A True Story (and a DvK analogy)

When I moved into my current home, I was unable to arrange transportation to move all my belongings. I made arrangements with the owner of the house I was renting, to store some items in the basement until I could arrange to move them.

When I returned several weeks later, some of the more valuable items were taken. I was livid. I had thought I had done everything correct. Granted, the storage arrangement was gratis, but I was convinced I had some recourse in the matter. I even called the police to file a stolen property report.

The most likely suspects were the people that moved into the property after me. Of course they claimed they knew nothing about my property and refused to allow me access into their living area to search for my belonging. They were still mine, I thought. I even called the police to file a stolen property report. They weren't very sympathetic. Unless I had a written agreement showing I still had rights and access to the home, there was nothing they could, or would, do. Anything left in the home, technically, belonged to the home owner.

The current renters allowed me access to the basement to collect what remained. Had they been honorable people, they would have assisted me in recovering the missing items. But they didn't. They wanted me gone as soon as possible and they most certainly wanted the police gone as well.

I learned an important lesson that day. Don't abandon your property with the assumption that it will still be there should you return to claim it. And if you do return, and it is missing, hope that the person who took it is honorable enough to return it as best they can. I wasn't that fortunate, DvK was.

Flash