Craigslist-Savvy Mom Turns Tables on Crook

[Antares]

Those of you arguing the opposite point of the computer being stolen, what you're missing is this: The computer was essentially "thrown away" in the trash. It wasn't left on a bus. It wasn't left on the lawn. It wasn't left at a restaurant. It was not sitting some place where someone clearly forgot it and left it behind. No, the computer was on the curb, ready to be picked up by the garbage men. Fair game to be picked up by anyone..

This isn't an argument on what the most neighborly, community minded thing to do should have been. Yes, if you are a nice person, you would double check with the home owner first. However, given the limited facts presented, the computer was essentially trash and fair game to be taken. If a garbage man came by and took it, would he or city have been considered to have stolen it?

Now, present all of the laws of the county/city/town relating to garbage and property as well as documented facts on exactly where the computer was. Then, and only then, can we truly come to a conclusion on whether the computer was stolen or not. Given the facts, as they are, the computer was clearly not stolen.

 

[kindablue09]

Not to defend the guy but to play devil's advocate:
1) Would there be as much outrage against the guy if it wasn't a device for a special-needs child?

Those of you arguing the opposite point of the computer being stolen, what you're missing is this: The computer was essentially "thrown away" in the trash. It wasn't left on a bus. It wasn't left on the lawn. It wasn't left at a restaurant. It was not sitting some place where someone clearly forgot it and left it behind. No, the computer was on the curb, ready to be picked up by the garbage men. Fair game to be picked up by anyone..

The kicker is the Dynovox is more than just an expensive computer that was left on the curb. Its considered a piece of assistive technology, and is part of the way the little girl communicates. Imo when tech is used as a means for daily living (like a pair of glasses, or a hearing aid) it really becomes a bit more than a piece of equipment, it becomes part of the person (to some degree). So no, people wouldn't be as "outraged" if she didn't have special needs. As far as I am concerned the "outrage" generated by the situation is somewhat warranted based on the function of the equipment.
---> so for all of you playing at home 10k Dynovox > 10k non assistive tech

The guy who picked it up obviously found out at some point in time what it was. He should have made some attempt to post it as lost and try to find the original owner. Relying on some kind of protection from the legal system for a "finders keepers" mentality is pretty stupid.

I'm not sure if the seller deserves punishment for this, but by setting up some sort of reprehension for these sort of thefts/accidents will hopefully make people more aware before taking something that isn't theirs.

Finders keepers is a juvenile mentality and shouldn't be adopted as an all encompassing legal policy.

 

[mscriv]

Those of you arguing the opposite point of the computer being stolen, what you're missing is this: In my opinion, the computer was essentially "thrown away" in the trash. It wasn't left on a bus. It wasn't left on the lawn. It wasn't left at a restaurant. It was not sitting some place where someone clearly forgot it and left it behind. No, as I imagine how things went in my head the computer was on the curb, ready to be picked up by the garbage men. Fair game to be picked up by anyone....

I fixed that for you.

What the story actually says is:

But after Thanksgiving, as Hedy's mom, Patty, loaded up their car outside her brother's house, she accidentally left the $10,000 machine on the curb. When they returned to look for it, it was gone.

There's no mention of trash pick up or even how this local community handles garbage collection. For all we know it could be a city that requires all trash be put in a can at the end of the drive way. You make it sound as if the device was left right next to the garbage pile on trash pick up day. The point is we don't even know what the "curb" actually means. Was is the front of the house or a private access drive? Is the house in a regular neighborhood or is it a gated community with strict HOA rules? We don't know. Sorry, you can't defend your point with assumptions.

 

[MacVixen]

I fixed that for you.

There's no mention of trash pick up or even how this local community handles garbage collection. For all we know it could be a city that requires all trash be put in a can at the end of the drive way. You make it sound as if the device was left right next to the garbage pile on trash pick up day. The point is we don't even know what the "curb" actually means. Was is the front of the house or a private access drive? Is the house in a regular neighborhood or is it a gated community with strict HOA rules. We don't know. Sorry, you can't defend your point with assumptions.

This happened in the town I grew up in and still live just 30 minutes away from. I believe a previous article I read said it was in the Willow Glen neighborhood, so it was not a gated community or anything like that. But I absoultely agree with your point that there is NOTHING to indicate that the device was left on the curb like trash. She was loading her daughter in the car and forgot it. It happens sometimes.

If I somehow drop my iPhone on the ground, does it automatically become "trash" and the person that finds it can just claim that I must have wanted to throw it away?

 

[duncanapple]

People defending the thief absolutely sicken me. What in the heck is wrong with you people? Unless this computer was sitting among other trash, at the corner of the driveway, on a trash day, its highly, HIGHLY unlikely this is trash. Further, once the guy found out its value (assuming he did based on the asking price of $3500) he would have known this must be a mistake.

The likely scenario though is this computer was sitting by itself somewhere outside (I doubt the mom set it on top of a trash can or IN a trash can while loading the car), the dead beat walked by, scooped it up thinking it had value and knowing full well he was stealing it, and then figured out later he had really hit a jackpot. I also love the people who mark her as an idiot and deserving of her stuff to get stolen because it was accidentally left behind. So if you ever let your possessions out of your site you no longer have claim to them should someone decide they want it and no one is around?

Lastly, you aren't allowed to pick through peoples trash in most if not all places anyway. Not even trash collectors are allowed to take your trash home - only put it in the truck. Think of it as a privacy thing if nothing else, but you put out the trash with the expectation it goes to the dump, not someone elses house.

This case to me has nothing to do with a disabled person or not. Its all about downright dishonesty, and then a handful of followers (on this forum and others) who look for any loophole or sliver of doubt to defend a criminal. Its an interesting phenomenon, the people who ignore common sense and cold hard facts, to grasp at unlikely scenarios and far fetched explanations. After reading the comments under the actual story and thinking where do these people come from, I was saddened to find more of the same here on MR.

 

[KootenayJim]

There's no question it was an honest mistake, and luckily it was recovered, but how does one just forget a specialized, $10,000 laptop?

I mean, I always do a pat check before I go anywhere- wallet, watch, keys and phone and none of those items even approach the $10,000 range, except maybe the iPhone w/contract....

Try doing that with a challenged kid and who knows what other pressures
I once was taking the dog to the vet 30 miles, and forgot that I left the dog at home ha ha

 

[Antares]

I fixed that for you.

What the story actually says is:



There's no mention of trash pick up or even how this local community handles garbage collection. For all we know it could be a city that requires all trash be put in a can at the end of the drive way. You make it sound as if the device was left right next to the garbage pile on trash pick up day. The point is we don't even know what the "curb" actually means. Was is the front of the house or a private access drive? Is the house in a regular neighborhood or is it a gated community with strict HOA rules? We don't know. Sorry, you can't defend your point with assumptions.

Exactly. That's why, in my previous post, I stated that there was not enough information. It can go either way. If the computer was left in a trash pickup location and taking someone's trash is not illegal, then what the guy did was perfectly fine (from a legal standpoint). Maybe it would not have been ethical and not something a "nice" person would do...however, it would have been perfectly fine, from a legal standpoint. That's simply a fact and not an opinion. People willingly throw valuable things in the trash all the time.

But I absoultely agree with your point that there is NOTHING to indicate that the device was left on the curb like trash. She was loading her daughter in the car and forgot it. It happens sometimes.

If I somehow drop my iPhone on the ground, does it automatically become "trash" and the person that finds it can just claim that I must have wanted to throw it away?

And there was nothing stated that indicated that the device was NOT left on the curb like trash. There simply was not enough information given to state it definitively, either way. Dropping an iPhone is a bad comparison as that would obviously be something someone lost or left behind. That would not be clear with an unusual object which may look like junk being discarded.

Again, nobody is defending the guy. He should have tried double checking with the owner of the house and verifying if he can take it. That is what I would do or any other nice, ethical person, like me, would do. But, as I've said, assuming that the device was left in a trash pickup area and taking things from trash is legal...the guy taking the device was technically okay. You can't argue with that.

 

[appleguy123]

The product does look like a cheap toy that could be trash.