Yes but if you are happy to curse on here I can imagine the language you might use to someone you suspect of thieving from you.
Neighbour is Stealing Water
- Thread starter Monaro
- Start date
Yes but if you are happy to curse on here I can imagine the language you might use to someone you suspect of thieving from you.
Yes, but it doesn't solve the issue. He will say.."Yes, I will keep an eye out for you"; but will persist in using his water. Just ask him. I don't understand why this is such an issue. Trying to be sneaky or to placate him will not work.
If he is 'stealing' water, than that is just the type of 'un-Australian' behaviour that I was refering to in my previous post.
Phil.
This might really mess the thread up...
How do you know hes just stealing water in the dark?
Could he be... oh how would one put it so it sounds politically correct.... self-gratifying?
Watching your kids/family then doing the above?
Tape it and give it to the cops if its more than taking the H2O.
For all you know hes a nutbar.
How do you know hes just stealing water in the dark?
Could he be... oh how would one put it so it sounds politically correct.... self-gratifying?
Watching your kids/family then doing the above?
Tape it and give it to the cops if its more than taking the H2O.
For all you know hes a nutbar.
lol, let's not get too highbrow now.
If the guy really is stealing he needs to be confronted about it. Inviting him over for a BBQ doesn't make much sense to me and i'm not sure if i'd want to have a giggle with him about it one day.
Why would he? If he knows that you know it is happening he would be silly to continue.
I can't believe you lot escalating pure suspicion of someone hooking his hose to a tap into being a pervert and a convicted thief.
Maybe you should form a lynch mob and string him up.
Seriously, would anyone here repeatedly use the neighbours tap to water their garden without asking (unless the neighbour is a very close friend and you have a good reason you can't use your own?).
It's not like the guy's water was off and he needed a drink. If the neighbour is using the tap to water his garden, this isn't some kind of simple misunderstanding. Having a friendly chat with the guy won't do any good. This person is a criminal. He will just get annoyed if you talk to him, and even if he thinks you are watching him RE the water, he will probably steal/vandalise something else out of spite.
It's not like the guy's water was off and he needed a drink. If the neighbour is using the tap to water his garden, this isn't some kind of simple misunderstanding. Having a friendly chat with the guy won't do any good. This person is a criminal. He will just get annoyed if you talk to him, and even if he thinks you are watching him RE the water, he will probably steal/vandalise something else out of spite.
I did preface it by saying 'if'. I wish I was as optimistic as yourself. That is all I wish to say on this matter.
Phil.
No matter what you say, if he is a d$%K head, he won't be pleasant.
When we moved into our PPOR we had a small tree a meter or so inside our fence line. The neighbours used to park their car right next to it, on our property. On settlement, we cut down the tree as it was an eyesore, but the neighbours continued to park on our lawn. There were deep ruts in the grass, so it had been going on for some time.
Hubby went next door & politely asked if they wouldn't mind parking elsewhere, as we would really like the grass to grow. From that moment on, they used to make nasty comments whenever our cat walked on their lawn. That was 6 years ago & they still don't talk to us.
When we moved into our PPOR we had a small tree a meter or so inside our fence line. The neighbours used to park their car right next to it, on our property. On settlement, we cut down the tree as it was an eyesore, but the neighbours continued to park on our lawn. There were deep ruts in the grass, so it had been going on for some time.
Hubby went next door & politely asked if they wouldn't mind parking elsewhere, as we would really like the grass to grow. From that moment on, they used to make nasty comments whenever our cat walked on their lawn. That was 6 years ago & they still don't talk to us.
wow ..people can be so petty
My comments for what they are worth.
People often don’t associate feelings or emotions or values with something or someone they do not know.
It is a bit like the mentality that it is okay to steal off a big conglomerate or multi–national (its not okay, in case you were thinking otherwise!)
I think both measures should be taken:
If it continues after this, simply involve the police.
People often don’t associate feelings or emotions or values with something or someone they do not know.
It is a bit like the mentality that it is okay to steal off a big conglomerate or multi–national (its not okay, in case you were thinking otherwise!)
I think both measures should be taken:
- Advise him in conversation that someone has been using your tap (no accusations unless you are 100% positive) and;
- For at least the next few months remove the handle (like local councils do). You will still have this to operate the tap
If it continues after this, simply involve the police.
We had a similar situation just after our IP was built and prior to us taking possession of it, we visited it one afternoon and found that the neighbour who was in a similar position as us, just about to take possession, just laid the new turf, had two sprinklers running off two of his hoses off two of our taps. We claimed the hoses and sprinklers and funny enough the neighbour never mentioned a word.
If you suspect the neighbour is avoiding you and a little weird, run on your gut feeling. I would avoid contact and simply remove the tap. If the strange actions continue next step would be the f-o-r s-a-l-e sign. I wouldn't want to live next door to anyone who hides in a bush AH and steals water. Very strange.
Monara,
Give Reece Plumbing or similar a call and ask them to supply you with a padlockable tap. My brother installed one many years ago to stop his disabled son from regularly turning the tap on to drench the backyard and turning it into a mud bath (he and his siblings thought it was great fun).
Another alternative is this product...The Garden Tap Lock
http://www.gardentaplock.com.au/
I reckon unless you can catch the neighbour red-handed, preventing further theft by locking your tap is the best way to go. It'll send a message to your neighbour loud and clear without you having to deal with an uncomfortable confrontation.
Flatout
Give Reece Plumbing or similar a call and ask them to supply you with a padlockable tap. My brother installed one many years ago to stop his disabled son from regularly turning the tap on to drench the backyard and turning it into a mud bath (he and his siblings thought it was great fun).
Another alternative is this product...The Garden Tap Lock
http://www.gardentaplock.com.au/
I reckon unless you can catch the neighbour red-handed, preventing further theft by locking your tap is the best way to go. It'll send a message to your neighbour loud and clear without you having to deal with an uncomfortable confrontation.
Flatout
Ever since we purchased our house a couple of years ago, I've suspected that our neighbour was using our tap to water his gardens. The water bills always seemed a lot higher than what we had used. So much so, I've purchased a lockable tap, but haven't installed it yet.
Last night I think I finally caught him. But you didn't actually see him right??
Making assumptions of guilt based on this is pretty wild to me. So whilst I would certainly suspect someone I wouldn't be sure. What if it was the next neighbour along? Pretty smart to run his hose across to the second block along - he is not even considered a suspect at this stage.
So install your lockable tap - just will take a minute or two and all is done.
You got to live with this guy living next door, anything you do to confront and accuse him will only make things worse. Life is to short to be getting around creating bad blood between people.
Easy way out is to install your lockable tap. His days of easy water are finished, he will know you are onto the water theft and he would be pretty bold to try to defeat the lock and then be like most Australians and ignore him from now on.
If he does try to circumvent the lock just call the police. I suspect a damaged lock will be some form of breaking and entering.
Why escalate things? What if the guy has a mental illness? A lot of us do! You could really end up with an unpleasant situation which is way worse than a suspicion and an uneasy over the fence relationship.
I just like to live my life striving for happiness and trying to help other people be happy. Being on the offensive is just all too hard and will more than likely come back on you. I would seriously look at myself in this situation and do what I could to create a better relationship with my neighbour. He would only steal from you cos he doesn't see you as someone he particularly likes. That would be the gap I would want to fill - what sort of person steals from a mate? I am not trying to be holier than thou - I would genuinely do this and in my experience it works. What you do will always come back to you in one way or another.
Or just form a Somersoft vigilante group and teach this guy a lesson he will never forget. He won't be going around stealing people's water after you guys are done with him. Probably start with breaking his fingers so every time he uses a tap from then on will remind him of the time he crossed the Somersoft Water Citizen's Action Group.
I hope I haven't offended the more precipitous of us - don't want a beating myself .....
IMO you cant go through life making other people happy, placating people, trying not to upset people who do the wrong thing and living for other peoples approval just to not rock the boat.
It solves nothing. Not the least ones own self esteem and usually only papers over issues rather then resolving them.
It solves nothing. Not the least ones own self esteem and usually only papers over issues rather then resolving them.
