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My neighbor has been taking my tools and I had to get a camera system to catch him. We are all friends and our wives are really close so I don't want to have him arrested. I would like to know what you would do?

How does he manage to even get hold of your tools in the first place? Does he opt to sneak in when no one is watching.

At times people have to disagree to agree and I see the need to tell him to his face that you do not fancy his behavior.

That's crazy! If he is a friend, why don't you confront him, tell him you got it caught on tape and ask him for an explanation. Is he keeping them or selling them?

That's a bad neighbor, is it too hard to ask?

BGC said:

My neighbor has been taking my tools and I had to get a camera system to catch him. We are all friends and our wives are really close so I don't want to have him arrested. I would like to know what you would do?

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CONFRONT HIM, PERIOD. I am on great terms with my neighbors but NONE of them borrow anything unless they ask first.

take him aside and show him the tape. russ

I'm with russ... "take him aside and show him the tape."

Your neighbor is being unreasonable... trying to embarrass him publicly will not necessarily help, (your still going to be neighbors)... This approach leaves you being very reasonable, and then if things don't improve you can proceed to other steps... :smile:KennyV

What a sticky situation. I personally would put the tools somewhere that they can't get them unless they ask. This is why I don't like being friends with neighbors in all honestly. It usually ends up causing problems.

Thanks, everyone for your advice. I asked him to come over for coffee tomorrow. He watches our home for us when we go on vacation and has helped me work on things that is how he knows where the tools are. I will be moving things and asking him for all of them back. I am sure he isn't selling them and think he probably plans on returning them when he takes them.

BGC said:

Thanks, everyone for your advice. I asked him to come over for coffee tomorrow. He watches our home for us when we go on vacation and has helped me work on things that is how he knows where the tools are. I will be moving things and asking him for all of them back. I am sure he isn't selling them and think he probably plans on returning them when he takes them.

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Sounds like a good way to deal with the situation...but I am curious, if he knows how to work on things why the heck doesn't he have his own tools? I have NEVER felt comfortable using others people's tools myself, once you use your own long enough anything else feels strange to me. I may be an exception but I have more tools than that Bob Vila guy not only general woodworking and carpenters tools but also enough automotive repair tools to start a fair size shop...I may be an exception here though most people don't collect them to the extent I do.

I'm with JD,I'd rather buy my own than borrow.I can't remember the last time I borrowed something.I've got so many tools I spend more time looking than doing. russ

173abn said:

I'm with JD,I'd rather buy my own than borrow.I can't remember the last time I borrowed something.I've got so many tools I spend more time looking than doing. russ

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Russ, I got so many tools I spend more time caring for them and keeping them put away than I do using them....:laughing:

BGC said:

Thanks, everyone for your advice. I asked him to come over for coffee tomorrow. He watches our home for us when we go on vacation and has helped me work on things that is how he knows where the tools are. I will be moving things and asking him for all of them back. I am sure he isn't selling them and think he probably plans on returning them when he takes them.

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Your much smarter and more patient then myself. I would walk right in his living room unplug and take his TV while he was watching it, all the time explaining how I was taking advantage of the new arrangement we have here in the neighborhood.
On the other hand.... does this guy think he is entitled to use your tools when your not around? Are you one to say "hey whatever and when ever you need something I've got it".
You mentioned stealing...my definition of stealing is taking anything without permission. If my neighbor sets foot in my garage without my permission we have a big big problem (unless it's a major emergency or on fire), but I'm not you and your neighbor is not my neighbor.
I think you know what needs to be done, and I think you need to keep the camera your little secret. This way you may find out just what kind of friend you have.
He's the one that brought his credibility into question:wink:

Will you still let this neighbor watch your home for you while you are out of your house? If he steals from you when you are there, what does he do when you are not there?

RobertBrown said:

Your much smarter and more patient then myself. I would walk right in his living room unplug and take his TV while he was watching it, all the time explaining how I was taking advantage of the new arrangement we have here in the neighborhood.
On the other hand.... does this guy think he is entitled to use your tools when your not around? Are you one to say "hey whatever and when ever you need something I've got it".
You mentioned stealing...my definition of stealing is taking anything without permission. If my neighbor sets foot in my garage without my permission we have a big big problem (unless it's a major emergency or on fire), but I'm not you and your neighbor is not my neighbor.
I think you know what needs to be done, and I think you need to keep the camera your little secret. This way you may find out just what kind of friend you have.
He's the one that brought his credibility into question:wink:

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Well stated...VERY WELL STATED. My next door neighbor is a cop, which may be the reason he asks before borrowing anything, he knows how the law views things....:laughing: But for what it's worth if I am not there he has full unlimited permission to borrow anything he wants with three exemptions:

First, the wife, second, the cats, third, my tractor....:laughing:

There is a way to be fairly certain loaned tools are returned by those people that tend to forget what they borrowed and when.

The system is known as a deposit. But for it to work it must be set up correctly. Below are some examples. With this system the borrowed tool will probably be returned within minutes after the job is completed.

screwdriver - $20.00 deposit
junky used cordless drill - $80.00
newer cordless drill - $150.00
extension cord - $80.00

It is awful that your neighbors would do such a thing but I am in a similar boat. We are actually going to install a camera system to find out who is trying to key our cards. Our yard is not fenced in so we think its a few of the neighbor kids but we live in a good area and are still puzzled by the reasons someone would do this.

greengrass said:

We are actually going to install a camera system to find out who is trying to key our cards. Our yard is not fenced in so we think its a few of the neighbor kids but we live in a good area and are still puzzled by the reasons someone would do this.

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A decent camera system with digital recorder is very affordable and can be used for various applications, so consider it a very handy tool that can easily last 10 to 20 years or more... You can get a day, wk or a month worth of recording before it records over the oldest stuff... whatever interval will suit your review time frame... cameras systems that work very well in low light are also cheap, old digital cameras will even to the job, and they are hard to give away.... :smile:KennyV

man i know how hard it is to acuse someone of stelling from you i was in the service station business and i was losing tools and who knows what else only problem it was my farther in law stelling from me i told my wife i was gonna ask him not to come back in the shop and so she went to the house after i told her some of the things he had taken and she brought them back to me he never showed back up for all the years i was there embrased i guess she never did tell me what she said to him and i didn't ask i was just glad she found the tools and didnot think i was acussing her farther of something he wasn't doing.

There is nothing like video ... Ive been to court many times over what I have captured on video... It's very persuasive and imposable to defend against a video clip.. None of my video's were over theft... but it would work exactly the same if that's the route you chose to take...
There is nothing quite like first hand reproducible visual evidence... :smile:KennyV

He's NOT a "good neighbor" or a "friend" if he will borrow without asking. If he can't understand that -- then "don't touch my stuff" !!!!

"I have my tools so that when I need them, I have them ! If anyone needs something, they should ASK before borrowing !!!!!

I'll usually go help and then bring the tools home. Drives me NUTZ when I can't find my tools. I have a set in the basement, garage, & shed. No matter what I'm doing I usually have to make a trip to one of the other places to get tools and then return them when I'm finished.

KennyV said:

There is nothing like video ... Ive been to court many times over what I have captured on video... It's very persuasive and imposable to defend against a video clip.. None of my video's were over theft... but it would work exactly the same if that's the route you chose to take...
There is nothing quite like first hand reproducible visual evidence... :smile:KennyV

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How about you install some kind of explosive dye pack like banks use to identify robbers, the first time somebody borrows your tools and the pack goes off that will be the LAST time it happens....:biggrin:

BKBrown said:

He's NOT a "good neighbor" or a "friend" if he will borrow without asking. If he can't understand that -- then "don't touch my stuff" !!!!

"I have my tools so that when I need them, I have them ! If anyone needs something, they should ASK before borrowing !!!!!

I'll usually go help and then bring the tools home. Drives me NUTZ when I can't find my tools. I have a set in the basement, garage, & shed. No matter what I'm doing I usually have to make a trip to one of the other places to get tools and then return them when I'm finished.

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I'm the same way.
I politely explain to my neighbors that: I don't borrow tools so I don't loan them either... would like some help? Seems perfectly logical to me but I believe one of my neighbors was offended by it...he's the one I keep my eye on.
I have a hard enough time remembering where I decided to keep everything, When you have more than one person in and out of the shop or tool box it gets frustrating.
If the OP had dogs like mine none of this would be a concern.
Thats the best point in the dogs versus cat argument....but that's another thread. "which one are you, dog or cat person?".

RobertBrown said:

I'm the same way.
I politely explain to my neighbors that: I don't borrow tools so I don't loan them either... would like some help? Seems perfectly logical to me but I believe one of my neighbors was offended by it...he's the one I keep my eye on.
I have a hard enough time remembering where I decided to keep everything, When you have more than one person in and out of the shop or tool box it gets frustrating.
If the OP had dogs like mine none of this would be a concern.
Thats the best point in the dogs versus cat argument....but that's another thread. "which one are you, dog or cat person?".

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I'm the one who started that thread...and take a look at the tabby in my avatar, he sleeps in the garage atop the cars, he may look friendly but if you walk into my garage by yourself you will think you were attacked by a rabid raccoon....:laughing::laughing:

Hey RobertBrown,what kind of dog you got on your avatar? russ

Did you ever confront the guy? I'm curious to hear what he said the reason he was taking them was, what excuse he gave. Update us when you can.

BGC said:

Thanks, everyone for your advice. I asked him to come over for coffee tomorrow. He watches our home for us when we go on vacation and has helped me work on things that is how he knows where the tools are. I will be moving things and asking him for all of them back. I am sure he isn't selling them and think he probably plans on returning them when he takes them.

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My first reaction to your situation betrays my large metro area origins. It was along the lines of " YOU may think he's a good friend, but obviously HE doesn't consider you one or he wouldn't do that." but it may well be that he considers you to a good enough friend that he wouldn't mind at all if you borrowed some of his tools without asking-even though you don't borrow his and wouldn't think about doing so without asking him for permission every time.

We moved to a rural county in East Tennessee about 14 years ago and it took some doing for us suspicious types to get used to how informal things can be out here in the sticks, and how some people even today can be so incredibly trusting-something that would be almost beyond belief in a big city setting. But what's equally important to remember is that if you once betray that trust, or cause hard feelings over a misunderstanding to fester, or continually take advantage of people by not at least offerring to reciprocate (even if they don't take you up on it) or are just plain "uppity" or very stand-offish it can be very hard to stay (or become) well thought of and well-integrated within the community of immediate neighbors.

In our situation, we live 20 miles from the nearest small town, in a sparsely populated area, so the majority of the neighbors are from families that have lived here for generations and were naturally well-acquainted with and connected to their neighbors-out of necessity, if not necessarily by blood.

We've met people here, ones with far fewer resources than we have, who have no compunction against inviting complete strangers into their homes for dinner after talking with them for only a few minutes, and who would give you the shirt off their backs along with every cent they had in their pockets-without even having to ask-if they knew or even felt that you needed it.

I've offered time and time again to loan tools and help neighbors with building and vehicle-related repairs, etc., but especially at first it much less frequently went to that extent and more often than not it was me who was asking for advice or their help-to get a stuck tractor out or to help fell a dangerously-positioned tree, or (like you) to watch our house and feed our pets when my wife was in the hospital for weeks and I stayed with her.

In the past several years I've been able (or been allowed to help more often), with things ranging as widely as tillage, welding, car and home repairs, stray animal transport to the shelter, sharing plants and vegetables that we grow, picking up groceries for neighbors when I'm going to town anyway, etc.

I hope that your coffee and talk with the neighbor cleared things up for you, that it was just a miscommunication issue with no evil intent, and that you're still on good terms with the neighbor.

Don't get me wrong - I would still want to be on good terms with the neighbors - I just want to know where my tools are and that they will come back in good shape.

I'd rather help and bring my tools home than loan them out.

Came from a small town - lived 30 years in suburb - now back to a small town --- much prefer small town life ! :thumbsup: :biggrin:

I had a similar problem at a shop I worked at years ago, if you left anything out in plain view it was gone overnight. If you left new parts out or forgot to lock up any tools, they were gone by morning. Management would do nothing. We solved the issue by putting a huge leg hold trap under a cover with shiny Snap On ratchet as bait. The next day the trap was sprung, the ratchet was on the floor, and the cleaning guy didn't show up for work again. The thefts stopped after that.

I'd probably tell your neighbor that you noticed some things missing lately and give him the chance to 'fes up but if he don't, then tell him that the camera caught someone on tape and the police are working on IDing the person and once they do they plan to make an arrest. Sometimes its just fun to watch someone like that squirm a bit.
A real friend or good neighbor wouldn't help himself without permission, ever.
If he'd help himself to your tools, do you trust him around your family?

Wow, people these days have no respect for personal property. Where I grew up it's called stealing and you go to jail for it. Kind of puts you in a bad position because you've got to protect your belongings but also want to be a good neighbor I assume. I sure am glad I have good neighbors. I wouldn't mind loaning my tools to them but if they just helped themselves then I'd let them know in no uncertain terms that they needed to ask before going into my shed and taking things. Tell them the Home Depot rental center is just a few miles away. :laughing:

I also would love to know how this turned out if you confronted him. I would never dream of borrowing anyone else's tools without asking first. My wife and I are just getting staerted with tools and homeownership so I borrow from my father in-law a lot but I ALWAYS ask!

I help neighbors when asked and also offer help on my own inititive. I have a wide variety of tools and equipment to work with, they come home with me when the day is over too. I don't loan tools I use them to make my living.

People taking things without asking has always been a pretty big pet peeve with me. Tools are really easy to get spread out over a few friends to never be seen again too.

If you trust him that much, then you should be bold enough to ask why he does that. In fact, save the tape for a measure of last resort. Two, if he is responsible enough, then he should get his own tools. If nothing works, pull off slowly.