Former Cleaner won’t return key

Dr_Crypto

Not sure this is the right board, but I couldn’t find one that really fits.

I’m looking for some advice regarding a former cleaner who won’t return my key. In short this cleaner (a small one woman band firm) were my cleaners for about 18 months. They became increasingly unreliable and despite promising to improve didn’t and I had to let them go at the end of November. It was all fairly amicable and I paid them for a week even though I never received the cleaning service.

She said she would return the key that week and despite multiple promises to do so hasn’t. I message her and she says she will return it the next day but of course doesn’t.

I’ve said that if she doesn’t return it by Monday I’ll have to inform the police, but I have limited expectations of them. Any suggestions?

davidmcn

Dr_Crypto wrote: »

Any suggestions?

Change your locks? (if you're actually concerned about her using the key)

What crime would you be reporting to the police? At most it's theft of a key. A few quid to get a new one cut?

Dr_Crypto

Yeah it would be theft. I know that the police are too stretched to do much about such a minor crime.

Fosterdog

£5-£10 will get you a new lock barrel and less than five minutes to fit it, might be less hassle than wasting time dealing with her anymore. Please don't waste valuable police time on something so trivial that is also a civil matter so not something they can do anything about anyway.

The_Rainmaker

Oh for goodness sake either do nothing or go and get the key or change the lock.

Aylesbury_Duck

What suggestions do you think there might be, other than:

Change the lock barrel
Go and ask her for the key
Forget it
Call the police (a ridiculous overreaction)

Carrot007

Fosterdog wrote: »

£5-£10 will get you a new lock barrel and less than five minutes to fit it, might be less hassle than wasting time dealing with her anymore. Please don't waste valuable police time on something so trivial that is also a civil matter so not something they can do anything about anyway.

If it is a euro-cylinder, and then at that price one easily broken into (which is to be honest pretty much all of them if you have ever seen a locksmith in action).


I had to have the lock in my door changed recently, not a euro-cylinder and a lot more expensive, but also a lot safer! (only downside was timpsons abilities to cut keys, gave up on getting another cut each time I went back and found a local diy shop that did it fine!).

Carrot007

Aylesbury_Duck wrote: »

What suggestions do you think there might be, other than:

Change the lock barrel
Go and ask her for the key
Forget it
Call the police (a ridiculous overreaction)

I'm pretty sure you missed many options. Kidnap her and lock her in a cell untill she gives up the key for instance. Which I'm sure was OP's first thought ;-)

davidmcn

Dr_Crypto wrote: »

Yeah it would be theft.

I'm not even sure that "someone to whom you've lent a key not returning it as quickly as you'd like" constitutes the crime of theft.

JJ_Egan

As above .
But i would send an LBA letter before action to try to bluff her into returning the key .

photome

Even if she returns the key you can’t be sure she hasn’t had another one cut.

Change the lock and forget about it