the metal building. The gate and building were both closed then. He left for work about two hours before I get home so it occurred between that time, and in broad daylight yet, with neighbors on both sides of us and directly across the street.

I'd like to know how someone can go down into your backyard and into your metal building and come back up out of your backyard and up your driveway or across your yard carrying your chainsaw and not be seen. And not one person saw anything, not either neighbor right across the street or on either side of us. What good does having a neighborhood watch do??? :bang:

I was going to notify the president of our neighborhood association of it but they have a unlisted phone number, interesting. But since he lives right across the street maybe I can catch him in the morning as he usually is starting up his truck around near the time I get ready to leave.

I just had to vent.

Edited

Replies

46
Matt J avatar
SWGB
#2
1.) File a police report.
2.) Get a padlock.
3.) Listen for chainsaw noise as you can hear those things for miles.

The police report will get filed and if it shows up in a pawn shop you may get it back. I doubt they just had brush to clear.

Theives suck no question. :bang:
CPort avatar
Beach Fanatic
#3
i agree with swgb ,that saw is in a pawn shop as I type.:angry:
NoHall avatar
hmmmm......can't remember
#4
1.) File a police report.
2.) Get a padlock.
3.) Listen for chainsaw noise as you can hear those things for miles.

The police report will get filed and if it shows up in a pawn shop you may get it back. I doubt they just had brush to clear.

Thieves suck no question. :bang:

:eek: :leaving:

Thanks for that nightmare.


I have to put my axes, slingblades, and my giant bushblade in a dark corner where I can't see them because I have these visions of having my head lopped off when I go to my car before daylight in the morning. I try not to think about the chainsaw because I'll hear it in my sleep...narcoleptic nightmares suck.
Lady D avatar
SoWal InsiderAuthor
#5
1.) File a police report.
2.) Get a padlock.
3.) Listen for chainsaw noise as you can hear those things for miles.

The police report will get filed and if it shows up in a pawn shop you may get it back. I doubt they just had brush to clear.

Theives suck no question. :bang:

I thought about calling them tonight but when we just have the make and model number of the chainsaw and no serial number I'm wondering if that would do any good. We had a lock on the building. I guess tomorrow would be too late to file a report. I wonder if that can be done by phone only without a policeman coming out??? I figure they might try and come back for more. But they will have no luck getting back in that building after tonight. I've fixed the handle that has the lock on it and we are going to pull our truck right down against the door. See them get in there then.
InletBchDweller avatar
SoWal Insider
#6
so sorry LadyD. I hate mean people!:angry:
NoHall avatar
hmmmm......can't remember
#7
I thought about calling them tonight but when we just have the make and model number of the chainsaw and no serial number I'm wondering if that would do any good. We had a lock on the building. I guess tomorrow would be too late to file a report. I wonder if that can be done by phone only without a policeman coming out??? I figure they might try and come back for more. But they will have no luck getting back in that building after tonight. I've fixed the handle that has the lock on it and we are going to pull our truck right down against the door. See them get in there then.

It wouldn't be too late to find out. I would at least file the report. Does homeowner's insurance cover stuff like that?
Lady D avatar
SoWal InsiderAuthor
#8
so sorry LadyD. I hate mean people!:angry:

I do also. But there is one person above who saw what they did and he will be waiting for the day he can judge and punish them. I found out tonight also that over the past several months there have been shots fired nearby in a neighborhood right around on the next main street over from us, on more than one occasion. One boy came running through this couple's yard to get away from a car driving along firing shots at him. He ran to their yard and asked this woman to call the police. She did. We might have to get out of this neighborhood, better yet the town.

Edited

Matt J avatar
SWGB
#9
I've been in pawn shops before and of all the wierd stuff I've seen a chainsaw isn't one of them. I would think that would be a pretty big flag for any pawn shop owner.

I wouldn't even hint in the direction of homeowners insurance, odds are your deductible won't cover it and most homeowner insurance companies will dump you in a heartbeat after filing any type of claim.

Not sure about your neck of the woods, but here I believe they would leave the police report with you to fill out for something under $500.

I'd like to stay positive and say that maybe they really needed it, but that is really stretching it. Since they didn't take the manual maybe they don't know about kick back. ;-)
NoHall avatar
hmmmm......can't remember
#10
I've been in pawn shops before and of all the wierd stuff I've seen a chainsaw isn't one of them. I would think that would be a pretty big flag for any pawn shop owner.

I wouldn't even hint in the direction of homeowners insurance, odds are your deductible won't cover it and most homeowner insurance companies will dump you in a heartbeat after filing any type of claim.


Not sure about your neck of the woods, but here I believe they would leave the police report with you to fill out for something under $500.

I'd like to stay positive and say that maybe they really needed it, but that is really stretching it. Since they didn't take the manual maybe they don't know about kick back. ;-)
I think the main reason I don't know anything about it is because I have wonderful insurance agents--a sweet husband and wife. When I've been hit by lightening, they've been great about taking care of me...but I'm a very lucky gull...

Anyone dumb enough to steal a chainsaw is certainly in the running for a Darwin award when they try to use it.
Mystified avatar
Beach Lover
#11
Its downright frightening to learn that strangers have been on your property or in your home. Its up there with the some of the worst violations.
SoWal Insider
#12
oh, but it does happen around here all the time - - in broad daylight! That's when it happens the most because people are at work!!

I am sorry to hear this and it does make you mad! Follow SWGB's advice.
.
audie avatar
fartblossom
#13
sorry about your chainsaw lady - nothing worse than a thief. people like that are the reason i chained my wicker chairs to the porch. not that they couldn't just cut the chain, but it would at least slow them down a little. i would go ahead and file a report.
ckhagen avatar
Beach Fanatic
#14
I can't stand thieves. I'm sorry :(
Cash-strapped landscapers steal that type of equipment all the time. I've even seen it happen in broad daylight in a busy parking lot out here. Some guy was lifting a whole bunch of stuff out of another landscapers trailer.
Mystified avatar
Beach Lover
#15
Whats it gonna take for people to understand that when you have yard sales and/or use illegals to landscape, or do maintenance on your homes, your inviting crime into your lives.

Here in NY its costing taxpayers a fortune to jail these thieves, rapists, drunk unlicensed drivers, etc.
DD avatar
SoWal Expert
#16
Dammit! Sorry Lady. That so sucks. :pissed:
Smiling JOe avatar
SoWal Expert
#17
That sucks. FYI- the best time to rob people is during the day, when they are at work. The neighbors are likely at work too. Pull up in a van with some plumber logo on the side, and you can load up all the goods of the house within ten minutes, in and out. Ever watch that TV show, "How to Catch a Thief?" That is how they do it.

Good tips, slow down the thieves by using good locks. (remember that locks are made for honest people and thieves will go right through them, but at least you can try and slow them down.) Also, on more expensive items like a nice chainsaw, buy a Dremel tool (they are rather cheap) and etch your name and phone number or email address into the items. One should be very visible, and etch it again in a less conspicuous place so that the thief doesn't file it off. You can also use the luggage technique of spray painting your luggage a bright ugly color, so that it is easily recognizable and not desired by others. -- Do the same to your chainsaw, lawnmower, etc. Make them ugly. Installing a few mini-cameras is also a viable solution to catching the thieves. These days, you can even buy systems which are motion-activated, and will send you an email of the video, immediately, every time the motion sensor is activated. Then, you can call 911 and give them a description of the person and/or auto with license plates, and inform them of the crime in process, so that the cops can go bust them.
Matt J avatar
SWGB
#18
SJ, has some good points, upon further reflection:

-If you go out of town and leave a vehicle behind, pull it as close as possible to the garage, it keeps thieves from backing up said moving van.
-Locks won't stop a determined thief, but unfortunately you just need to be more secure than your neighbor.
-Don't just put your name on an expensive piece of equipment, write the words "DO NOT PAWN" on it. This raises some major questions by any pawn shop owner if the item isn't just left behind.
Cheering472 avatar
SoWal Insider
#19
What great ideas! :clap:
Lady D avatar
SoWal InsiderAuthor
#20
I did file a report by phone last night, late but better than not at all. They said if it shows up in a pawn shop within the next 30 days there is a good chance we will get it back. And of course my husband did not pay attention when he left for work if the gate was open or not as he was running late.

So it is possible it happened after I had left for work and before he even went to work so I could not really give them a time, just had to estimate that. We were quite suspicious of the fact that after about 3 hours of being out in the yard working all of a sudden the foot traffic increased on our street.

I guarantee it was one of the 3. They can go down the next street over from us and see right over to our part of the backyard where our storage building is and we can see the street easily also. And about a month or so ago, a group of 3 broke into a house around on that next street while the owners were doing yardwork out front. Two sat and watched the owners from their car right across the street while the 3rd one went up through the backyard and in their side door.

The neighbors on both sides of us are retired and were all home at the time. They just are not out much during the day. Here's hoping we get a call saying they found it. But I doubt it. But I don't know whether pawn shops check police reports to see if something is stolen or not and if they do that the same day. It even could have been while my husband was sleeping inside. But regardless, I am not a happy camper, nor is my husband. Thanks everyone.
Matt J avatar
SWGB
#21
In Florida they have to turn a list over to law enforcement listing everything they have received. Occasionally the cops will go in and do an inventory. Probably 99.99% of pawn brokers are perfectly honest people that will turn someone in, in a heart beat.
seagrovegirl avatar
Beach Fanatic
#22
Move to Sowal!!! Paint everything that you have that can "walk" bright pink or orange. I am working on painting my stuff, so far rakes, shovels...after this thread I think I'll paint the lawn mower too!
scooterbug44 avatar
SoWal Expert
#23
As a reminder, it is a HUGE help if you can provide the serial numbers and a photo or description of the item stolen.

Fifteen minutes w/ a digital camera and a pad of paper can mean $$$ when dealing w/ an insurance company that wants "proof". I take pics and email them to myself so that they are always available/accessible in case of a fire, hurricane, etc.
Lady D avatar
SoWal InsiderAuthor
#24
I hope they have that policy here. A Stihl chainsaw is one of the best chainsaws made. One other place it could be is in someone's home. Sometimes there are sting operations here that target theft rings and on occasion recover a house full of stolen merchandise. It could show up that way also.

Edited

inlovewithsowal avatar
Beach Crab
#25
The best thing to do would be to file a police report. I don't know if the people in your neighborhood would be interested in additional security in your neighborhood or not but here in Atlanta, in my neighborhood, we pay quarterly dues of $35 and all money goes to cover the cost of undercover police to patrol the neighborhood. Given we're an in town neighborhood there is crime, but far less than there was 8 years ago when we moved in. I believe it's because we have a very strong neighborhood watch. We have worked for years to eliminate the crime in our neighborhood and it only worked because our neighborhood was dedicated to fixing the problem. Nothing was more frustrating than spending the weekend planting flowers and having the pots stolen off your porch that evening or the next afternoon. Those thieves would take anything that wasn’t nailed down! I wish you luck and hope you’re never violated again.
Smiling JOe avatar
SoWal Expert
#26
I think most thieves are probably just smart enough to not take the stuff to pawn shops these days. They just sell it for cheap on the black market to people who want huge discounts, and choose to ignore the fact that the items are probably stolen.

Checking your forum account

Please wait while we verify your forum account.