Neighbours stealing - any recourse?
 

I live in an apartment building, and for the last couple years my neighbour down the hall and her friends have been breaking in to the storage lockers and cars since they have lived here.

It happens every few months, and all the neighbours and strata council know its them. One neighbour actually caught them in the act walking out with someone's luggage, and called the police. Nothing was done because apparently there was nothing to prove that the luggage wasn't theirs.

I have never confronted this neighbour because I don't know what they would do to my car, dog, or place.

There are cameras around the building, but they haven't helped much because they know where they are and how to avoid them. To make things even more difficult is that her mom owns the condo, so its not as easy as to just evict them.

Is there anything that can be done?

if EVERYONE knows, including the strata council, then how the hell is it possible for them to NOT do anything?

what if the strata council puts in a new camera but hidden or someplace not noticeable?

my gf has this issue too at her place, except there strata council decide to put a not on everyone's windshield saying "take all of your belongings out, leave your doors unlocked and windows down to prevent property damage"

Booby trap the shit out of your stuff.

Make a bait-luggage just like they make bait-cars, wait for your neighbors to steal it. Call cops, reveal note or something to prove they stole it. :concentrate:

= Profit! :fullofwin:

one theory ive herd is to get the strata to fine the unit for any possible infractions - hopefully they are caught for regular violations. the fines will go the owner (their mom in this case?) and likely causing her to rethink the living situation ... ie: kick the shit heads out in favor of better tenants.

Might not be something that's do.able in a week or two, but I would seriously considering searching for a new place and move the fuck out of that place.


The owner (the mom) knows her daughter does these actions + the whole building + whole stratra knows.
Yet nothing's being done...........not sure if I want :suspicious:

Imagine what would happen if its not just lockers and parking lot, but the girl starts getting bored...and start entering people's home when they are not home........

:heckno:

Did the strata advice you stop locking the doors of your apartments too, to prevent property damage, because otherwise I don't see how that would be possible..

Unless the girl knows how to pick locks.

1) Bait the crackheads with crack
2) Shitkick them
3) ????????????
4) No more thiefs
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that's what i'm wondering.... someone on the strata coucnil has mentioned to me about putting in a hidden camera, i should ask her about it again.

i dont know if i'm too comfortable leaving my doors unlocked and windows down.


not a bad idea!


they have been doing that, but unfortunately they can't force them to pay. I believe the only way they can force them to pay is when they sell their place and put a lien on it for the unpaid fines.

its not a bad place or area, most of the other neighbours are really nice, and most are on board to getting this bad neighbour out somehow.

i asked the strata before why nothing being done, and they said its not that simple ..



haha i like this idea

This is bullshit. Your strata council needs to sack up and get on it.

I read through the minutes from our strata council and they send people letters for having a car leak oil on their own driveway. Other highlights have included denying requests to plant things in the front yard because it will ruin the uniformity of the complex.

If our crack team can waste time on this crap, then someone on yours can handle a known theif in the building.

Yeah, its not as easy as a rental building as its owned property. But this is what the strata council is for!

Here's the problem, you need to be louder. I deal with straight rental properties, and I'll tell you there are two ways to get things done super quick: be really nice, or be really loud.

You need to sit in your council meeting and basically say that this meeting is not over until we have a plan of attack. Cameras? Bait them? You name it.

Doesnt surprise me. In my building, they send note threatening to fine anyone who doesnt have white color blind as it ruins the uniformity of the building.

And then they send note asking dog owners to clean their dogs' paws before entering the building,:ahwow:

I would just move out of your building, so fcking sketch. Worse shits gonna go down sooner rather than later.

... neither of those two things are unusual at all. Most buildings have clearly defined policies that specific certain colour blinds as they are immediately visible from the outside. Also, if you're a decent person, you wipe your feet when it is rainy or nasty outside before coming in so you dont bring mud everywhere... it's not unreasonable to expect you to do the same so your dog doesnt track mud everywhere.

Mark

Unfortunately unless you catch them there's not much you can do except move.

What does work well for some buildings is to have a security patrol. It costs money to hire a company, yet may be worth it.

we have cameras already, we have discussed hidden cameras, the bait idea sounds good too. I have been bugging the strata about this issue, but maybe not enough

i like the idea of security patrol, or even have residents taking turns monitoring the building.

If you know who is stealing, don't waste your time monitoring the building, monitor the thieves.

I wouldn't trust residents to do it regularly, nor to actually confront a thief. I know I make fun of security patrol being "mall cops" yet at least they look official and can be counted upon.

The last building I rented in had a security patrol and residents commented that car break ins essentially stopped.

just spoke with someone from the strata council.

I suggested having residents help out, but they said that they discourage that because of safety and liability. they said they did have a security guard a while back, but it wasnt that useful because a number of car break ins still happened. I'm not surprised because I see cars where people leave valuables in them that are visible.

Apprently the police have tried to pursue these specific criminals, to the point where they have arrested them, but nothing was able to be done long term because of lack of evidence. They told me that what they've got cannot be used in court.

best news i've heard in awhile is that the bank has foreclosed on their property and they have to move out by the end of next month. good timing too, because i was getting frustrated enough to take matters into my own hands.

Hehe I get the feeling that owing the bank (or government) money, while not illegal, will get you into crap faster than breaking the law. :)

That is not true. Strata corporations can put liens against units in arrears (for strata fees, or fines, or whatever) and can then proceed to court for an order to sell the unit in order to claim the outstanding amounts.

I'll take a stab at the actual problem... your strata is lazy and does not want to deal with the situation for whatever reason. Most stratas are like this... the councils are made up of owners who don't really care to do anything about the problem until it affects them personally. It's a shame, really.

I live in a strata, so do my parents. Our councils are drastically different between the two... I love our strata council, good representation and everyone is driven to results. My parents' strata council, on the other hand, is a f'n embarrassment.

3. Connect to tailpipe of car with a big V8

Maybe retain the Dog Whisperer to rent a couple of his nasty dropouts and store them in your storage locker. Easy to identify the thieves...they would be the ones with the brown stains on their pants. :)

5. Go on the run from the cops as a result from carbon minoxide poisoning.

Has there been any attempt to contact the owner (the mother) in order to prevent further actions?

I suggest this if they find enough money to stay.

My co-worker told me this story of when his neighbor constantly left dog crap on his lawn. For several months he would pick up the turds and let them stew in buckets of water in his garage... and one night he went out and flinged the liquified dog poo all over the neighboors house and boat and car. After that they stopped leaving dog crap on other people's lawns.

Maybe you can find some similar solution?