Topic: Stolen Manure

[starting out]

Maybe their neighbour is trying to stir up trouble seeing as she doesnt like them. Yes they were wrong for taking the manure but it may have just been a simple mistake and they may be extremely embarrassed and dont know what to say. Maybe they dont have much money and are worried about having to pay for it to be replaced. I dont know. Maybe they are just smug thieves. I do think the OP needs to speak to them herself though to get the facts. Maybe someone else removed the note so they havnt seen it. It just seems to me that people are quick to suggest vandalism, two wrongs dont make a right. Maybe we should give them the benefit of the doubt and actually speak to them to resolve this issue.

[Al37]

To a certain extent I agree with the above post.
The only way to resolve this is by talking to them :-\
If they are indeed smug thieves then this will become apparent instantly.
And if that is the case its time for round up.

[Kea]

the fact that the communal heap is adjascent to your plot, and that you hadn't moved it, but just covered it up with a bit of carpet makes the situation a tricky one. are your plot boundaries well marked? can you post a photo of the general area, and of the site where the manure was?

Sorry missed this before.

The communal heap has long gone........end of October last year and was a one off we don't usually get deliveries of manure and these people are new.

Yes I'd love to talk to them but I haven't managed to be there at the same time as them. I don't have time at weekends usually for the allotment and even when I was up at the weekend they weren't there. I'm not close enough to keep popping in to check. I will try another note though I think it unlikely someone moved the note as I tied it to the gate so it could only be seen from inside their plot, and protected in a plastic bags.
If they are so embarrassed about taking my manure they could have left me a note with an apology at the very least...they were told  which plot the manure belonged to.

As to them being poor......I have a wilkinson's wire mesh fence they have put up a very fancy, heavy duty plastic coated chain link fencing brand new stuff.....they look like the richest people on site!

This stuff http://www.meshdirect.co.uk/Green-Chain-Link-Fence-1200-mm-High-4-feet-c-95.html and it's 4ft high!

[raisedbedted]

If this happened to me....

I would be livid, I would be breathing fire 24 hours a day. But.....

So far it has cost you a pile of good manure, you have made every reasonable effort to address the situation but the people are below that.  Don't let this cost you any more ( ie the annoyance and anger and bad feelings about going to the plot).

The people will get their cumuppance I am sure - but let someone else dish it out and get on with the important stuff like pricking out and trying to find another bit of space in the greenhouse  :)

Hope I'm not sounding sanctimonius.

[ceres]

I wouldn't be as charitable as RBT because I wouldn't have another £50 to fork out.  It's theft.  If you've left your phone number and given them a chance to explain / apologise / put it right and they haven't then I'd do 3 things.

Leave another note telling them that you are doing the following:

Make a written report to whoever runs your site, explaining what has happened and letting them know you will be reporting the matter to the Police.

Report the matter to the Police.

[rotovator kid]

This really goes back to basics. If you steel of another plot you break any tenency agreement and should be evicted with no recourse for re applying.

See the allotment act 1908 and Local Goernment act 1972.

Report them to either your management committee or the Local Council, whoever runs the allotments

[starting out]

I dont think its fair to make assumptions on how much money they have. I have a fabulous fence around my allotment. Its all proper fencing, 3-4 foot high and very well made because I did it myself  ;D

The best thing is it didnt cost me anything more than the cost of the nails because I recycled it. I knew a fence near us was going to be bulldozed down and dumped so I got in first and asked for it. The other plot holders thought we had spent a fortune, especially as one of them got a quote for £2000 for a fence but in all honesty it cost us less than a fiver.

If the OP regards this as theft which of course it is as there hasnt been any other explanation as yet why hasnt it been reported to the police???? It would have been my second action after trying to speak to the new plot holders and posting on here about it would have come later when I had the full facts.

[littlebabybird]

starting out, just my oppinion but...

If the OP regards this as theft which of course it is as there hasnt been any other explanation as yet why hasnt it been reported to the police???? It would have been my second action after trying to speak to the new plot holders and posting on here about it would have come later when I had the full facts.

posting on here would have been the 2nd thing i did after looking to see where it was if any one knew what had happened
i would have posted here to see what my friends thought, to check i wasnt over reacting.
lbb

[shirlton]

I agree with LBB. Thats what this site is all about. When things go pear shaped we try to help each other out and give advice if we can. However I do agree that you should notify the police about the theft.We do that on our site everytime something goes astray.

[starting out]

I agree I would have posted on here too but I would have called the police immediately. I am not making excuses for the new plot holders but I do think everyone is quick to assume the worst in people and dont want to think it may be a mistake that has gone on far to long and made far too big by people screaming theft and poison their stuff.

[raisedbedted]

I wouldn't be as charitable as RBT because I wouldn't have another £50 to fork out.  It's theft.  If you've left your phone number and given them a chance to explain / apologise / put it right and they haven't then I'd do 3 things.

Leave another note telling them that you are doing the following:

Make a written report to whoever runs your site, explaining what has happened and letting them know you will be reporting the matter to the Police.

Report the matter to the Police.

Actually nothing charitable about what I said - its more in terms of damage limitation - I might have lost £50 but I wouldnt want to lose the enjoyment of my allotment.

[Kea]

Well I was giving them a chance. And yes I needed a few opinions before I jumped in and over-reacted.

I just feel a bit silly reporting a pile of manure stolen even though after the incinerator was stolen a couple of months ago they did ask me to report any other theft from the allotments not matter how silly I thought it might be.

I will leave them another note shortly. However my OH is concerned that they might retaliate and put weedkiller in my water butt or steal more stuff e.g. my fruit and other crops.
They don't have water butts and don't need them as they can nearly reach a water trough by leaning over their fence.

£50 is a fortune to me especially as today I have just paid £20 to replace the stolen incinerator plus more for a metal stake, chain and padlock to secure it with!...so in fact nearly £30 for that.

 

[Unwashed]

It's a rotten situation because you just don't expect other allotmenteers to behave like that.  If you're worried about retaliation it might work out better to leave the police out of it and jump up and down at the council to enforce their rules.  If there's anything in the rules about stealing or nuisance then the council should be demanding £50 compensation from the theiving scroats (which the council hand over to you) or else they're evicted.  It's then an issue between the scroats and the council.

That, and what raisedbedted said.

[grannyjanny]

I think it hurts when something like this happens because allotmenteerers (is there such a word) are on the whole kind, friendly generous  people & would much rather give. I was upset when some onions I had been given vanished. OH said it has really got to you hasn't it, but then I put a message on here that I needed some tumbler tomato seeds & the response was immediate. They were here 3 days later. I also think Kea has a lot on her plate ATM & this is not going to help matters.
Janet

[loopyloulou]

ive had the same happen on mine too, and some of the kids tools! have made plenty of loud comments about unkind ppl stealing things, problem is the pile and shed r near the rd and parking spaces so its just 2 easy i guess? funny thing is the buggers who stole the muck left theyre spade behind so i hid it :) ha ha bluddy ha! lots of other ppl have had things taken too, things that only fellow allotmenteers wouldve wanted, and re muck, if uve the patience u could always dig coloured beads into it, before u leave it to rot, would take them ages 2 fish out if they were so inclined, more time than itd take 2 fork in, and yeah theyd be in ur beds but so are stones and these would be pretty :)
most recently a shed and greenhouse have been taken off the site :( theres some nasty ppl around thats for sure :( brazen ones too :((

[velorex]

This attitude of what is yours is mine and what is mine is mine seems quite prevalent nowadays.  We have many new plot holders as half the site has now been re-released for letting after years of the council holding it back for future building land.

We have newbies parking on our existing holders' plots, burning smoky, stinky fires, dogs fouling, theft of produce, music blaring etc...  Our committee is weak (but then would you confront these people) and it has taken them years to be convinced that they should get plotholders off the site if they don't cultivate theirs.  They have actioned this with a letter to the plot holders. 

But I won't go on the committee so have to suffer like the rest of us.

I thought that there was a general rule in life that you don't go on someones land without permission, don't steal, you are polite to your neighbours and be charitable to those less fortunate... my wife says that I live in cloud cuckoo land...

[thifasmom]

I thought that there was a general rule in life that you don't go on someones land without permission, don't steal, you are polite to your neighbours and be charitable to those less fortunate... my wife says that I live in cloud cuckoo land...

cloud cuckoo land sounds likes a lovely place to be, may i join you? :)

[saddad]

I'll move too...  :)

[flowerofshona2007]

Its a sad fact that in any group in society there will always be thieves :(
How about making a sign and sticking it in the ground where your muck was saying " thank you for stealing the manure that was here and not having the good grace to replace it !  May your all your plants die and your soil be barren ! "

[Old bird]

I have been holding back from commenting as I do understand what a difficult problem you have Kea.

A lot of people are assuming that your new neighbours removed the manure with the intention of stealing it - maybe - as was first thought they thought that is was a communal heap - but until you speak directly to them I wouldn't presume anything.   They may be perfectly nice people that have made a mistake and are completely embarrassed by the whole situation - I would be had I made a mistake like that!

Throughout my life I have met people from all walks of life and I try never to prejudge them on appearance, what other people say about them, or where they live or whatever.  I have met some wonderful people among alcaholics, thieves lords and ladies.  I have also met some totally ghastly people.  But always give people a chance.

Velorex complains about newbies on his plot - but I bet he/she hasn't been up to them - said hello and chatted to them.  You "won't go on the committee so have to suffer"  People need to be pro-active in their lives - not just suffer because they aren't prepared to do anything about it.  I live in cuckoo land and have not had many nasty surprises!!  Treat people kindly, friendly - whoever they are and - generally - you may be pleasantly surprised at the effect your kindness has on them.

That terrible cliche about a stranger being a friend you haven't yet me can be fairly true but you can't expect them all to come to your door smiling and sunny.

Kea I hope you get your problem sorted - I do understand that it is a lot of money to you (it would be to me too) but speak to the neighbours before judging them.

Old Bird