Thursday, May 27, 2010

People Actually Stole From Me--That’s Not Nice!

When I was going through grieving for my dad, cleaning out his house to get it ready to sell and basically putting in long hours every day while trying to maintain time with my husband, a few people helped me out a lot.

However, some of the neighbors came around offering their “help” only to get stuff, which I was mostly okay with if they offered to buy it; but I wasn’t okay with them stealing from me. How can people be so mean? Here I was still grieving and overwhelmed with so much to do, running myself ragged working at my dad’s to get the house ready for sale and still trying to get home to spend some time with Gerard. It was a very hectic and emotional time for me. That’s when I really decided that the sooner I sell, the better.

I had a lot of knick knacks and some other small things set out on the dining room table that one of the neighbors from up the street came to look at. He offered to buy a lot of the knick knacks that he planned on taking to the flea market to resell, but after he left, I notice the small scale that we used at the AWANA Grand Prix to weigh in the cars was gone. It had been on the dining room table with the knick knacks and was something I had wanted to keep. I should have brought it home with me sooner, but didn’t. I never saw it after that day so assume he must have taken it.

Harry had a garden hose hanging on the front of the house which I used to wash off the porch. Ricky, a junk dealer who helped me the most and was pretty much an all-around handyman who worked for himself, told me the garden hose was gone. Someone just took it! I couldn’t believe it. Who would take a garden hose right off the front of the house?

Ricky cleaned out the 3-car garage for me which I really appreciated. I had no idea what to do with all that junk that was in there but it was such a big job that he asked another guy to help him. I was paying Ricky for his help, but Ricky told his helper from up the street that he could borrow my garden weasel. It was an great tool for getting out whole patches of weeds and I had planned to use it and keep it. Too bad I never saw it again. The guy never returned it and Ricky never got it back for me.

Why didn’t I report it to the police? Truth is, I didn’t need any more hassles and just didn’t think it was worth my time. I’m sure the Cleveland police had bigger crimes to solve and probably wouldn’t have been able to get my things back anyway. There’s no way I could prove they were mine. Some people just see a weak vulnerable female as an easy target and don’t hesitate to take advantage even though stealing is wrong, wrong, wrong! Thou shalt not steal.

Did anyone ever steal from you? What did you do about it?

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7 comments:

Deborah said...

Hi,
I have had people steel from a lot...usually the cleaning people in the past and also when I have yard sales...people just love to take stuff, even if it says, FOR SALE right on it...they take it anyways!
Nice to meet you, sorry about your Dad, it is a very sad and trying time for a long time. I came over from my friend at Red Pine Mountain.
Have a nice weekend.
Deborah

Lin said...

Unbelievable. My friend's husband just died and it was unbelievable how people would come over and offer to take things "off her hands" for her! It was like they were vultures picking his bones!!

I don't recall ever having anything physically stolen like that, but I would feel so violated. It's like who can you trust??? Karma, Karen. You gotta let karma take care of some things in life.

Anonymous said...

I've had things stolen before but didn't really know who it was other than gut feelings.
It is really not a very nice thing for anyone to do especially in your circumstance.
I'm sorry to hear about your dad, I lost mine in 2006 and I struggle from time to time but it will get better.

Martha@A Sense of Humor is Essential said...

I've had some thefts, it's really violating, but luckily nothing of much value. The thieves are the true losers. I am so sorry for your loss.
Visiting from Red Pine Mountain's blog, greetings from Los Angeles.

Homestay Mama said...

Yeah, I've had a lot of things taken from me, but nothing of tremendous value. So, in looking back years later, I can say I don't even miss the stuff.

Unknown said...

I"m so sorry to hear this has been happening to you. It's so horrible that people will take advantage of a greiving person. I am so sorry for your loss, I hope you have peace, if not now, soon.

Ms. Understood said...

It is just such a violating feeling isn't it. I had someone break my car window and stole my friend's laptop so on top of stealing her laptop, I had to pay to fix my window - on a coupe so it's huge window. Then I had a client who stole my cell phone. He denied it but I know he stole it because he called a number on the phone. I checked online tracker and saw that a number was called. I called it and asked for him. They said he wasn't there right now. Thieves suck.

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