What would you do - one for the lawyers

[Lignin]

Calm,
If you value the stuff, either monetarily or sentimentally, go for broke to get it back.Solicitors, mates with lumps of 4X2, etc, whatever it takes, but remember that even if you win a case in court and get costs, you'll be SIGNIFICANTLY out of pocket.
I'd be less than impressed if it had happened to me, and, being fairly vitriolic, would probably confront the thieving bastard, and end up in clink myself, but the sense of satisfaction would be a fair compensation.
Good luck,

[ColW]

Well if he approached me he had to prove it was his - now i have to prove it's not. So who has the impossible task now??

Ok so assuming he owns it because it's impossible to prove he
doesn't, it was still on your land so perhaps you should send
him an invoice for 30 years rent, or at least as long as you've owned
the land, charged at the current market value per square metre,
if he doesn't pay it then take it to VCAT, he can't claim there was never
any agreement reached because he didn't notify you that it was his
property to begin with.

[bluegum30]

Calm, if you have the rego number of this person go to the transport department and you can find out who this rego belongs to. Lloyd.

[dj_pnevans]

ColW has hit the nail on the head I have done this before and it cost the guy about $1000 all up for abot 6months of storage. It only started out to be $600 but with all the court cost and file fees it adds up and all I had to do was fill out a form and the courts did the rest.
All the best.
David

[corbs]

Have watched this for a while and I think Col's solution is almost poetic... if he maintains the gear is his then he pays storage, if he says the gear isn't his after all then he stole it.

Sure there might be issues with getting the $$$ but the principle is fantastic.

[Ashore]

karma, is a wonderful thing, thing about karma is though it works both ways

[echnidna]

Might be worth making sure the shed still has a clearly seen notice posted in the format of the disposal of uncollected goods act before you start.

Apparently the going rate for storage of a car is $13 per day, worth checking out with the VACC and going from there.

$13 per day for 30 years might equal another house (his)

[artme]

Was it Sir Thomas Moore who said " The law sir, is an ass!"?

[bsrlee]

Eeee-Aww

There are a number of problems in situations like this.

1) From a Police perspective, you have no 'real' evidence of exactly what has been stolen. Your friend saw the P. leave the property with a truck load of 'stuff', but no-one has any photos or similar means of identifying what was taken.

If anything still on the property has any value, I strongly suggest taking lots of photo's of it, record any identifying marks/serial numbers etc. and lock up any sheds or outbuildings.

2) It sounds like the 'relative' is a nasty scheming scumbag, which is probably why he was left out of the will in the first place, and will steal what ever he can & wreck anything he does not want if thwarted. At the moment you have a sort-of standoff - he knows that someone watches the place and the Police have been advised he is taking stuff. The less you have to do with him the better.

Pipe dream stuff:

It would be a 'real pity' if someone let it slip near some of the even less honest members of the community that the P. had taken a load of 'valuable antiques - cleaned the place out' and 'probably has it hidden all round his place' - indeed I wouldn't be surprised if someone broke in & trashed his property while you were miles away.

It would be even worse if someone though that there was gear that could be used for drug processing, since we all know that the Bikie Gangs are all out of business.

[Calm]

Eeee-Aww

There are a number of problems in situations like this.

1) From a Police perspective, you have no 'real' evidence of exactly what has been stolen. Your friend saw the P. leave the property with a truck load of 'stuff', but no-one has any photos or similar means of identifying what was taken.

When the cops went around to his house he took them and showed them exactly what he had taken. - there is no dispute about what it was or the fact he has it.

If anything still on the property has any value, I strongly suggest taking lots of photo's of it, record any identifying marks/serial numbers etc. and lock up any sheds or outbuildings.

2) It sounds like the 'relative' is a nasty scheming scumbag, which is probably why he was left out of the will in the first place, and will steal what ever he can & wreck anything he does not want if thwarted. At the moment you have a sort-of standoff - he knows that someone watches the place and the Police have been advised he is taking stuff. The less you have to do with him the better.

He claims he is a 2nd cousin i am not sure that is the case either.

Pipe dream stuff:

It would be a 'real pity' if someone let it slip near some of the even less honest members of the community that the P. had taken a load of 'valuable antiques - cleaned the place out' and 'probably has it hidden all round his place' - indeed I wouldn't be surprised if someone broke in & trashed his property while you were miles away.

It would be even worse if someone though that there was gear that could be used for drug processing, since we all know that the Bikie Gangs are all out of business.

Thanks for your thoughts. - i think in another 6 weeks (when the will challenge period finishes) i will sell everything that is not bolted down - that should stuff the theives up for a while.

Cheers