Housemate Stole Money - Need Advice :(

Lseibzehn on 08/11/2017 - 17:52
Last edited 09/11/2017 - 13:39 by 1 other user

Hi guys… have a situation here that I'm not sure what to do.
~

background story

I'm renting a mate's house which he's happy for me to sublet - so I did.

One housemate ( Housemate A ) is a mate I've known for a long time, another one ( Housemate B ) is a guy that contacted me through Flatmates ( website to find rentals etc )

So Housemate B have just recently divorced and is still sorting out his legals ( from what I've been hearing from him ) and because of this he's been a month behind his rent - of which I have been tolerating because I understand that shit happens specially when you're dealing with the court, lawyers and whatnot.

There are no locks for the rooms in the house.
~

problem

In August, I've purchased $900 worth of Japanese Yen in prep for my Japan trip in December. I have a "Travel" section in my room where I put all my foreign currencies, passports, visa requirements etc etc in - so the Japanese Yen goes there.

In late August I had to go to Bali for a mate's wedding, so obviously I had to take out some Indonesian money to take with me - which was when I realized that there are only $200 worth of Japanese Yen left.

Understandably I was very pissed off to have my hard earned money disappear on me like that, but since I have no proof / evidence whatsoever, and it was my own mistake of putting cash somewhere in a place without a lock, I was willing to cross it off as a very expensive mistake and not raise hell with any of my housemates.

But I was determined that this will be the first and last time this happens. So I welcomed a few Xiaomi cameras into my household.
~

climax

So, a few days ago I just came back from a short trip overseas. Went back home and was going straight to work when I noticed that my car seat had been moved from the position it's usually on. Checked my dashcam - boom. Housemate B was driving my car when I wasn't home! ( Footage safe in Dropbox )

Being very pissed off, I went home and was about to confront him when I thought I should just check the hard-working Xiaomis first. Boom. Housemate B was ransacking my room. ( Footage also safe in Dropbox )

With this is pretty darn obvious that he was the one that took the Yen ( he was looking for more on my "Travel" section which is now empty ) - and driving my car… who touches another man's car without permission!
~

need advice on…

Went to the cops this morning with Housemate A.

They advised me that since there is no hard evidence that Housemate B took the yen, they will not be able to charge him unless he admits it ( slim chance )

What I can do though, is charge him for trespassing and stealing ( driving car without permission ) and go to court with that.

That being said, there is no guarantee that I will get the money for the rent that he still owes me even though he goes to court.

I was thinking to use the divorce angle and threaten him that he won't be able to see his kids again if he's charged as a criminal, but I don't even know if this is a thing. ( yes, I know I'm being an arse by doing this to another man… but..! )

If I do that and force him to pay up and admit that he's done what he did, I will be able to recoup the $$$ I've lost - but will that make me legally suable for lying about the above?

What are my options here? :(
~

Update ( 5:31 PM 8/11/2017 )
Housemate A just checked his kitty and it appears that he has also lost around $200 :(
~

Update ( 10:38 AM 9/11/2017 )
Went to the coppers again this morning and they said that the Sergeant that is looking over my area only works on Saturday and Sunday, so it's preferred that I wait until then to speak to him / her to hear his / her thoughts.

Home & Garden

Comments

Herodotus on 08/11/2017 - 22:29

+6

Hi. Bake a bananna and blueberry cake. Allow the fragrance to waft enticingly through the abode. Declare loudly that you will be taking a walk for an indeterminate time. Stuff the aforementioned cake with street grade heroin. Upon returning and finding cadaver and cake crumbs scatter used syringes in his room.
- seibzehn on 09/11/2017 - 04:52
  
  +8
  
  Stuff the aforementioned cake with street grade heroin
  
  … now if only someone can tell me where to get the most important ingredient..
  - GaryQ on 09/11/2017 - 07:25
    
    +86
    
    Coles have blueberries on special this week
    - idonotknowwhy on 09/11/2017 - 10:12
      
      +3
      
      LOL
    - Sir Monarz on 09/11/2017 - 12:54
      
      +3
      
      HHHAAA. That made my day !!
  - haidasalami on 10/11/2017 - 00:42
    
    -1
    
    Have you slept with his ex yet ?
potatosalad on 08/11/2017 - 22:44

+4

Is Housemate B likely to read this and put two and two together?
- seibzehn on 09/11/2017 - 04:52
  
  highly doubt so - but thanks for putting that into perspective. Might have to edit out some stuff.
[Deactivated] on 09/11/2017 - 07:49

+6

Get a locksmith, change your locks, take 900 worth of his stuff, and take the rest of his stuff out of the window.
Hire a bikies, give him the message.
- GaryQ on 11/11/2017 - 07:56
  
  +2
  
  Can confirm - I had a housemate move out and was later told that she had stolen perfume, signed books and other bits and pieces that were hard to replace. Found out where she lived and had a mutual friend leave her garage door open. Loaded up a TV box full of DVDs (back when they were worth something) and drove home.
  
  Police called a couple of days later. I told them about the month's rent owed, and the stuff she took from me. Cop asked me if I had the DVDs and I said yes - do you want me to bring them down to the station? He said 'nah, as long as you're happy, this won't go any further'
diceman99 on 09/11/2017 - 08:30

+1

Dont forget, this guy is the one at fault. Dont feel sorry for him. He played you for a sucker.
Tell him you want him out ASAP. Maximum time would be his legal lease time.
Also when he "borrowed" your car. He may have commited a crime, run up some fines, etc etc.
You could use this as leverage to get him out. Keep his bond if he has one.
Change your locks once he's out.
frostman on 09/11/2017 - 08:41

+12
To cut this long epic story short.

What I understand is that:

You're renting with 2 housemates

Housemate B stole $700

Housemate B also drove your car without your consent and you have evidence on some swanky dashcam

You quite possibly work for Xiaomi or GearBest

What do you do?
Check how much court fees are and see if it's worthwhile your time (depending on your job too) and money to take him to court.

My advice is to front him up about it and/or have him pay it back in installments as boarding rent then evict him once done.
- WhatWouldBiggieDo on 09/11/2017 - 09:19
  
  +4
  
  I was also thinking that this is an excellent guerilla marketing tactic for Xiaomi
  - frostman on 09/11/2017 - 10:10
    
    -2
    
    I wouldn't be surprised if this whole story is a ploy by one of Xiaomi's distributors…
    
    So I welcomed a few Xiaomi cameras into my household…
    
    …I thought I should just check the hard-working Xiaomis first.
    
    Looks like the emphasis is more on the Camera build than the loss of $700, I wouldn't be surprised folks…
    - TheRealCher on 09/11/2017 - 10:43
      
      +3
      
      He didn't talk about the umbrella though…
    - frostman on 09/11/2017 - 10:55
      
      +1
      
      @TheRealCher:
      
      Here' some Strawman for lols…
      
      Hi guys I wish to point out the loss of $700 by merely focusing on the product brand that caught the thief not so on how to resolve it..
      I saw a shadow sneaking in my basement to I turned on my Flash light powered by Energizer Lithium, the flash was so bright it blinded him and he ran out, I continued chasing him for 40mins whilst my Energizer-Lithium-powered Flash continued to operate without failing once! Anyway, any suggestions on how I can take him into custody?
    - TheRealCher on 09/11/2017 - 11:57
      
      +1
      
      @frostman: was your basement protected by energiser powered security cameras?
    - frostman on 09/11/2017 - 12:26
      
      +1
      
      @TheRealCher: Yes, in fact my Wireless Mouse is also running on Energizer batteries… =)
    - jm48 on 09/11/2017 - 13:22
      
      +4
      
      seibzehn joined OzBargain 20 hours 2 min ago
      
      Makes you wonder.
    - frostman on 09/11/2017 - 14:25
      
      +1
      
      @jm48: HAHAHAHAHA Gold!
    - jm48 on 09/11/2017 - 15:09
      
      Also Seibzehn is a role playing video game character.
      The OP's avatar comes from this.
      The word Seibzehn is german for seventeen.
      This sort of fits my image of a viral marketer, I could be wrong though.
    - seibzehn on 09/11/2017 - 15:21
      
      +1
      
      @jm48: mate, if you haven't played Xenogears… (눈‸눈) … I have nothing to say to you
    - jm48 on 09/11/2017 - 15:45
      
      +1
      
      @seibzehn:
      Well in that case, if you didn't grow up playing Space invaders, Pacman, Donkey kong and Frogger
      then I have nothing to say to you.
    - smux on 09/11/2017 - 17:20
      
      +1
      
      @jm48: Siebzehn is how it's spelt in German. "Seibzehn" is a misspelling.
    - Lysander on 09/11/2017 - 20:33
      
      +1
      
      @jm48:
      
      It is siebzehn!
      
      Not seibzehn!
    - GaryQ on 11/11/2017 - 07:58
      
      11 Herbs and Spices
      
      Just sayin'
- seibzehn on 09/11/2017 - 13:53
  
  +2
  
  You're pretty much correct except for the Xiaomi/Gearbest part lol ( or are you..? )
  
  Check how much court fees are and see if it's worthwhile your time (depending on your job too) and money to take him to court.
  
  Coppers have advised that there will be no legal fees that I will have to pay - the only thing I'll have to do is take a day off work to go to the court to testify, and that's probably it.
  
  Why did you think that there will be court fees involved?
  - frostman on 09/11/2017 - 14:29
    
    -5
    
    Sory I take back my advice about your theft as I really think you work for or have some affiliation with Xiaomi (one way or another)
    
    You've also went through the trouble of uploading your video for us to see the quality of the video which should really be only used to provide to police as incriminating evidence.
    
    You've also managed to somehow focus on the brand of the camera that caught your $700 theft.
    - seibzehn on 09/11/2017 - 15:20
      
      +4
      
      That's fine, each to their own. I will still take your advice into consideration and thank you for it though.
      
      Hopefully once the dust has settled and I can release footages to the public you'll see that I was genuinely asking for help.
      
      Hope your day ( or week… ) is better than mine!
    - frostman on 09/11/2017 - 16:39
      
      +1
      
      @seibzehn: Thanks
      
      By the way, I'm using a Dell monitor to view this forum
    - WhatWouldBiggieDo on 09/11/2017 - 21:14
      
      @frostman: LoL
    - Marrk on 10/11/2017 - 10:13
      
      The $25 Xiaomi camera is basically the official camera of OzBargain.. I bet you think 9/11 was a government conspiracy too.
    - frostman on 10/11/2017 - 10:33
      
      @Marrk: I bet you've been adequately quenching your thirst from the Kool-Aid bubbler
smashed on 09/11/2017 - 08:51

+3

Organise an OZB meetup at your house and then email this thread to him when he is at work :)
centrelink on 09/11/2017 - 09:02

+6

Just steal some of house mate b stuff and see what happens. If he rises a concern up as well. You start to play dumb and check your stuff and then say "oh crap, I think someone burgled our home and stole $700 yen and housemates $200" as well and be pissed you lost your money. Now he can't blame you lol
hypie on 09/11/2017 - 09:16

+15

mate pretend like you have him on camera stealing the yen and your mates money. tell him if he pays you back you wont press charges. get the money back. then press charges.
- WhatWouldBiggieDo on 09/11/2017 - 09:25
  
  +1
  
  I like this approach
  - hypie on 09/11/2017 - 09:35
    
    +9
    
    Classic Law and Order SVU approach… *thank you ice-T
    - WhyAmICommenting on 10/11/2017 - 00:39
      
      +2
      
      Dun dun
- guysmiley on 10/11/2017 - 13:57
  
  Not quite. He has video evidence of Housemate B driving his car without permission and have him on camera "ransacking his room" the stolen money was not caught on video, neither was the theft of the housemates money.
Seraphin7 on 09/11/2017 - 09:34

+1

Provide evidence to police and insist that charges are laid. Let it take its natural prosecution course from there.
myusername on 09/11/2017 - 09:51

get you lovely local motorcycle entourage to beat it out of them
eXo on 09/11/2017 - 09:56

+12

wow, so many pushovers here.
Well I had this happen to me (divorce, sob stories etc) and since the dude didn't have his name on the lease (correct me if I'm wrong) I booted my bad tenant out when he went out on a date.

Few things I took note of were where his parents live and some other particulars about his identity. My roommate and I took anything of value from scumbags gear (and hocked it in later) to recoup money and booted the rest onto the street and changed the locks etc etc… when he came back of course he made his threats yada yada yada but when I told him I had enough of his info to be a real pain in his @$$ (by the powers of the internet) to really ruin his life if he decided to get cheeky,

Needless to say he didn't do sh!t, and it wasn't till after we cleaned up to move out that we found his private stash of pre-filled ice needles stored in light casings and vents (we had NFI, he must have been in the early stages of his ice career). Turns out the guy did get divorced cause of his habit his wife booted him out, so yes like some other ppl say don't trust a word the guy says, verify it yourself if you want to handle it yourself but I would definately advise to take his sh!t of value and hock it and recoup what you can while you can as I'm almost certain you have other stuff missing you don't even know about.. yet.
- Roman Sandstorm on 09/11/2017 - 11:07
  
  +2
  
  I would definately advise to take his sh!t of value and hock it and recoup what you can while you can
  
  In a civil society based on a code of laws, you don't just take other person's belongings if you believe they owe you money. This is called… theft.
  
  Seriously, this is your solution?
  
  This would place the OP on both an equal moral and legal standing as the original thief. In fact, this course of action could likely be considered more reprehensible than housemate's original 'crimes'. And it would certainly not de-escalate the state of mind of a possibly unstable and volatile person.
  
  eXo, you may have had previous experience with a drug-addicted tenant. (There is no indication this is the situation here.) And you may have indulged in self-admitted criminal activity to resolve that situation to get your few pieces of silver back. Well done.
  
  I do not think this is good advice for the OP.
  
  There is some good advice here, and calmly discussing the events, and asking him to leave (without excessive threats or drama) seems a reasonable course of action.
  - smux on 09/11/2017 - 18:36
    
    +2
    
    I understand that it would be nice if everyone adhered to laws. But if you can deduce that this guy has done the crime, what's the problem in taking matters into your own hands, morally that is. Legally it's a no no, I understand.
    
    But if someone has wronged you, you're essentially saying the only correct course of action is to rely on the police and courts to fix the situation. Part of civil society is mediation and arbitration, too, isn't it?.. Let's call recouping your own losses as a different kind of mediation which is much more effective. Why should we have to rely on the state to fix all our problems? What kind of message does that send to criminals? Do what you want to me and perhaps if the police and courts aren't too busy to sort this out, something might happen to you? Maybe?
    - Roman Sandstorm on 10/11/2017 - 14:33
      
      +3
      
      Zaidoun,
      
      I had to take a walk, count to ten, and take a few deep breaths before replying.
      
      We all actually live in a society (as do most humans) where by general consensus the arbitration of matters considered criminal are delegated to the authority of the state. It's taken some time to get to this point, but even thousands of years ago extreme religious zealots in ancient Palestine respected and acknowledged this concept. ("Render unto Caesar")
      
      what's the problem in taking matters into your own hands, morally that is. Legally it's a no no, I understand.
      
      Well, morally it's a no-no as well.
      
      There are the obvious issues of subjectivity ("I say you stole my stuff. And my view is perfect, and I have never made a mistake. Ever."), and self-interest. But also the matter of undermining or supplanting the authority of the state.
      
      if someone has wronged you, you're essentially saying the only correct course of action is to rely on the police and courts to fix the situation
      
      Not necessarily. At a personal, moral level, if you like, you have alternatives. Acceptance. Forgiveness. Understanding. Resignation. Anger. Chew off your own fingers. Whatever.
      
      We make decisions like these every day of our lives. In your apparent 'libertarian' world, you may want to walk across a busy highway at this very instant because, well, just because. But you make a judgement, a choice, to wait until the traffic thins out a little, or perhaps even wait for a pedestrian light in your favour, as you are not so keen on becoming roadkill. You compromised, despite really, really, really desperately wanting to cross the road right then.
      
      Similarly, some things in our dealings with other humans irk, anger, frustrate us, but we have to make a choice, a compromise, simply in order to get along.
      
      When it comes to criminal matters, the vast majority of people think it's quite OK for the state, the police, the judicial system to deal with things. Most people realise that the chaos and anarchy which would arise from personal vigilantism or "recouping your own losses" as you put it, would be contrary to the benefits of living in a relatively fair, just and equitable society.
      
      Why should we have to rely on the state to fix all our problems? What kind of message does that send to criminals?
      
      So, you are capable of investigating massive complex trust fund frauds? You have forensic capability to analyse and compare DNA?
      
      And, of course, to you, some slob ripping you off for a couple of hundred bucks is vastly more significant than some assaulted spouse in far north Queensland. And you want action. Now.
      
      The message you want to send to criminals is that might is right, violence is the answer, and personal retribution awaits any who transgress me.
      
      Would you really want to live in a society where even such minor matters as the OP's case are summarily dealt with by vigilante action? One would imagine after dealing out your brand of 'justice' to the OP's dodgy housemate, the said dodgy housemate's revengeful friends and family may then take issue with you.
jhmtaylor on 09/11/2017 - 10:12

+2

Kick him out now. You are not going to get your money back. I would cut my losses, put it down to learning a cheap lesson and move on. He is not worth the grief the situation will cause you. But if you want some payback, letting his ex know what he has been up to may give you some satisfaction because she will use it against him far more effectively than you ever could.
beckieQ on 09/11/2017 - 10:30

-2

GET LEGAL ADVICE FROM AN ACTUAL LAWYER, OR YOU MAY SUBJECT YOURSELF TO POTENTIAL LAWSUITS
poiuy1234 on 09/11/2017 - 10:37

+2

Do you have his real name? What about his wife's name or his employer? I'd threaten to supply the police report and footage to both his wife and employer if the money is not returned and owing rent paid within 2 weeks. Good luck!

Oh, and definitely bluff and say that you have him stealing yen on footage as well.
- seibzehn on 09/11/2017 - 13:36
  
  Yup got his real name - can't seem to find the wife using his surname so she might have reverted back to her maiden name.
  
  I think he got laid off mid-August :(
Trying2SaveABuck on 09/11/2017 - 10:42

Kick him out - write off the losses just part of the risks of renting furthermore evidence that tenanting laws need to be stricter not looser
- OzzyOzbourne on 09/11/2017 - 11:48
  
  +2
  
  How will stricter tenancy laws stop someone from steeling money?
  - beckieQ on 09/11/2017 - 12:41
    
    +1
    
    I'd like to ask the same question from Pastry.
    - Trying2SaveABuck on 09/11/2017 - 14:06
      
      +2
      
      This is a prime example of a 'bad tenant' if he had a lease and was renting the mainstream way it is incredibility difficult to kick him out. At least this is a flat mate arrangement where it will be uncomfortable but easier to give im the boot.
      
      The rental laws in the country are a joke there needs to be a 3-day window for people to pay rent then they should be out no appeals no VCAT no bullshit.
      
      number one should be tenants paying rent.
blehgg on 09/11/2017 - 11:06

Waiting for the conclusion…
Amanda3724 on 09/11/2017 - 11:16

+4

You won't see your Yen again. Give him two days to cough up the rent he owes or tell him you've got a replacement lined up, as you can't afford to pay your rent because he's not paid his. Kick him out if he doesn't pay.

People like this have the cash, they just take advantage of others. I assume before he stopped paying rent he sold his iPhone and everything of value and he hasn't bought takeaway or new clothes since?

You can take him to the civil court to recoup your rent, but if you can't find him after he has left it is unlikely you will get anything back.

Stick with the police. You've been proactive enough to get some overwhelming evidence and he'll get convicted. Trust me, a criminal conviction for an offence of dishonesty will affect everything in his future, such as job prospects. The conviction will be with him for life.

Take a tough line with him. He's no victim, he's just taken you both for a ride.

All the very best.
tkdbboy on 09/11/2017 - 11:21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsxaDJAszjs

and/or set traps in your room
Dreamcast on 09/11/2017 - 11:56

See you next Tuesday, that's all that can be said. FFS why are people such scum :/

I've always said if I've had to share a place, I'll get a lock on my bedroom door.
jchowx on 09/11/2017 - 11:56

Please let us know the outcome!
luffyex2010 on 09/11/2017 - 11:59

+2

We need judge dredd in our life.

Citizen house mate B, you have 10secs to return the yen you stole.

Negotiations over, blam blam blam.

We need less scum in the society, you have been judged.

Okay back to reality,….where did I put my scorpio controller.
nobarginsarehere on 09/11/2017 - 12:02

+2

Don't purchase foreign currency.

Just goto the country and use an ATM with the cirus logo (it will be on your card) and you can pull out money from your account in local currency for a good rate, unlike those stupid places you see at malls / airports.
luffyex2010 on 09/11/2017 - 12:31

What if Housemate B is an ozbargain follower……well what are the chances hehehe
NEEDHELP on 09/11/2017 - 12:54

+1

These sort of cases end up turning into real life Forensic Investigators episodes. lol
buckster on 09/11/2017 - 13:03

+1

Get him charged, and that will be retribution enough even if you can't get your money back.

If you threaten him instead of going to the police then he could either bash you / suggest you're blackmailing him which is also a chargeable offence technically.
mobius on 09/11/2017 - 13:12

I would also complain to housemates.com.au.

You need to threaten this guy with blackmail to get your money back. In this case two wrongs will make a right.
Tidy on 09/11/2017 - 13:13

+3

When confronting him, make sure you mention that you can send this footage to his ex-wife and his ex-wife will be able to use this footage against him when it comes to assessing who gets to see the kids more, etc.
- Shwayne on 09/11/2017 - 13:40
  
  -6
  
  That's called Blackmail, a crime almost as punishable as the theft itself.
points4life on 09/11/2017 - 14:00

Upload all the footage to Facebook, YouTube etc. Public shaming FTW
dangerdanger on 09/11/2017 - 14:12

+1

What a douche your housemate is (and soon "was" - kick him out).

Karma - he'll never see his kids again, get cancer, and die a lonely death.

I hate thieves. They're scum.
RiseAndRuin on 09/11/2017 - 14:21

if this were a B-movie, you'd ask the thief to give you back your money (which in a B-movie would end up being around $15-20k) if he doesn't want you to take him to court for driving your car, considering the dashcam evidence you have. you could also try asking his family if you have any contact info. in the meantime, change the locks and potentially keep his stuff until he pays, although not 100% sure that would be legal.
xseta on 09/11/2017 - 16:33

Live stream inc?
Chewiebacca on 09/11/2017 - 16:35

I would just bluff him into believing you have the footage of him stealing the Japanese yen. You already have footage of him driving your car without permission, and ransacking your room, it wouldn't be a stretch for you to also have the footage of him taking the yen. Bluff him into admitting it. I have no sympathy for thieves, asking for a loan or help would've been the right approach.
MessyG on 09/11/2017 - 17:03

+4

Don't threaten him with legal action in the context of not seeing his kids again - that's not your circus and not your monkeys, it's impossible to know what has gone down in his family and what he might do. It might be drugs/gambling/violence, hard to know and you don't want to escalate him, especially if this is a domestic violence situation as the biggest risk to anyone involved is during that year when the partnership has broken down.

I think you need to sit down with his housemate and tell him that you've got cameras in the house and you're aware that he's been in your room, that he's driven your car, and that money is missing. He will probably try to minimise the situation by either coming up a desperation story, claiming a 'brain-snap', or by trying to make out you're crazy for having cameras etc (this is called gaslighting, it's a method of distracting from wrongdoing by pretending there's something wrong with the other person). Just try to ignore all that and say regardless, you are uncomfortable with the situation, you've received advice from the police, and you want to give him the opportunity to move out ASAP. He may try and claim that this will make him homeless, but again, not your circus and not your monkeys. If he becomes homeless, it's 110% his own doing. This is not a hard-up guy, this is an adult man who has made life decisions and continues to make them to his own detriment. Many of us have been through hard times, it doesn't turn us into lying thieves.

If he goes troppo or is obstructive, get the police involved. Do this by the book though, it will be a legal nightmare if you don't. Ultimately you need to show that reasonable steps have been taken to move him along. It's up to you if you want to press charges, if you choose not to though, just make sure you document that conversation with the police, and any subsequent conversations you have with him.
JUSTINO on 09/11/2017 - 17:37

How cares about us kids just bring the case to court because he is stealing a lot of money and driving your car without asking. Put a camera in your room and put a lock in your room to make sure that your mate your sharing the house with does not steal anymore money or anything else
[Deactivated] on 09/11/2017 - 18:27

+2

I can hardly believe someone wants to divorce such a fine fellow! Must be one of those evil, irrational women the internet keeps telling me about.

/s
- MessyG on 09/11/2017 - 19:37
  
  +2
  
  Bonus points when he starts ranting about how biased the family court system is!
bugger off on 09/11/2017 - 19:01

+2

how about set a honeypot trap? keep your cash out in the open. go on a weekend trip or something. make sure the camera's are on and recording.
let him do his thing. you'll have all the evidence in the world to file charges or blackmail him properly, which ever option you prefer.
UFO on 09/11/2017 - 19:17

+1

Criminal Charges.

This guy won't learn/won't care until he's in Court over this dishonest behaviour.

His personal circumstances is not an excuse for being a thief.

Go to police station, say you have video evidence of theft, know the offender, wish to give a statement on the matter, and are prepared to go to Court if required.

They'll get in touch with him, arrange an appropriate time to interview, unless he's already been kicked out of the house and has no ties to a particular place, in which case he'll be arrested and then interviewed anyway.

DON'T cop it on the chin and wear the loss.
DON'T just kick him out and allow him to just continue on being a crim unabated.

Do the right thing and pursue charges on the guy. Court orders for damages (or claiming under victims of crime legislation for compensation of losses) will also give back at least your financial losses.

If you really want to make his day, inform him that under no circumstances is he allowed in your room, and that if he does he'll be trespassing. Audio/video of conversation would be good. Once he commits Trespass, and then commits Theft, all of sudden hey presto its now Burglary.
Much more serious charges.

This guy is a low life crim. It all depends on how hard you want to stop his poor repetitive behaviour.
I'd smash him into the ground (not literally, criminally).
- reon on 10/11/2017 - 12:53
  
  Y'all crazy.. trying to be civil and all that against a thief, chop his fingers case closed.
fruxo on 09/11/2017 - 19:32

Definitely try and get money back. You can tell him you went to cops and have video evidence and will proceed if he doesn't pay back. Even though you shouldn't count on getting anything back, it's hardly impossible that you would and you would be crazy to let him get away without at least causing him some trouble.

We had a situation earlier where there was no way we would get money back ($300 or so), but police had a talk with him and some 6 months later we surprisingly got the money back which we had written off.
belongsinforums on 09/11/2017 - 19:50

+2

xiaomi saves the day again. i can log off ozbargain now
uzz32 on 09/11/2017 - 20:27

+1

Why has everyone discounted the possibility of Housemate A being the thief who stole the money?
Lysander on 09/11/2017 - 20:40

+1

Now, make sure to distinguish where what the police told you is relevant.

They cannot do anything about the yen as there is no evidence and they need to prove the guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. This is criminal law.

If you take the dude to court to recover money he took,that will fall into civil law. There the standard of proof is on the balance of probabilities. With your video evidence you should be able to prove that easily. It is all about who the judge believes and which scenario (yours or his) is more likely to be true.

Plus the threat of this might be enough to convince him to settle up beforehand.

Check if WA has a Civil and Administrative Tribunal - this is likely to be cheapest option for you.

Good luck.
subywagon on 09/11/2017 - 20:40

+1

Tell him to pay all your cash back or you'll press charges.
MessyG on 09/11/2017 - 21:55

It just occurred to me that he may have used your car for criminal activity. Maybe picking up or dealing drugs. Don't lose that footage or proof you were away!
Mparadox on 09/11/2017 - 23:09

+4
You could do entrapment.

Leave a couple of hundred dollars on your desk with the webcam on then catch him stealing it.

Confront him with the footage and the physical cam, point to that cam in person so he thinks its the only one and that its not recording. If he gets spooked that its recording he'll never confess.

In the meantime have another separate cam hidden away recording the confrontation

State to him that you also have footage of the Yen theft as well, and that you are hoping he will pay back, otherwise you will have to talk to the police - be nice at this stage, don't corner him.

Then get him to hopefully confess inadvertently to both the yen and the current theft. Say something like 'why did you take the $900 yen previously?'

If he doesn't pay up, take the footage of the current theft to the police.
Brouw3r on 10/11/2017 - 00:23

+1

Change locks and keep his stuff. He can have it back for the money or you go to cops.
- sagitox on 10/11/2017 - 00:41
  
  lol. Nice! Good idea!
- porsche26c on 10/11/2017 - 08:48
  
  problem is that is theft as well. you need a sherif warrant thingy to do that. so op must be careful
- AustriaBargain on 10/11/2017 - 11:40
  
  It's against the law to change the locks on someone living with you, definitely illegal to ransom his own stuff back to him and blackmail him. This is a shitty situation and the guy is going to snap and then lie through his teeth to protect himself when the police show up bewildered about what is going on. Definitely would want a few witnesses around for anything that goes down, and put your phone secretly on record in your pocket to protect your legal rights when he does inevitably commit another crime.
  - Brouw3r on 10/11/2017 - 15:15
    
    +1
    
    It's also illegal to trespass, steal money, steal OP's car. Ask in person so there's no proof. Plus from what's been said there doesn't seem to be much of a rental agreement between the 2 so as far as anyone's concerned - the thief is just squatting.
sagitox on 10/11/2017 - 00:40

+3

This is why I have always lived alone (apart from when I lived under my Mum and Dad's roof). Too much hassle with rent, taking each other's food, using each other's car, etc.

Bad luck, mate. I hope it all works out at court for the things you have evidence for (driving your car, etc.)
Lucky13 on 10/11/2017 - 02:40

+2

At least we know why he's divorced. He stole her heart… and then everything else.
squaredonut on 10/11/2017 - 06:51

+1

Hey OP that sucks. But I feel that everyday you delay it and leave him hanging about is a risk. Guy obviously has 0 (profanity) to give, so he's a ticking time bomb. Probably thinks that with the divorce he has nothing else to lose in life. By the way, I hope he doesn't brows OzB…
- kevinMario on 10/11/2017 - 14:41
  
  +2
  
  if he browses OzB he should have enough money saved up to not have to steal from people! haha
porsche26c on 10/11/2017 - 08:47

most likely has done it to other people, once you get him out of the house with threat of going to cops, i would press the charges anyway to teach him a lesson.

dont be soft on the guy. approach him with the footage with maybe an extra witness in the room to document it video. ask for your money back if he doesnt, say ill take the loss but you have 3 hours to pack up your crap and get out otherwise charges will be pressed. once out. press them anyway.
abel on 10/11/2017 - 09:26

Assist wife as much as possible with legal proceedings (and any other services requuired) and consider all even
AustriaBargain on 10/11/2017 - 11:36

Upload the videos to liveleak, make a few of his friends aware of it, and then sleep the sleep of the just after a good days work.
RainbowHands on 10/11/2017 - 11:39

+2

hello, if i were you the best way to approach this would be the passive aggressive way

step 1 grab a bunch of mates - it doesnt matter if they are all nerds, its the body count that matters + points for big guys just fill up the room
step 2 time an evening where you all get back before housemate B and all STAND in the living room waiting for him
step 3 you must stop him from walking any further and get him to stay in the living room
step 4 calmly confront him and inform him about what he has been doing and the footage you have acquired, waffle on as much as you can (everyone has to be quiet and staring at him, crossing arms whatever)
step 5 ask him how he will make this right - don't mention any legal court whatever because you are hinting to him that you are willing to go outside court to settle this (again extra points for waffling on)
step 6 you MUST give him a deadline to resolve the matter, eg you want all the money back and for him to leave the premises

the point of all the people standing in his room is to paint the image of him being threatened but not threaten him actually
as far as that day goes, it's a bunch of mates at your place
its unlikely he will seek legal action because he has threatened your well being in the house by being a thief which you have footage of that can be used in court
again dont mention any legal action but welcome it if he threatens you with it

good luck with it please update everyone of the outcome!
- seibzehn on 10/11/2017 - 14:40
  
  +2
  
  step 1 grab a bunch of mates - it doesnt matter if they are all nerds
  
  do I know you? how did you know this? :(