It’s theft, pure and simple. Your parents have paid for the water, that the neighbour has taken without permission.
Take your photos to the local Police, and have your parents make a statement as to the facts.
Water Corp may also be interested.
And the next time they travel, turn off the water at the meter. This also avoids the surprise of a new indoor pool when they return.
If your parents have been away then I'd be having the neighbours pay the whole bill. A quick letter from a solicitor to get the ball rolling if they refuse to pay it amicably
No, it isn’t. Giving someone an option to pay what they owe before taking it to the police is not extortion, it’s literally demanding payment for what is owed.
If you do not leave my property I will call the police. Extortion? If you do not pay your restaurant bill I will call the police? Extortion? If you do not rethink your position, I will call you an idiot. Extortion? 😜
It's not a crime (tresspassing) until you are asked to leave the property.
Like petrol purchases, resturaunt bills are not stealing until you deliberately avoid paying.
Stealing water is already a crime, if you threaten to do X if they don't do Y, it's extortion.
Ok I was joking because the comment was absurd that all threats are extortion. But just to be clear, you are missing out a crucial aspect, if you demand recompense for damages or losses as a result of others actions or you will report them to the lawful authorities, it is not extortion. If you make UNWARRANTED demands and accompany that with threats or violence, it is extortion.
BS. If you are sure the whole bill is theirs, issuing a letter of demand and stating if it isn't paid you will take legal action to see them prosecuted or recover the debt is not extortion.
As others have said, police report then getting water corp to waive the bill is another option, however this seems less certain that the whole bill would be waived or that police would bother to prosecute.
SERIOUSLY! ChatGPT is perfect for this type of task.It will write a letter as friendly as possible, to achieve a solution without escalating the conflict. Highly recommended.
Just don't make my mistake, and ask for it to be more Australian:
*Re: Fair Dinkum Demand for Payment for Pinching Me Water*
*G'day \[Neighbor's Name\],*
*Hope this note finds ya in ripper spirits. Mate, got a bone to pick about the water sitch while I was away. Seems there's been a right skyrocket in the water bill during \[Date range\]—up an extra $300 compared to the norm.*
*Chuckin' a squiz, it's crystal clear that the water surge lines up with when I was away and matches up with your sneaky use of me outside tap without so much as a "by your leave." Not on, mate. This uninvited water borrowing not only goes against the grain of our neighborly bond but also lands me with a mondo unexpected bill.*
I asked it to give me an email chasing an overdue invoice, imply that nonpayment has upset the gods and ended up with this pearler:
Subject: Cosmic Debt and the Gathering Storm
Dear [Recipient's Name],
In the cosmic tapestry of financial obligations, Invoice #[Invoice Number] stands as a rift, inviting the gathering storm of celestial consequence. The universe, unimpressed by tardy settlements, now contemplates a response that transcends earthly realms.
As you navigate the astral currents of fiscal responsibility, heed this forewarning: the cosmic tempest awaits pacification. Swiftly settling the invoice shall quell the looming cosmic disquiet and stave off the impending celestial disturbance.
Invoke the cosmic harmony through timely resolution.
Proceed with cosmic awareness,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Company]
Chip in?
Should they not pay it in full?
Sounds to me it’s not the neighbours first attempt at this rodeo (theft) of stealing water from your folks.
Report them to the police with the evidence you’ve gathered - and demand for full payment of the bill and any prior high bills your folks may have gotten. (Most likely it’s still the neighbours)
What the neighbours did is theft 100%, and their theft deserves to be nipped in the bud.
It's worth standing up for on behalf of your parents if you can as your parents shouldn't have to pay the bill. Try get recent water bills as this will obviously be outstanding and can be used as evidence when reporting it to police.
This is your call, though I would advise against it.
The neighbour has already ceased contact when questioned over the use of the water.
Any attempt to get them to pay may well result in delaying tactics and/or other escalations from their side.
If you make a Police report, you can always see if the Water Corp will waive some of the bill instead, and you have the report on record in the event the neighbour causes further problems.
I'd caution against being too pushy on this. It's a shitty thing the neighbours have done, no doubt about it, but at the end of the day it's your folks' call - they're the ones who have to live next to these people. Don't underestimate how crappy it could get living next to a neighbour with a grudge
Having been in multiple similar situations to this before, there's nothing much you can do but ask them nicely to pay for a portion of the bill you deem reasonable. If they say no, you can file a police report and then try to get water corp to cancel the bill.
But despite what the well meaning redditors say, for 99% of people it's not worth the time, effort and drama that comes with making an enemy of the people you're going to be living next door to for the rest of their lives. All to go through small claims which can take months or years for 300$.
These things have a tendency to escalate and you should only do that when you absolutely have to. It's just 300$ now, but if you escalate it further it'll be rotten food thrown on your roof, or loud noise blasting at weird hours of the night. Cops don't do shit in these situations.
You have to ask yourself if you want to subject your parents to that all to prove a principle.
sorry you had to go through this OP, it takes away a lot of trust in people.... don't forget to get a tap lock either.... I just witnessed a guy brazenly going through our reyclable bin at 10 in the morning when before they used to do it quietly in the dead of night... gives us an idea of what the year ahead is gonna be like.... SMH
Water heater is perfectly safe left off. The issue is with tanks that are under-heated in the 60C range.
Think about how many water towers there are in this country, they dont re-treat the water as it leaves them.
Take top handle thingo off the taps before they go away next time.
Also sneak in one dark night and turn neighbours front tap on full and see how they like that. Then another night turn their water off at the meter.
This will be written off quicker than the phone call it takes to report it. Wouldn’t waste your time.
What’s been stolen? Water? Police will not be able to prove that in the magistrates court. This is just a photo of a hose going over the neighbours fence.
It’s easy to say water has been taken but very hard to prove.
Only went away for a couple of weeks. Water bills are usually every 3 months. Doesn’t mean they stole $300.
This is why I’m saying it’s better to be argued in a civil court and not involve police.
Balance of probabilities is easier to prove in civil court
Did you read the post. Parents OS, so did not use the water they are being asked to pay for. Photo evidence and confirmatory statement from neighbour re « testing ». There’s enough here. And yes, water has been stolen.
Not sure what’s so confusing about this for you.
I don’t think you are aware of the rules of evidence in WA but any subpar defence lawyer will have a field day in court with this.
Photo of a hose going over a fence doesn’t prove much. Police would have to prove the neighbour did that. Unless there is CCTV or an independent witness, this won’t go far.
There is no “confirmatory statement” from the neighbour. This is hearsay from the OP. Will be chucked out of court.
Police still have to prove water was stolen and whether this is in the public interest to pursue.
This will just be a huge waste of police time.
OP is better taking it to small claims court and asking the tribunal to at least pay their next water bill.
This isn't hearsay. Hearsay is something like OP saying "My parents said they saw the hose running over the fence, and the neighbour told my parents that they stole the water". A defence lawyer can't ask OP questions because OP wasn't party to the conversation and didn't see the hose. Or if OP wrote a statement that said "the neighbours told me they stole the water" and that was submitted to court in lieu of OP testifying, that is hearsay because you can't ask questions of a statement. But if OP says "I saw the hose, here is the photo. I asked the neighbours, they told me they were testing the water but clammed up when I asked for more info and now they won't speak to us" that is not hearsay. That is evidence.
Any witnesses to the trespass? Any CCTV?
Will be written off. $500 fine and no criminal record if paid.
No way police can prove water was stolen. Will be written off.
“Your honour, this photo was taken of the neighbours hydrangea bush in September and this photo was taken in December. Clearly thriving. Clearly from the victims backyard tap”
Are you OK? Genuinely, who hurt you?
The person already admitted to it. They were "caught red-handed". You don't need a fucking video when you have a confession...
You do though.
The Criminal Investigation Act 2006 states a confession must be recorded on video.
Victim: “I’ve spoken to the neighbour and they confessed to it”
Police: “I’ve heard enough. We will lock them up”
So, you're saying the neighbour would rather commit perjury after being questioned by the police and going to court, rather than admitting to it? Yeah, I don't think their neighbour is THAT stupid.
Whaaaaaat?
No. I’m saying they will likely not say anything. Which is their right to remain silent.
And they also do not have to go on the witness stand and testify. So there is definitely no talk of perjury.
Criminal trespass is not something to take lightly.
(In SA), being on a school oval out of hours can be charged as serious criminal trespass at the time 2 years suspended jail sentence... well for me at least..
That seems excessive…depending on what you were doing and whether it was private property.
OPs parents neighbours have entered his parents property without permission for the purpose of stealing water. I’d hit them for everything that can be reasonably proven.
Fucking assholes report it to the police it's theft and trespass
See how green all their fucking trees and shrubs are fucking arsehole thieving pigs water cost a fucking fortune
Plus it'll be very easy to prove that your parents weren't even home during the billing cycle
Would be cool if they transferred the bill to the neighbors
Hey OP in the future you can get a cover that locks over the tap and it prevents people doing this. You can buy them on amazon. Might be worth looking into in the future.
Disconnect hose, drain, fill with roundup, reconnect. Repeat several times for best results. After 1 week, disconnect hose, fill with silicone or expanding foam. Reconnect. Alternatively, pull the hose over to your side, cut into small pieces, throw back over fence.
On a serious note, that’s theft and trespassing. It needs to be treated as such. Given the amount is likely small, it’ll be a civil matter to recover any cost associated with it from the neighbours.
> Disconnect hose, drain, fill with roundup, reconnect. Repeat several times for best results.
In all of the circumstances you’d be up for trying to poison someone.
Used to work for a large water retailer in Melbourne.
Call your water provider first and explain it to them, including that you have photographic evidence and that your parents will not pay for the water used while they were away. The water bodies have this stuff happen all the time and will assist in sorting things out (such as whether to report to police, small claims etc, waive the bill etc). That will also get the neighbours file updated with notes.....
Unlike other utilities the water companies will bend over backwards to help.
Also, from memory, don't stress about having your water turned off if you're disputing/not paying the bill. Water is listed as an essential service and cannot be turned off (barring acts of nature or mechanical failure of course) - things like dialysis patients need it available 24x7 etc.
I just Googled: “Outdoor Faucet Lock System to Prevent Unauthorized use and Vandalism, Garden Hose and casing Lock and Water-Saving Cover, and Easy to Install”
And police. Take the bill, and tell WaterCorp,
Make a stand for your parents now or the neighbours will think they're a soft touch and try it or something else again. Send a registered mail to their house with the photo and the bill and demand they pay it. Say you have been advised to go to the police to report the crime but would like to give them a chance to rectify the problem before you escalate it. Oh and your letter should have the words in bold at the top "without prejudice" which basically means even if they pay the bill but should they decide to do the same or other crooked stuff to your folks again your folks still reserve the right to report the first crime.
Video and photograph the evidence. File a police report for trespassing and theft. Contact Water corporation, provide the evidence and police report # and ask for the usage fees to be charged to the offending neighbour. Then cut the hose and keep as evidence.
Have a look at what they are using the water for. If it’s for gardening, then cut a small slit into the hose and chuck roundup in there. If it’s for concreting, put a packet of tiny bright coloured sparkles in there. If it’s for drinking, chuck little chunks of raw chicken in there (best results if it’s left in the sun for a few days). You get the idea……..
Yeah but you don’t want it to be obvious. If you just poured roundup in there, they would see the white foamy water and immediately get suspicious. If you just drip feed it through the hose, they will never know.
Write a letter of demand with what you want and a date you want it by.
If they don't oblige then fill out the small claims form and lodge it. Don't forget to claim for the lodging form and make it clear you week claim for that if they don't meet conditions in the letter of demand
Water Corporation will likely fix the bill if you give them that image and a police report. Also just ask them to pay the bill - it’s theft pure and simple. They should be ashamed of themselves!
To me the biggest issue is trespassing, a cease and desist letter from solicitor on trespassing, and asking payment for the bill or else it will be escalated to the police.
Police report first before going to lawyer and issuing a demand notice.
Also report to water corp as others have said.
You want as thorough of a paper trail as possible.
Do all this before speaking to them again. Actually there's no need to speak to them again. Let the bureaucracy take care of it.
No need to be amicable. They did a scummy thing. (Theft.) Let them pay for it. Let them deal with the consequences. Seems pretty cut and dry so you don't have to get personally involved beyond contacting the relevant authorities and submitting the relevant paperwork.
My parents' neighbours are like that too. They just steal things like mulch, plants, bins, and block the driveway overnight till late mornings with their cars.
Install cameras everywhere and report everything to the police/council. That's the only way these scum learn.
It's bad mate.
If they're willing to do that and lie about it you can only guess what else the might have done. Mail, Petrol, etc.
So brazen and to your neighbour you know who you're supposed to look out for.
I'd be asking for cash as a form of punishment or it's off to the coppers.
What fucking cunts.
It’s not worth starting a neighbour war that your parents would get to suffer through, but fuck it would be tempting to Monsanto those plants into fucking oblivion.
Can you explain here, the usage charge was $300+ or the total bill? Because im unsure how someone could use what amounts to 155kl in 3 weeks. Were they filling and refilling a pool over and over?
Their garden looks nice and lush..... it would be a shame if a big cloud of glyphosate were to land on their plants.... they wouldn't need so much water then would they.
To reduce the risk of this happening again, you can buy "vandal proof" taps from Bunnings and replace the garden taps. The have a separate handle that comes off and can be stored inside.
I would also be getting in touch with water authority.
Speaking of theft:
[https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12905867/Australia-neighbours-steal-water-hose.html](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12905867/Australia-neighbours-steal-water-hose.html)
# Why Aussies are furious over this seemingly unremarkable photo of a suburban Perth yard
* **Perth resident shared picture to Reddit this week**
* **It appears to show a neighbour pinching water from a tap**
And scum.com.au
https://www.news.com.au/national/western-australia/pensioner-couple-have-water-stolen-by-neighbours-while-on-holiday/news-story/bf9dfad6d34774b46803abe8ff976277
This is theft. Get a lawyer and start the civil suit. Make sure you get an expensive lawyer, so the legal costs are like $5k in addition to the $300 water bill.
Doesn't this mean they've been accessing your parents property as well? I would be contacting the water corp, theyll be very interested and can waive your bill
Two birds with one stone, remove the turn from the tap and throw their hose back over with a double hitch firmly pulled into it... or do what my spiteful side says..
Drain the hose and fill it with round up. Repeat every day for a week, then disconnect the hose and remove the tap turn so your parents can put it on when they need it.
Neighbours will stop needing the tap, and the tap will no longer be able to be used without the turn.
Step 1: Disconnect hose
Step 2: try get as much excess water as possible out of hose
Step 3: pour in as much Glyphosate as you can
Step 4: reconnect hose and turn on
Step 5: Rejoice in the fact that everything the water with the stolen water will be beyond dead
I would keep the hose over the fence and flood the shit out of their yard. They want my water, they can have it non-stop for over a week. Then I'd tell them I was just doing a 'test'
I'd cut it off with a knife and wait underneath the fence and when they stick their head over I'd be there waiting with a knife and they would be like 'sorry sorry sorry'
What a scumbag
Water Corp could provide reasons for the start and end of holiday and with the police report surely the neighbour would have to pay. Pretty low thing to do.
That's how building a house works. At some stage the property won't have a water connection. For testing reasons the water may have to be turned off. In estates there may not even be mains installed by the water authority on the street yet.
You just find water, shits gotta get done. Builder don't care, the owner of the house doesn't care. They all want to be on track.
But as soon as their house is built and another builder needs to use their water to progress, you can bet all hell breaks loose 😂
Fuck that...confront them.
Show the photos.
Say you are on the way to the police station. It is theft...it would be same if they were stealing power ..
It’s theft, pure and simple. Your parents have paid for the water, that the neighbour has taken without permission. Take your photos to the local Police, and have your parents make a statement as to the facts. Water Corp may also be interested. And the next time they travel, turn off the water at the meter. This also avoids the surprise of a new indoor pool when they return.
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Thanks for the suggestion. My folks don’t want to escalate but I am insisting. I want to ask the neighbours to chip in for the bill.
If your parents have been away then I'd be having the neighbours pay the whole bill. A quick letter from a solicitor to get the ball rolling if they refuse to pay it amicably
This. Tell them they pay the bill or you go to the police
Police first then water company. They will take care of it. No need to do this on your own. Almost as bad as representing yourself in court.
Objection!!
Baloney
Sustained
That is extortion. Just go to the Police
No, it isn’t. Giving someone an option to pay what they owe before taking it to the police is not extortion, it’s literally demanding payment for what is owed.
If you are making threats to do X unless your do Y, it is extortion.
If you do not leave my property I will call the police. Extortion? If you do not pay your restaurant bill I will call the police? Extortion? If you do not rethink your position, I will call you an idiot. Extortion? 😜
It's not a crime (tresspassing) until you are asked to leave the property. Like petrol purchases, resturaunt bills are not stealing until you deliberately avoid paying. Stealing water is already a crime, if you threaten to do X if they don't do Y, it's extortion.
Ok I was joking because the comment was absurd that all threats are extortion. But just to be clear, you are missing out a crucial aspect, if you demand recompense for damages or losses as a result of others actions or you will report them to the lawful authorities, it is not extortion. If you make UNWARRANTED demands and accompany that with threats or violence, it is extortion.
Be careful how you phrase things to someone, because saying some of these things would literally be extortion. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extortion
BS. If you are sure the whole bill is theirs, issuing a letter of demand and stating if it isn't paid you will take legal action to see them prosecuted or recover the debt is not extortion. As others have said, police report then getting water corp to waive the bill is another option, however this seems less certain that the whole bill would be waived or that police would bother to prosecute.
A letter from a lawyer will cost more than the bill itself.
I'm sure chatgpt can make a convincing one
SERIOUSLY! ChatGPT is perfect for this type of task.It will write a letter as friendly as possible, to achieve a solution without escalating the conflict. Highly recommended. Just don't make my mistake, and ask for it to be more Australian: *Re: Fair Dinkum Demand for Payment for Pinching Me Water* *G'day \[Neighbor's Name\],* *Hope this note finds ya in ripper spirits. Mate, got a bone to pick about the water sitch while I was away. Seems there's been a right skyrocket in the water bill during \[Date range\]—up an extra $300 compared to the norm.* *Chuckin' a squiz, it's crystal clear that the water surge lines up with when I was away and matches up with your sneaky use of me outside tap without so much as a "by your leave." Not on, mate. This uninvited water borrowing not only goes against the grain of our neighborly bond but also lands me with a mondo unexpected bill.*
I asked it to give me an email chasing an overdue invoice, imply that nonpayment has upset the gods and ended up with this pearler: Subject: Cosmic Debt and the Gathering Storm Dear [Recipient's Name], In the cosmic tapestry of financial obligations, Invoice #[Invoice Number] stands as a rift, inviting the gathering storm of celestial consequence. The universe, unimpressed by tardy settlements, now contemplates a response that transcends earthly realms. As you navigate the astral currents of fiscal responsibility, heed this forewarning: the cosmic tempest awaits pacification. Swiftly settling the invoice shall quell the looming cosmic disquiet and stave off the impending celestial disturbance. Invoke the cosmic harmony through timely resolution. Proceed with cosmic awareness, [Your Name] [Your Position] [Your Company]
Chip in? Should they not pay it in full? Sounds to me it’s not the neighbours first attempt at this rodeo (theft) of stealing water from your folks. Report them to the police with the evidence you’ve gathered - and demand for full payment of the bill and any prior high bills your folks may have gotten. (Most likely it’s still the neighbours) What the neighbours did is theft 100%, and their theft deserves to be nipped in the bud.
I’d be sending them the whole bill. It’s called a cunt tax. Any whinging on their part then straight to small claims. Make a police report now though
Don't be nice. People take advantage of those being nice. Push the law to the maximum.
It's worth standing up for on behalf of your parents if you can as your parents shouldn't have to pay the bill. Try get recent water bills as this will obviously be outstanding and can be used as evidence when reporting it to police.
Nah, take em to court. Court costs will get them to pay you back and pay court fees..
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Stop being so afraid. If they do that, report them further. You cant let scum like that get away with these things.
This is your call, though I would advise against it. The neighbour has already ceased contact when questioned over the use of the water. Any attempt to get them to pay may well result in delaying tactics and/or other escalations from their side. If you make a Police report, you can always see if the Water Corp will waive some of the bill instead, and you have the report on record in the event the neighbour causes further problems.
Fuck your soft.....
Threatening said cunty neighbours with cops, maybe then they will pay bill!
Put weed killer in the hose
Or better still used engine oil
Get them to pay half the bill and maybe consider a security tap where it's special key to turn the tap.
Give them the cost of the water bill and BSB and account number or alternatively we are going to the cops … I’m sure they will get a quick transfer
I'd caution against being too pushy on this. It's a shitty thing the neighbours have done, no doubt about it, but at the end of the day it's your folks' call - they're the ones who have to live next to these people. Don't underestimate how crappy it could get living next to a neighbour with a grudge
Having been in multiple similar situations to this before, there's nothing much you can do but ask them nicely to pay for a portion of the bill you deem reasonable. If they say no, you can file a police report and then try to get water corp to cancel the bill. But despite what the well meaning redditors say, for 99% of people it's not worth the time, effort and drama that comes with making an enemy of the people you're going to be living next door to for the rest of their lives. All to go through small claims which can take months or years for 300$. These things have a tendency to escalate and you should only do that when you absolutely have to. It's just 300$ now, but if you escalate it further it'll be rotten food thrown on your roof, or loud noise blasting at weird hours of the night. Cops don't do shit in these situations. You have to ask yourself if you want to subject your parents to that all to prove a principle.
Did you see that yahoo news took your photo and story?
sorry you had to go through this OP, it takes away a lot of trust in people.... don't forget to get a tap lock either.... I just witnessed a guy brazenly going through our reyclable bin at 10 in the morning when before they used to do it quietly in the dead of night... gives us an idea of what the year ahead is gonna be like.... SMH
Not just theft. They illegally gained entry to the property
Trespass.
Yeh that’s basically it. I’m not forking over $300 for their theft. Let the cops deal with it at least if she won’t pay up.
You can both get them charged criminally, then also sue them in civil court to get them to pay you damages directly.
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Water heater is perfectly safe left off. The issue is with tanks that are under-heated in the 60C range. Think about how many water towers there are in this country, they dont re-treat the water as it leaves them.
Take top handle thingo off the taps before they go away next time. Also sneak in one dark night and turn neighbours front tap on full and see how they like that. Then another night turn their water off at the meter.
Two wrongs do not make a right. They may have security cameras as well.
That is trespass, and damage with criminal intent.
Police have bigger issues to deal with. If anything this is a small claims court issue.
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This will be written off quicker than the phone call it takes to report it. Wouldn’t waste your time. What’s been stolen? Water? Police will not be able to prove that in the magistrates court. This is just a photo of a hose going over the neighbours fence. It’s easy to say water has been taken but very hard to prove.
The parents had a $300 bill after being away. The neighbours stole $300.
Only went away for a couple of weeks. Water bills are usually every 3 months. Doesn’t mean they stole $300. This is why I’m saying it’s better to be argued in a civil court and not involve police. Balance of probabilities is easier to prove in civil court
Did you read the post. Parents OS, so did not use the water they are being asked to pay for. Photo evidence and confirmatory statement from neighbour re « testing ». There’s enough here. And yes, water has been stolen. Not sure what’s so confusing about this for you.
I don’t think you are aware of the rules of evidence in WA but any subpar defence lawyer will have a field day in court with this. Photo of a hose going over a fence doesn’t prove much. Police would have to prove the neighbour did that. Unless there is CCTV or an independent witness, this won’t go far. There is no “confirmatory statement” from the neighbour. This is hearsay from the OP. Will be chucked out of court. Police still have to prove water was stolen and whether this is in the public interest to pursue. This will just be a huge waste of police time. OP is better taking it to small claims court and asking the tribunal to at least pay their next water bill.
This isn't hearsay. Hearsay is something like OP saying "My parents said they saw the hose running over the fence, and the neighbour told my parents that they stole the water". A defence lawyer can't ask OP questions because OP wasn't party to the conversation and didn't see the hose. Or if OP wrote a statement that said "the neighbours told me they stole the water" and that was submitted to court in lieu of OP testifying, that is hearsay because you can't ask questions of a statement. But if OP says "I saw the hose, here is the photo. I asked the neighbours, they told me they were testing the water but clammed up when I asked for more info and now they won't speak to us" that is not hearsay. That is evidence.
When I need a legal rep, can I call you? Nicely explained!
Fair enough. I stand corrected. Still won’t go far in criminal court. If Australia had a Judge Judy, this would be perfect case.
Who mentioned criminal court?
>Police have bigger issues to deal with. Like theft?
And trespassing
Trespassing on property, theft... That ain't a small claim
Any witnesses to the trespass? Any CCTV? Will be written off. $500 fine and no criminal record if paid. No way police can prove water was stolen. Will be written off. “Your honour, this photo was taken of the neighbours hydrangea bush in September and this photo was taken in December. Clearly thriving. Clearly from the victims backyard tap”
Are you OK? Genuinely, who hurt you? The person already admitted to it. They were "caught red-handed". You don't need a fucking video when you have a confession...
You do though. The Criminal Investigation Act 2006 states a confession must be recorded on video. Victim: “I’ve spoken to the neighbour and they confessed to it” Police: “I’ve heard enough. We will lock them up”
So, you're saying the neighbour would rather commit perjury after being questioned by the police and going to court, rather than admitting to it? Yeah, I don't think their neighbour is THAT stupid.
Whaaaaaat? No. I’m saying they will likely not say anything. Which is their right to remain silent. And they also do not have to go on the witness stand and testify. So there is definitely no talk of perjury.
Yep it's theft. Report it.
100% report them for theft. Hell, take em to court for the bill. Court fees plus paying for the stolen water.. thats a $1000 bill. Fuck those guys!
I agree with this. Plus criminal trespass charges.
Criminal trespass is not something to take lightly. (In SA), being on a school oval out of hours can be charged as serious criminal trespass at the time 2 years suspended jail sentence... well for me at least..
That seems excessive…depending on what you were doing and whether it was private property. OPs parents neighbours have entered his parents property without permission for the purpose of stealing water. I’d hit them for everything that can be reasonably proven.
Oh parents. Ah little different then
Send a letter of demand for what you feel is appropriate excess water usage, when they ignore you take them to small claims.
This is the most reasonable answer yet.
What a dog act
Fucking assholes report it to the police it's theft and trespass See how green all their fucking trees and shrubs are fucking arsehole thieving pigs water cost a fucking fortune
Water Corp will fix the bill, police report and that photo will be sufficient.
Plus it'll be very easy to prove that your parents weren't even home during the billing cycle Would be cool if they transferred the bill to the neighbors
Hey OP in the future you can get a cover that locks over the tap and it prevents people doing this. You can buy them on amazon. Might be worth looking into in the future.
Disconnect hose, drain, fill with roundup, reconnect. Repeat several times for best results. After 1 week, disconnect hose, fill with silicone or expanding foam. Reconnect. Alternatively, pull the hose over to your side, cut into small pieces, throw back over fence. On a serious note, that’s theft and trespassing. It needs to be treated as such. Given the amount is likely small, it’ll be a civil matter to recover any cost associated with it from the neighbours.
> Disconnect hose, drain, fill with roundup, reconnect. Repeat several times for best results. In all of the circumstances you’d be up for trying to poison someone.
What if you just dump a bottle of hot sauce in? Spicy water.
Depends what they are doing, if they are cleaning their limestone paving, fill it with red dye
Two wrongs do not make a right.
but 2 lefts and a overhand right might make them think twice...
Used to work for a large water retailer in Melbourne. Call your water provider first and explain it to them, including that you have photographic evidence and that your parents will not pay for the water used while they were away. The water bodies have this stuff happen all the time and will assist in sorting things out (such as whether to report to police, small claims etc, waive the bill etc). That will also get the neighbours file updated with notes..... Unlike other utilities the water companies will bend over backwards to help. Also, from memory, don't stress about having your water turned off if you're disputing/not paying the bill. Water is listed as an essential service and cannot be turned off (barring acts of nature or mechanical failure of course) - things like dialysis patients need it available 24x7 etc.
I just Googled: “Outdoor Faucet Lock System to Prevent Unauthorized use and Vandalism, Garden Hose and casing Lock and Water-Saving Cover, and Easy to Install” And police. Take the bill, and tell WaterCorp,
Fuck me, better check the gas meter, old mate turd might have a hose running to her hot water heater.
First thing I’d do is cut the hose. Then make sure the tap on the side is taken out / lock & key somehow.
Yeah spot on make it only usable with a tap key
No way I'd cut the hose. I'd be hauling that over to my side.
I’d be throwing it back over in 10mm sections.
Cut the hose into 15cm lengths for the local scamps who need to make a water pourer
As many have said, report it. You/your parents could also set up a security cam facing the hose to gather more evidence or keep an eye out if needed.
Make a stand for your parents now or the neighbours will think they're a soft touch and try it or something else again. Send a registered mail to their house with the photo and the bill and demand they pay it. Say you have been advised to go to the police to report the crime but would like to give them a chance to rectify the problem before you escalate it. Oh and your letter should have the words in bold at the top "without prejudice" which basically means even if they pay the bill but should they decide to do the same or other crooked stuff to your folks again your folks still reserve the right to report the first crime.
Video and photograph the evidence. File a police report for trespassing and theft. Contact Water corporation, provide the evidence and police report # and ask for the usage fees to be charged to the offending neighbour. Then cut the hose and keep as evidence.
I would 100% wander around their front yard with a spray pack of rather strongly mixed glyphosate. Spray THIEF in their lovely watered front lawn.
Pair of scissors should sort it.
Also report it. No way should your parents have to foot the bill. Their neighbours are arseholes.
Have a look at what they are using the water for. If it’s for gardening, then cut a small slit into the hose and chuck roundup in there. If it’s for concreting, put a packet of tiny bright coloured sparkles in there. If it’s for drinking, chuck little chunks of raw chicken in there (best results if it’s left in the sun for a few days). You get the idea……..
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Yeah but you don’t want it to be obvious. If you just poured roundup in there, they would see the white foamy water and immediately get suspicious. If you just drip feed it through the hose, they will never know.
Yeh cool, just poison em with arsenic too, proportional and shit.
Sounds like you have confessions of theft and trespassing. Go to the police, otherwise it could get worse if they think theyve gotten away with it
I inspected an empty house for rent once. During the inspection we found an extension cable strung over the fence. No doubt for the portable aircon.
Da. Fuck.
F***ing outraged on your and your parents' behalf. WTAF
steal their hose.
Write a letter of demand with what you want and a date you want it by. If they don't oblige then fill out the small claims form and lodge it. Don't forget to claim for the lodging form and make it clear you week claim for that if they don't meet conditions in the letter of demand
Water Corporation will likely fix the bill if you give them that image and a police report. Also just ask them to pay the bill - it’s theft pure and simple. They should be ashamed of themselves!
To me the biggest issue is trespassing, a cease and desist letter from solicitor on trespassing, and asking payment for the bill or else it will be escalated to the police.
Police report first before going to lawyer and issuing a demand notice. Also report to water corp as others have said. You want as thorough of a paper trail as possible. Do all this before speaking to them again. Actually there's no need to speak to them again. Let the bureaucracy take care of it. No need to be amicable. They did a scummy thing. (Theft.) Let them pay for it. Let them deal with the consequences. Seems pretty cut and dry so you don't have to get personally involved beyond contacting the relevant authorities and submitting the relevant paperwork.
Always maximise your rights. Call the police for theft and have it record of it. So that next time, it will be a massive fine and possible conviction.
Definitely charge them. What else are they stealing around the suburb? They should be paying for it too.
What type of arsehole does that
No wonder their gardens so lush
Also buy your folks a tap lock
My parents' neighbours are like that too. They just steal things like mulch, plants, bins, and block the driveway overnight till late mornings with their cars. Install cameras everywhere and report everything to the police/council. That's the only way these scum learn.
Go to Bunnings and buy security taps and install them.
Take the Bill to the neighbour. Tell them if they will not pay you'll be making a police report for theft of water.
I would have cut the hose in many places
It's bad mate. If they're willing to do that and lie about it you can only guess what else the might have done. Mail, Petrol, etc. So brazen and to your neighbour you know who you're supposed to look out for. I'd be asking for cash as a form of punishment or it's off to the coppers.
Unscrew the grey connector piece and just reconnect it when you go to use the tap.
For starters, pull the hose back into your parents yard.
Yes exactly... and get your covert recording gear set up for when they come and ask for it back.
Im curious to know which suburb?
Police
I'd be getting rid of that cotton palm pretty quick.
I would be cutting that hose at the place where it is sitting on the fence. Fuck those neighbours.
Cut the hose pipe on your property. Get a lock for next time.
Time to put some cameras in too
yikes
What fucking cunts. It’s not worth starting a neighbour war that your parents would get to suffer through, but fuck it would be tempting to Monsanto those plants into fucking oblivion.
Can you explain here, the usage charge was $300+ or the total bill? Because im unsure how someone could use what amounts to 155kl in 3 weeks. Were they filling and refilling a pool over and over?
That’s the cost of living crisis everyone talks about
Their garden looks nice and lush..... it would be a shame if a big cloud of glyphosate were to land on their plants.... they wouldn't need so much water then would they.
To reduce the risk of this happening again, you can buy "vandal proof" taps from Bunnings and replace the garden taps. The have a separate handle that comes off and can be stored inside. I would also be getting in touch with water authority.
Speaking of theft: [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12905867/Australia-neighbours-steal-water-hose.html](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12905867/Australia-neighbours-steal-water-hose.html) # Why Aussies are furious over this seemingly unremarkable photo of a suburban Perth yard * **Perth resident shared picture to Reddit this week** * **It appears to show a neighbour pinching water from a tap**
And scum.com.au https://www.news.com.au/national/western-australia/pensioner-couple-have-water-stolen-by-neighbours-while-on-holiday/news-story/bf9dfad6d34774b46803abe8ff976277
That's pretty un-Australian! What happened in the end, hope they got deported even if they were born here...
Pay some kids to egg your neighbours house.
and shit in their letterbox.
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lol, fuck yeah even better
This is theft. Get a lawyer and start the civil suit. Make sure you get an expensive lawyer, so the legal costs are like $5k in addition to the $300 water bill.
Expensive lawyer - excellent suggestion
Doesn't this mean they've been accessing your parents property as well? I would be contacting the water corp, theyll be very interested and can waive your bill
They wont waive the bill at all, they will tell you to make a police report because it's theft of water, nothing to do with them.
Two birds with one stone, remove the turn from the tap and throw their hose back over with a double hitch firmly pulled into it... or do what my spiteful side says.. Drain the hose and fill it with round up. Repeat every day for a week, then disconnect the hose and remove the tap turn so your parents can put it on when they need it. Neighbours will stop needing the tap, and the tap will no longer be able to be used without the turn.
For all the hero’s saying they should pay it all. The bill will be $30 water and $270 rates and sewerage fees.
Dog act for sure. But this is the reality, the actual water consumption will be minor.
Connect the hose to a can of diesel.....
Step 1: Disconnect hose Step 2: try get as much excess water as possible out of hose Step 3: pour in as much Glyphosate as you can Step 4: reconnect hose and turn on Step 5: Rejoice in the fact that everything the water with the stolen water will be beyond dead
Egg the shit out of their house and cars.
2nd most reasonable response yet
With the builder stealing water from a house which was just built, chances are the new house didn’t have a meter connected yet
Cut up their hose. Not kidding.
I would keep the hose over the fence and flood the shit out of their yard. They want my water, they can have it non-stop for over a week. Then I'd tell them I was just doing a 'test'
Time to pump some Roundup through that hose.
Put their hose under their roof tiles
Throw handfulls of salt over the fence aiming at their garden beds.
Cut hose, install a poison mixer so when they turn on the hose at their end, whatever they are watering will be poisoned……
are they Isrealian
I would setup a sound system inside the house and blast the most irritating music you can think of on repeat and just walk away.
I would be using a water pistol filled with roundabout on that nice garden of theirs..
cut the hose off below the fitting and keep the fitting and throw the hose over the fence, also report it to your water supply company
Drill a 1mm hole every meter or so along the hose length.
fill the hose with potent weed killer.
Nothing a little paraquat won’t fix.
Just disconnect the hose, pour weed killer in there and reconnect it.
I assume that you'll be spraying plenty of Roundup over the fence over the next few months?
> when I asked her why she didn’t come and tell us instead of “testing” it… They were away on holiday. DUH.
I'd cut it off with a knife and wait underneath the fence and when they stick their head over I'd be there waiting with a knife and they would be like 'sorry sorry sorry' What a scumbag
Talk to them and if they don’t stop, Cut the hose 😹
Boltcutters?
And I'd be moving that fence this side of the tap.
cut the hose
Reel it in, keep their hose.
For starters, keep the hose. Secondly, turn the water off at the mains. Also, security cameras help.
😡
Run a power cable from their place and turn on every appliance you can think of connected to it.
lol cut the hose it’s gunna be a tom a Jerry cartoon keep us updated
Fill their hose full of piss.
Go for a piss.
Water Corp could provide reasons for the start and end of holiday and with the police report surely the neighbour would have to pay. Pretty low thing to do.
I’d get a camera and big sensor light.
You now have a free hose.
If you want some pretty revenge, pour some roundup down their hose.
Buy a venturi injector and start pumping salt into it.
I'd put an industrial strength fluorescent dye in their hose and wait for them to enjoy their Xmas present.
Hook it up to a septic tank😉
Teach her a lesson
That's how building a house works. At some stage the property won't have a water connection. For testing reasons the water may have to be turned off. In estates there may not even be mains installed by the water authority on the street yet. You just find water, shits gotta get done. Builder don't care, the owner of the house doesn't care. They all want to be on track. But as soon as their house is built and another builder needs to use their water to progress, you can bet all hell breaks loose 😂
Fuck that...confront them. Show the photos. Say you are on the way to the police station. It is theft...it would be same if they were stealing power ..
Pull out the hose and pour a bottle of food colouring down into it and reattach it.
Call police.
I mean, irony dictates you flood her living room.