View Full Version : Accused of stealing a canoe
I keep an old aluminum Grumman canoe chained to a tree at a pond we own property on. Went for a paddle today, and a woman who lives nearby accused me of having stolen it from her. Apparently she also kept an aluminum Grumman on the same pond, and it disappeared about the time mine showed up. I told her that I had done many dreadful things during my life, but that so far stealing a canoe wasn't one of them. She was unconvinced. Things like this are making me more and more anti-social.
cheapeats
27-04-2010, 02:12
Ther probably isn't a Pond inNewEngland that doesn't have an aluminum grumman canoe on it.
forestwalker
27-04-2010, 04:40
Ask her what serial number (Grumans do have them, right?) hers had.
Ask her what serial number (Grumans do have them, right?) hers had.
good idea!
I've seen 'Southern Comfort'... This isn't going to end well!
I've not seen 'Southern Comfort' but I still agree :D
Have you got any proof of purchase, or pictures of the boat with you from before you were there or anything like that?
I hear what you're saying, I wonder if she's thinking the same thing about people :D good luck in sorting it all out
Ogri the trog
27-04-2010, 09:34
Can you make a pre-emptive strike by lodging a statement at your local law enforcement office? Kind of saying that you have owned the item for a number of years and you feel that this other oerson is trying to make trouble by accusing you of having taken hers.
ATB
Ogri the trog
I think Ogri has the best idea for convering your back. This does remind me of a couple of similar incidences I've had where I've later found out at the pub or from neighbours that the person is known for being a bit loopy. With one the week before it had been someone else's garden furniture she claimed etc. Another was a bit different and was an alcoholic. But with any luck you might find a similar thing if you go tell the police station.
I don't think anything will come of this, and if it does it won't be me that escalates it. I don't have any proof of purchase, its just a used canoe that I bought at a yard sale a few years ago specifically to keep chained to a tree out there. The situation is just a disappointment because I work hard to keep on good terms with neighbors. The accusation caught me off-guard and it might be a while before canoeing out there brings me pleasure again.
marcusleftthesite
27-04-2010, 10:27
Dude on your blog entry dated Oct 2008 there is a picture of a Gruman canoe,could you use this as proof that you had yours before hers dissapeared ?
Aaaah neighbours arent they just wonderful !!
Marcus, you should be a detective ;)
I don't think she'll go to the police, or that they'll take her seriously if she does. I'll worry about it if it happens. Several friends have been in that canoe, and could verify that I've had it a long time. In our legal system, the burden of proof is on her, not me, and she has no evidence, only a suspicion.
It just bothers me is that this memory will detract from the tranquil pleasure that pond has brought me in the past.
Aww. If she is the one in the wrong (false accusation etc) then let her be the one to feel bitter and twisted about it and you carry on as you were. Its really her deal, not yours.
neiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighbours - EVERYBODY NEEDS GOOD NEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHBOURS
Just a friendly wave each morning, help you ahve a better daaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
NEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHBOURS - should be there for one another!
That's when good NEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHBOURS become gooooooooooooood frieeeennnnnndddssss.
Paganwolf
27-04-2010, 12:22
Tell her to F.R.O the old bat, if you didnt nick it dont worry innocent untill proven guilty eh, id have said "Yeah what ever, its mine i bought it now go forth and multiply" if i hadnt nicked it, and not give it a second thought...
How much is the canoe worth against the enjoyment of the pond? Maybe there's a way round this and keep the peace. Who knows, an offer to share could bring dividends, or maybe she needs a hand around the place. She could be a friend in disguise - an ally. Life's just too bloody short to harbour bad feelings - but then it ain't my canoe. Anyway - it's just my thoughts. Good luck.
... Who knows - maybe an offer to share could bring dividends...
Already tried that. Phoned her up and told her she was welcome to use it any time. She hung up on me.
I have the same attitude that you do about this.
I have to agree with JP here. Why on earth would you bother to take the time and effort to defend yourself of something you didn't do? She accuse you from stealing, let her proof it's her canoe. Even in the US the burden of proof is with those who make a claim, isn't it?
Hope you had a nice day out nonetheless :)
because it's always nice to get on with people and be comfortable where you want to be and go...... :canoe: :grouphug: he he, rather than :neo2: :BlueTeamE
It just bothers me is that this memory will detract from the tranquil pleasure that pond has brought me in the past.
I agree with others who say that there's no point beating yourself up about it. Again as others have said I've known people who have had a habit of making accusations, one of them being my wife's grandmother who when her health started to go downhill would often say that something or other had been stolen from her even though we knew it not to be the case. Apparently it's a very common thing. Just before the end of her life she didn't even recognize her own children.
This might be a cause for concern about the lady's health, and perhaps a few roundabout enquiries locally might answer the question and possibly help her out -- even if she doesn't want the help, which I think will most likely be the case even from her closest friends and family.
Minotaur
27-04-2010, 19:49
neiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighbours - EVERYBODY NEEDS GOOD NEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHBOURS
Just a friendly wave each morning, help you ahve a better daaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
NEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHBOURS - should be there for one another!
That's when good NEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHBOURS become gooooooooooooood frieeeennnnnndddssss.
Wrong, just wrong!
:lmao:
I would be tempted to have a chat to a local cop. You could even go at it from this woman accused me of nicking her canoe, is canoe thieft a problem round here, and what can I do to avoid having mine nicked.
...Phoned her up and told her she was welcome to use it any time. She hung up on me...
Best leave her to it then. You've done what you could.
Take a leaf from King Solomon's book and offer her half the canoe.
helixpteron
27-04-2010, 21:49
Oblio13,
The misguided, baseless accusations of your neighbour do not reflect on you, its actually not about you as you have no connection to the loss of her boat.
Please don't let this detract from your enjoyment as you have done more than could reasonably have been asked of you, only to have your kind offer rejected.
Given the attitude of the neighbour, her boat probably escaped to freedom and was not in fact stolen...
red dreads
27-04-2010, 22:04
:pirate:Or run up the jolly rodger, 'n give her a broadside, that'll rock her back on her heels:You_Rock_
badgeringtim
29-04-2010, 11:29
Oblio,
I definately sympathise and would have very much the same feeling myself - im not a big fan of conflict and this sort of thing would detract from the area for me as it'd keep popping into my mind. Its not to do with what shes going to do - clearly nothing but its not pleasent to be involved insomething that causes someone else unhapiness.
Hmm sound a bit like a hippy there and im not but every time things like that hapen i do think im not really a big fan of people lol, anyone would think i was antisocial.....
:-)
their are always feeling stealer's they will make false accusations just to p..s you off and stop you enjoying what you are legally allowed to do.
i hired a church hall for many years to teach martial arts 10 years plus attached to this was a field also belonging to the church hall which we used during guest instructors seminars and to teach long weapons,
we had been doing this for years with agreement from the vicar when.....
some small minded church busybody after getting no where with the vicar reported to the police that there were armed men fighting on this field.
a visit from the plod then happened the coppers had helicopters up in the air ect and a car was sent round when it was explained the whys and wayfors the police were happy on production of licenses, insurance and after a nice chat to the vicar to leave us alone to carry on.
unfortunately it did not stop there and every time we used the field she did the same thing as it turned out she was wanting to buy the hall and field to develop but whilst we were hiring the hall and field the church was gaining an income from it which meant she would have to pay more for the land
eventually she had got to the scout troop and they left. as they used the field also and we were told that we would be unable hire the hall and grounds from the following week about 3 weeks after the scouts left.
timboggle
29-04-2010, 18:50
because it's always nice to get on with people and be comfortable where you want to be and go...... :canoe: :grouphug: he he, rather than :neo2: :BlueTeamE
I totally agree, it's not good to burn bridges, you never know if you may ever need this persons help when out on a venture.
:)
their are always feeling stealer's they will make false accusations just to p..s you off and stop you enjoying what you are legally allowed to do.
i hired a church hall for many years to teach martial arts 10 years plus attached to this was a field also belonging to the church hall which we used during guest instructors seminars and to teach long weapons,
we had been doing this for years with agreement from the vicar when.....
some small minded church busybody after getting no where with the vicar reported to the police that there were armed men fighting on this field.
a visit from the plod then happened the coppers had helicopters up in the air ect and a car was sent round when it was explained the whys and wayfors the police were happy on production of licenses, insurance and after a nice chat to the vicar to leave us alone to carry on.
unfortunately it did not stop there and every time we used the field she did the same thing as it turned out she was wanting to buy the hall and field to develop but whilst we were hiring the hall and field the church was gaining an income from it which meant she would have to pay more for the land
eventually she had got to the scout troop and they left. as they used the field also and we were told that we would be unable hire the hall and grounds from the following week about 3 weeks after the scouts left.
she should have been fined for wasting police time after the third call out or so
their are always feeling stealer's they will make false accusations just to p..s you off and stop you enjoying what you are legally allowed to do.
i hired a church hall for many years to teach martial arts 10 years plus attached to this was a field also belonging to the church hall which we used during guest instructors seminars and to teach long weapons,
we had been doing this for years with agreement from the vicar when.....
some small minded church busybody after getting no where with the vicar reported to the police that there were armed men fighting on this field.
a visit from the plod then happened the coppers had helicopters up in the air ect and a car was sent round when it was explained the whys and wayfors the police were happy on production of licenses, insurance and after a nice chat to the vicar to leave us alone to carry on.
unfortunately it did not stop there and every time we used the field she did the same thing as it turned out she was wanting to buy the hall and field to develop but whilst we were hiring the hall and field the church was gaining an income from it which meant she would have to pay more for the land
eventually she had got to the scout troop and they left. as they used the field also and we were told that we would be unable hire the hall and grounds from the following week about 3 weeks after the scouts left.
Little England.
You are lucky that the Nazis were stopped from invasion.
Lots of kleiner Englanders would have flocked to the Nazis and informed on their neighbours.
My sister in law is a country vicar. Lots of stories always going on about people in the village and about the vicar too!
ScotchDave
30-04-2010, 10:52
If you're really hell bent upon resolving the conflict find someone this lady respects, present this to them, including evidence that you've had the canoe since before she lost hers, and ask them to arrange a meeting with her, if she's not away with the fairies, she'll hopefully agree to the meeting, even if its just to keep friendly with her friend.
Just show her the Ray Mears signature on the canoes bottom. :)
I agree with you about not wanting to escalate the situation but you must also be defensive. She may be building a case and simply preparing the groundwork. If you do register in some way that the accusation has been made (it is technically an assault if an accusation of illegal conduct is made - in england anyway) then you would do well to ensure that if push comes to shove you have a record of your dissatisfaction lodged with a reputable authority which will back up your case. You have the choice whether or when to fall back on it if its there - if it isnt then you cant. On occasion its been known that the other party, knowing that a conversation etc. has not gone unreported, has backed out of a situation which they would have otherwise have continued in the belief that all references are hearsay and would have no formal defensive value.
Like i say good intent is laudable, but it only works when both sides have that good intent - when they dont it becomes a legal case, and remember that you will have to pay for representation to fight the case - which, if your defence is unsupported, the lawyers will drag out till you give up on costs alone.
I recently won a case where a woman t-boned me. The case was clearly in my favour and all that i asked was the excess (£300) and the record that it was not my fault. The other side three times caused the magistrate hearing to be cancelled by not summonsing the witnesses. each time it made me take a day out of work and retain a barrister & solicitor. When the case was heard it was found in my favour and i got my £300 but the costs were huge (she paid). The point is that it was a ploy to make me give up, in which case i would have had to pay my own legal bill.
So do yourself a favour and ensure that there is a record of the exchange with an acceptable and admissable source - just so its there if you need it.
I'd be all over that pond in said canoe!