Stealing from employer?

HurdyGurdy

I have worked for my employer for seven years. We have a large outdoor staff car park behind the office, and around the perimeter are lots of bushes and plants etc, including some mature blackberry bushes.

For the past seven years, I have been picking the blackberries, and filling my freezer.

Today, my colleague commented that I was stealing from my employer, as I hadn't got permission to pick the fruit, and it technically belonged to them, as they own the land the car park stands on and therefore own the bushes.

Now, I can't honestly see them making a big issue out of this, but is my colleague correct? Am I "stealing" from my employer?

TELLIT01

I suppose technically it could be argued that you are. Speak to your boss who will in all probability tell you it's not a problem.

DCFC79

I dont know the answer but I would stop picking them and ask your employer.

No I cant see them making an issue of it but you really should check if its ok.

CanadianDream

Do the blackberry bushes even belong to your employer?


If not, keep picking them.

boliston

I think you would only get into trouble if the boss had asked you to stop taking his berries and you had ignored that request. Also the hedges might not even be on land actually owned by the employer. A bit of a non issue as things stand.

HurdyGurdy

Thank you.

I don't know if it's relevant, but I work for a local authority, so yes, they do own the land that the car park stands on.

I will start the process tomorrow of finding out who ultimately should be giving permission. This should be interesting lol

matttye

Are they growing wild or were they planted?

The distinction is important as s.4(3) Theft Act 1968 states:

"(3)
A person who picks mushrooms growing wild on any land, or who picks flowers, fruit or foliage from a plant growing wild on any land, does not (although not in possession of the land) steal what he picks, unless he does it for reward or for sale or other commercial purpose."

Obviously the other thing that is mentioned is that it is stealing if you are doing this for sale or another commercial purpose.

If it's for food and they're growing wild, you're not committing an offence but you should still ask for permission.

xapprenticex

Check with your employer, and watch your back from now on with that colleague of yours.

HurdyGurdy

matttye wrote: »

Are they growing wild or were they planted?

.

Well they've been there a lot longer than I have , but I very much doubt they were planted. The office stands on what used to be a railway station, and backs onto a piece of land where there are some of those big gas cylinders. The land around isn't maintained, other than the grass verges being cut, but the plants/bushes/shrubs are left to grow wild, and aren't pruned or anything.

but thank you for that mattye - that's interesting.

Oddly enough there is a cake sale thing being organised to raise money for cancer in a few weeks, and I was thinking about baking some blackberry muffins for them to sell, so . . . . :rotfl::rotfl:

maninthestreet

Blackberry bushes = brambles
How could they be anything other than wild?

TELLIT01

HurdyGurdy wrote: »

Thank you.

I don't know if it's relevant, but I work for a local authority.....

I wish you luck in finding anybody in an LA, or any other department remotely attached to government, who will be willing to make the decision. The buck will be passed from person to person so quickly it'll make your head spin. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: