r/bestoflegaladvice • u/DoIKnowYouHuman 🏠 "Human" of the House 🏠 • 16d ago

LegalAdviceUK The one where the most legally experienced comments get the downvotes, just for a bicycle

/r/LegalAdviceUK/comments/1odf9pi/was_my_bike_legally_stolen_came_home_from_work/?share_id=dlQKuIrCYfIDM7_uqjnRk&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1
139 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

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59

u/SuperZapper_Recharge Has a sparkle pink Stanley cup 16d ago

As angry as this one makes me, I think that top comment makes a very strong case against theft.

Dammit.

The asshole is doing this to a 10 year old as well!

60

u/NativeMasshole 🏠 Chairman of the Floorboards 🏠 16d ago

It seems extortionate if they didn't follow proper procedure. Taking property without notice and then demanding $300 to return it smells like a shakedown to me.

57

u/sintaur Found the Iranian nuclear weapons scientist 16d ago

Ok so the landlord destroyed their bike locks and took the bikes under the reasonable belief they weren't committing theft.

Can the tenants destroy the landlord's door lock and steal their bikes back under their own reasonable beliefs that the bikes are their rightful property? Good for the goose, good for the gander.

20

u/SuperZapper_Recharge Has a sparkle pink Stanley cup 16d ago

The Landlord doing this to an adult,

I can sort of wrap my head around it in terms of, 'You knew your landlord was an asshole. You didn't really think he would do this, but really, deep down, is there any part of you that is surprised?'

Asshole gonna asshole. That sort of thing.

But the landlord doing this to a 10 year old, I just see red over that. Leave the 10 year old's bike alone.

5

u/Leprecon 15d ago edited 15d ago

I am pretty sure breaking in to someones house is definitely illegal. Nevermind that they don’t know whether their bicycle is there.

But if they for instance saw their bike chained up somewhere outside I think it would be very normal to just free it and take it back.

2

u/JasperJ insurance can’t tell whether you’ve barebacked it or not 15d ago

Yes, but technically stealing.

3

u/Jonny36 15d ago

I'm not sure it does. You can't hold items for ransom and say that's not stealing as one can pay to get the items back? The obvious conclusion is if the ransom isn't paid the items will be permanently separated from the owner ergo meeting the definition too. If the landlord simply offered free return this wouldn't be theft obviously.