Neighbors stealing bins

FrustrationFull

I have no idea where it is appropriate to post this but, one of our neighbors stole our black bin the week before last. We didn't report it at the time as presumed someone had mistakenly done this and would put it back at the next collection. We only had one bag of rubbish for the week so left that out before going away overnight. We've come back and there is no black bin left out for us, so obviously someone has stolen it, and the black bag was left by the bin men and rats have got into it so rubbish is across the street.
I have my suspicions of who it was as a new family have moved in the week before the bin went and all our other neighbors have numbers on theirs. We didn't think to put numbers on ours because we couldn't believe someone could be so petty.
Anyway, we are now going to have to go out later and gather up all of the rubbish from the street, everyone will think we're just tramps.
The council website says we have to buy a new bin. Surely if it has been stolen we shouldn't be having to pay? Money is tight as it is, without having to pay for a new bin because one of our neighbors is a thief.
Any advice?

rach_k

Why don't you wait until next bin day and see who has extra (assuming the council limits them)? If you go out straight after the bin men have been, just take back the extra one that 'the other family must have taken in by mistake'?

Why should the council pay for it when they already provided you with one? You could try asking on local Facebook sites if anybody has a spare they'd be willing to give you/sell you for less.

FrustrationFull

The problem is we work full time so can't go out as soon as the bin men have been. I leave the house at 5 in the morning and don't get back until gone 3pm when everyone has taken their bins back. My partner isn't back until half 4 either. I don't see why we should pay if someone has stolen our bin.

barbarawright

We sometimes have different numbers of bins in our front garden - it's a bit random where the bin men put them back. It might just have been an honest mistake

Red-Squirrel_2

FrustrationFull wrote: »

The problem is we work full time so can't go out as soon as the bin men have been. I leave the house at 5 in the morning and don't get back until gone 3pm when everyone has taken their bins back. My partner isn't back until half 4 either. I don't see why we should pay if someone has stolen our bin.

Any retired or stay at home neighbours who could help you out?

thorsoak

I'm sorry that your bin has been stolen - it's extremely aggravating (I've had my garden waste bags pinched in the past and had to replace them myself) - but I'm puzzled as to why shouldn't you replace the bin yourselves? If someone has stolen your car - do you not have to replace that yourselves?

System

Our bins (and those of my neighbours) have our numbers on them so that even if they were pinched you would know which bin is ours. Even peel off stickers leave a mark where the rest of the bin has faded due to exposure.

Fortunately our council will replace stolen bins and recycle bags with no hassle. One of ours fell into the bin wagon once and they replaced it with no charge.

BrassicWoman

I would get more bins, install a tracking chip in them, and follow them on your phone
Or hire a PI
Or check all the neighbours bins at night to see if they have yours - balaclavas may be needed

Or just buy a new bin and put a number on it this time.

ripplyuk

I once lived in a 'bit of a rough area', and bin day meant babysitting it until it had been emptied, otherwise it would be stolen. Unfortunately some people are just too lazy to even ring the council and get their own bin to begin with and feel entitled to help themselves to anyone else's.

Putting numbers etc on the bin didn't help, as this wasn't a case of being 'mistaken'. Eventually, I decided to just bring all the waste to the amenity centre myself.

Red-Squirrel_2

BrassicWoman wrote: »

I would get more bins, install a tracking chip in them, and follow them on your phone
Or hire a PI
Or check all the neighbours bins at night to see if they have yours - balaclavas may be needed

Or just buy a new bin and put a number on it this time.

It's £50 for a new bin from my council, that's a lot of money, I don't blame the OP for not being happy to just throw that away! ( no pun intended)

oystercatcher

My bin disappeared once, I think it either went into the lorry or was left stuck on the back. It just wasn't there, very shortly after the lorry had departed and I did check all the other bins left along our road. I am totally sure no-one stole it .

I just phoned our council up and a new bin arrived a few days later.

I have also had exactly the same with one of the recycling boxes.

It is a bit mean your council want payment but I guess they want to prevent people abusing the bins. I have seen them set on fire in some places. It is just one of those things that happen, put it down to experience and buy a new bin, unless you have a nice neighbour who is willing to let you share theirs.