Theft in a renting situation

[Meresgi]

While the daughter is asleep, take naked pictures of her and blackmail her into giving you sexual favors. If you rape her enough, soon she will grow to love you and she will do anything for you. Make her go to the store and buy a lot of poison. You don't want to buy the poison, cause they could trace it back to you! On an unsuspecting night, sneak the poison into all the family's food. After they all die, you will be free to sneak into the daughter's room and look around for the missing Ipod.

This is probably the best advice I have ever seen given on the internet next to the whole Triforcing of a harddrive.

[Nephlite]

The webcam idea's are a good idea. Your room legally, you have the right to be secure in your possessions. You're also protected by so many different laws and whatnot. A good tactic is to ask them all about a particular item missing and look for the telltale signs (i.e. nervous glancing towards their room, not making eye contact, etc.) then set the webcam up. It may suddenly turn up expectantly then you have your proof.

Another thing you can do is when they're out, don't go snooping but if their bedroom door just happens to be open and you happen to walk past their door and see things in plain view, you can take pictures and document the items (serial numbers, something unique about them like stickers etc.). Then confront them about the items and if they don't show up, "find" the items somewhere and let them know later that you found the items and see if they confront you. Then you can use the pics against them and go to the cops.

In any case, the landlord will stick up for them and you may feel repercussions from their actions if the landlord tells them. In all situations, moving out and avoiding a confrontation is always a better plan then going behind backs and changing locks (breeds an atmosphere of mistrust). Plan your actions accordingly and be prepared to back yourself up with proof if needbe (catching them on webcam then having a family meeting where you say "Ok, some of my shit is missing so if it comes back to my room, i'll drop the subject and won't care who did it." is a good way, worked for me in the military).

Plan your actions accordingly and don't be afraid to set up traps disguised to catch people (it's not illegal).

[Pringles]

Update, got home from work today and asked my land lady if she happened to see my ipod laying around since I couldn't find it this morning. She told me no but she'd ask her son and daughter if they might have seen it. About 10 minutes ago she knocked on my door and said she found it and to let her know if I ever have a hard time finding something of mine again.

She didn't seem upset or anything but I'll probably still do the webcam thing, and if something goes missing again, I can just come to her with it off the bat with photos. Thanks again everyone for the advice, I'm just glad it resolved itself and from the looks of it, she seems open to me coming to her about possibly someone taking something from me. Either way I'm still going to start looking for a new place with-in the next few months.

[BerenTebogo]

Update, got home from work today and asked my land lady if she happened to see my ipod laying around since I couldn't find it this morning. She told me no but she'd ask her son and daughter if they might have seen it. About 10 minutes ago she knocked on my door and said she found it and to let her know if I ever have a hard time finding something of mine again.

She didn't seem upset or anything but I'll probably still do the webcam thing, and if something goes missing again, I can just come to her with it off the bat with photos. Thanks again everyone for the advice, I'm just glad it resolved itself and from the looks of it, she seems open to me coming to her about possibly someone taking something from me. Either way I'm still going to start looking for a new place with-in the next few months.

"One of my douchebag kids stole your shit. Here it is back, going to go beat them now."

[Zilong]

Plan your actions accordingly and don't be afraid to set up traps disguised to catch people (it's not illegal).

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:C...HANSEN.jpg&t=1

[Acturus]

Plan your actions accordingly and don't be afraid to set up traps disguised to catch people (it's not illegal).

Yes, it most certainly is illegal.

Trespassing laws protect criminals from traps. You can't rig a shotgun to fire if the door opens, you can't put tacks point-up on the floor. Home Alone doesn't work in the real world.

[Zilong]

Wouldn't that be legal in some state as a method of Castle Doctrine?

[Kylewhataru]

Yes, it most certainly is illegal.

Trespassing laws protect criminals from traps. You can't rig a shotgun to fire if the door opens, you can't put tacks point-up on the floor. Home Alone doesn't work in the real world.

That's illegal because, you know, shotguns kill people?

Setting up a trap such as putting an expensive item in direct view of a camera to tempt the thief is comparable how?

[Meresgi]

Yes, it most certainly is illegal.

Trespassing laws protect criminals from traps. You can't rig a shotgun to fire if the door opens, you can't put tacks point-up on the floor. Home Alone doesn't work in the real world.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...eo_game%29.jpg


Hmm?

[Tyrath]

Yes, it most certainly is illegal.

Trespassing laws protect criminals from traps. You can't rig a shotgun to fire if the door opens, you can't put tacks point-up on the floor. Home Alone doesn't work in the real world.

Pretty sure by traps he meant something like a camera that can record his shit being stolen.

[Acturus]

Pretty sure by traps he meant something like a camera that can record his shit being stolen.

I hope so. But I read traps as actual traps, and not small asian girls with penises.

[Nephlite]

Pretty sure by traps he meant something like a camera that can record his shit being stolen.

Yeah this.

I hope so. But I read traps as actual traps, and not small asian girls with penises.

Mind out the gutter, etc.

Trespassing laws protect criminals from traps. You can't rig a shotgun to fire if the door opens, you can't put tacks point-up on the floor. Home Alone doesn't work in the real world.

While this is accurate (Traps as in killing people), there's nothing protecting criminals from a bait situation. You put your iPod directly infront of your recording web-cam. Nothing wrong with it. Thief shouldn't be trying to take something that isn't his. In a breaking and entering situation (say he keeps his door locked at all times), then he could probably set it up so the room is alarmed, or delivers a shock of electricity or something similar. Let's not go to extremes here, I was just suggesting something simple but didn't realize it'd be read in to. Next time i'll clarify and make it more thorough.

[Acturus]

While this is accurate (Traps as in killing people), there's nothing protecting criminals from a bait situation. You put your iPod directly infront of your recording web-cam. Nothing wrong with it. Thief shouldn't be trying to take something that isn't his. In a breaking and entering situation (say he keeps his door locked at all times), then he could probably set it up so the room is alarmed, or delivers a shock of electricity or something similar. Let's not go to extremes here, I was just suggesting something simple but didn't realize it'd be read in to. Next time i'll clarify and make it more thorough.

No worries.

The legality I was referring to was more civil lawsuit stuff. A criminal can file a lawsuit for pain and suffering even if he was breaking the law, and a lot of them win damages.

On the other hand, if OP can actually rig a webcam to watch his rube goldberg device comically start when the tresspasser turns the doorknob, toppling a little plastic man from his perch on to a ramp with rolling cars and flicking matches igniting bottle rockets and triggering desk fans to blow wheeled sailboats into lines of dominos climbing up a playing card house and tapping a leaded weight poised on the edge of his desk that pulls a cord to overturn a bucket of cat piss on the entering party, I'm certain that the subsequent submission to Youtube would net him enough of an opportunity to capitalize on his 15 minutes of fame to pull enough profit to settle with the tresspasser out of court and still have enough money to put a deposit on ANOTHER APARTMENT.

[FallingHigher]

Did she say where she had found it? I'd say until you're living there ask for a lock to be put on your door.

[Melena]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...eo_game%29.jpg


Hmm?

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images...7560_front.jpg

[shindycat]

approach the landlady asking if she saw your ipod anywhere, then do the same for the daughter and son all separately.

if no one fesses up get a camera set it up in your room wired from your comp and set it to motion activate.

I think this is a great idea. I hope you catch whoever it is :/ Thats so lame!! I've been in a similar situation, and it was awful.