Scumbag neighbor stealing firewood...
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Can I jump into this thread and get a reality check on something similar. I've got a large lot, 12 acres, it's bordered by two different roads. Next to the road at the back of my lot there was a really large beech, over 100 years old I would think, diameter over 4 feet. It came down in a storm and blocked the road. Since the road was a dead end road with only one house at the end of it they called the fire department and they came out and cut and cleared enough so that they could get out.....to be honest I'm not even sure if the road is a state road, it may be private. Anyway, another different neighboor that lives on that street but wasn't blocked in by the fall cut the whole thing up and hauled it off as firewood. Since this happened at the back end of my lot I never knew about any of this and it was all over and done with before I even knew. The neighbor who took the wood knew the lot belonged to me and we know each other by sight but just enough to wave at each other. I approached him and asked why he didn't tell me what had happened and asked for my help......he goes into this long rambling explnation of how the centerline of the street before it was paved was different and anything within 25 feet of the centerline was state proprty......yada yada yada. At the moment it didn't bother me much but the more I think about it the more it pisses me off.......am I being overly sensitive?
For sure the neighbor should have contacted you about the wood. Legally it was your wood before it fell, but then it ended up blocking a public road (maybe a public road, maybe private) and had to be cut up to allow access through the road. Perhaps the neighbor has a case that he was clearing a public road necessary for travel, blah, blah, blah. My point is that legally, who knows if it was strictly legal or not, but in terms of honest, neighborly behavior, the neighbor should definitely have asked you for the wood. I don't think you're being too sensitive.
Every year when I see one of these threads I think about drilling a large hole in a big oak split and inserting a Chimfex. Nice fire going and kapoof the Chimfex goes off and fills the firebox with powder and puts out the fire. :coolsmirk:
JSTELLFOX -Are you currently on decent terms with said 'scumbag'. If yes, them I would suggest ,first , taking the high road. Speak to him, non-chalantly, making small talk. Then add, "by-the-way,I heard you had a little run-in with Bob. What happened?" Let him explain himself (all BS,of course). Then at the end of the explanation, it gives you the perfect segway to say - " Listen, you cant blame Steve for being pissed. You took his wood without asking. Thats not right. If it had been ME catching someone stealing my wood, I wouldnt have asked questions, I wouldve let my friend Mossberg done the talking." This way, youre letting him know,in no uncertain terms, that if he touches your stacks- he's going to pay the price.And, you were polite enough to not get in a fight with him directly. Diplomacy is ALWAYS the best FIRST choice. After that, all bets are off. Good luck.....and stay out of jail.
Well, he hasn't yet got to you by the sounds of it. If he does, then both you and the neighbor have to do something. The first thing that comes to my mind is that this fellow is in dire need of an attitude adjustment. It costs so little and sometimes accomplishes so much....
BrotherBart said:
Now THATs a solution I could get behind. PERFECT!! :lol:
spur0701 said:
Your neighbor should have called you. That being said..what if the fire department sent the bill to you for cutting the tree up?? Would that be fair? I am not trying to be a smarty pants but I personally have had a tree (big sucker) fall and block a public road. I was just glad that somebody got to it quick and opened it back up without me paying the bill for it. A little give and take makes things easier.
As a reminder - remember, I DID say that your neighbor should have called you.
All I can say is that I really, really like my neighbors . . . all very trustworthy . . . heck we're always helping each other out.
Oh yeah, I also suggest using some diplomacy before going all Jet Li or Al Queda on the guy.
Oh yeah, I also suggest using some diplomacy before going all Jet Li or Al Queda on the guy.
wood-fan-atic said:
So threatening to shoot someone is diplomatic in your neighborhood. You live in a tough area. lol . Maybe stop over after going hunting and uload the riffle while chating with the guy. Drop a round on the ground and ask the neighbor if he could pick that up for you. Then say "thats the only property of mine I ever want you to pick up."
Man - I know that we all hold our firewood dear to our hearts but you guys are getting rough. How about a sign on the pile o wood that states "Don't steal my wood and I won't be a pain in your ass"? Pretty much that simple. No direct threat - no confrontation, done.
Then if the little bastage steals something - he's gonna get a dull chain vasectomy. :ahhh:
Then if the little bastage steals something - he's gonna get a dull chain vasectomy. :ahhh:
Danno77 said:
It would be hilarious if you made the mistake of burning the wood as well with the chemical in it- everyone would think your friends with the guy because your smoke is the same color hahaha
Ask him about the 'first theft'. After he 'splains himself, tell him you know what he means. "for example", you go on to say, "a few years back I was over in {insert nearby city name here} on business and I ran into this lady . . .anyway, one thing led to another, and, well, lets just say, she was VERY good! She even said she always was a moaner with her husband, but I taught her she was actually a Screamer!" Now after some yuckin it up and all, right before you get ready to go back home, you say . . .
"Hey, by the way, I ran in to your wife a couple of weeks ago, and I told her I could see right into your bathroom. But she never did change the curtains there, so, . . .well, who knows. Anyway, nice talkin with ya neighbor"
"Hey, by the way, I ran in to your wife a couple of weeks ago, and I told her I could see right into your bathroom. But she never did change the curtains there, so, . . .well, who knows. Anyway, nice talkin with ya neighbor"
Most people are not as looney as we are about firewood. My guess, he probably hasnt even considered it to be an issue. I know if one of my neighbors took some firewood out of my stacks and I got upset about it in our house the rest of my family would make fun of me (my obsession with firewood makes me an easy target). Point being, most people dont understand the value of our wood stacks. I actually had a some what similar issue with my son... he had a few friends over and decided to have a fire in the outside pit.... he didnt use the wood I had set aside for the firepit instead pulling from a good hardwood stack (that wasnt even seasoned well yet LOL). When I brought this up you should have heard the family laughing at me.... all in good fun of course and I did make sure they got the point and understood which pile to use. Mostly now, they are afraid to touch the wood stacks and leave it to me.
thanks for saving me the trouble of making a similar post. Let's be clear, though, this doesn't excuse wood thieves, it just helps make it a little clearer where they might be coming from. A nice little sign on the woodstacks saying "This is how I heat my house. Don't take my firewood and I won't steal your heating fuel"Got Wood said:
Danno77 said:
Bingo. Most people assign little value to firewood... after all it was free when you went out to the wood lot and got it right?
Never mind the $10K truck, $2k in saws, $1.5k splitter and the back breaking labor and risk to life and limb to get it into burnable form. I tried explaining this to my a**hat neighbor and he just looked at me like I was nuts...
and yet . . .when he thinks you might steal his wife, he gets all upset?? What for?
Stealing is stealing.
A friend asks for wood, I'd give it and find out what his trouble is. If he needs help lugging or splitting or cutting, I'd then offer to help, knowing he'd return the favor when things switched.
A neighbor asks, I'd find out why he doesn't have any before I gave him wood. If it's because he's been too lazy to get wood, I give him enough for the night and tell him that's all I can spare. If he's simply found himself in an unfortunate circumstance, I help him out with his immediate need and help him formulate a plan. But I still make it clear his wife's gonna have to at least bake me a cake or sumpin. Ass, grass or gas, no one rides for free.
And I think there is a BIG difference between your son using wood from the wrong pile (both piles being owned by his Pop) and a neighbor taking wood from you when you are not looking because he knows you'd tell him to put it back.
Stealing is stealing.
A friend asks for wood, I'd give it and find out what his trouble is. If he needs help lugging or splitting or cutting, I'd then offer to help, knowing he'd return the favor when things switched.
A neighbor asks, I'd find out why he doesn't have any before I gave him wood. If it's because he's been too lazy to get wood, I give him enough for the night and tell him that's all I can spare. If he's simply found himself in an unfortunate circumstance, I help him out with his immediate need and help him formulate a plan. But I still make it clear his wife's gonna have to at least bake me a cake or sumpin. Ass, grass or gas, no one rides for free.
And I think there is a BIG difference between your son using wood from the wrong pile (both piles being owned by his Pop) and a neighbor taking wood from you when you are not looking because he knows you'd tell him to put it back.
i still chuckle when i get on the board and see this 
Scumbag neighbor stealing firewood…
not laughing at the Scumbag stealing off ya, just the heading :cheese:
loon
Scumbag neighbor stealing firewood…
not laughing at the Scumbag stealing off ya, just the heading :cheese:
loon
Last eye new taking without asking or informing of the taking at a later date, ie- NEXT DAY,,,,, IS stealing.
That azzmunch needs a talkin' to!
That azzmunch needs a talkin' to!
Maybe you could turn this into a opportunity and approach him saying " Hey I could use some help cutting wood, maybe you could help me out and I can give you some wood".
He may not be that bad of guy, just needs some direction in life.
Gary
He may not be that bad of guy, just needs some direction in life.
Gary
I'm with Jags and Danno. Put a "NO TRESSPASSING" sign on your woodpile that they can see from far away, and from up close, something worded in a way that they KNOW you know... where only someone stealing your wood would see it... about how you heat your house and how taking it is STEALING. If someone's that ballsy to keep taking it after that, catch it on camera.
Agreed. Talk with him about it. We're lucky to have awesome neighbours on one side and very quiet neighbours on the other.
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