Burglary / sentimental items advice

Yesterday my letting agent casually informed me by email that I would need to clean the hallway of the basement storage room as following a break in things had been thrown everywhere as the doors had been kicked in and items taken.

I immediately went home and looked and was shocked that not only had my 4 guitars and tv been stolen out of there, some bags containing really personally sentimental items of no monetary value had been taken.

Since I was young I have collected tickets for events, holidays, photographs etc and had 3 large bags of them in storage. They were worth nothing but sentimental value and I am shocked that they have been taken given the lack of value to anyone but myself. I am distraught that they have gone and assume they have been thrown in the bin when the thief/ thieves realised they are not worth anything to sell. I had a walk to see if they had been dumped anywhere nearby last night and was horrified when I finally got in touch with the letting agent to hear that this robbery happened on Thursday night.

I was just wondering if anyone had experience with anything like this and what my chances would be of their return for a cash reward? The letting agent has really let me down waiting 4 days to inform me. I am very hurt and confused they were gone- lots of things were left in lots of storage lockers of others that were valueless, why does someone want my old train tickets, gig tickets, family photographs, football match tickets, brochures from travels etc?

I stupidly don’t have renters insurance so I don’t even know if I’ll get anything for the items of value that have gone missing, but nothing can replace the keepsakes I’ve spent years collecting.

 

I’d like to see the death penalty for burglary. It’s the fact that they take your things that you struggle to work for and afford in the first place. This along with them robbing you while your at work paying for their welfare in taxes.

 

Nothing to lose by offering a reward I suppose but you're right they've probably been binned by now. Sorry to hear about the burglary and it's rubbish you weren't contacted straight away,

 

You have my sympathies. It must be gutting. Unfortunately we now live in an age where levels of service from police, letting companies, insurers are reduced to the bare minimum or nil in favour of cost cutting and profits.
We also have an educational system that is turning out school leavers with no conception of the feelings of others and a sense of deep entitlement to their own desires.
I guess that's always been the case though and I'm just getting old.
Anyway, I hope your stuff turns up.

 

Letting agents..... Phooeee. Right move, rebadged to right plonkers.

 

Burglary is a despicable crime and should carry a much harsher sentence. The impact on those who have had their homes / property violated by these scumbags can be devastating. As you say it is the items of sentimental value, those that can't be replaced, that matter the most. I would offer a reward for their return and just hope that you get them back but I think you're right that the low-life who stole them will have realised that the bags were full of stuff they couldn't sell and have just chucked them away. Good luck, I hope you get your items back.

 

We got burgled a couple of years ago whilst in bed and we had our grand kids staying over they too laptop and phones etc. Unfortunately the police are understaffed so can't see them busting a gut to catch someone it will be a case that if they catch someone doing another job they will get them to own up to others so the case gets closed. These ******** are the scum of the earth and don't give a toss about your personal belongings, hope you get them back but don't hold your breath

 

Absolutely shocking people. When I told her about the sentimental stuff that had gone missing she said ‘well at least it’s not worth any money’...!

 

Very sorry to hear that.

Sadly the police have no resources these days, I've had a lot of experience, living in Leeds 6. They give you a crime number & you are rewarded by higher premiums for insurance.

Modern Life Is Rubbish.

 

It’s one of the worst feeling when you realise you’ve been burgled. When I got done they didn’t actually take anything but it was the fact that they’d been through my stuff which I found most distressing. The ******** should be hanged.

 

I read where the same thing happened to someone near me, they put appeals on Facebook...the local paper, and stuck posters up on lamp posts...they did get the sentimental stuff back....got to be worth a try.

 

I once got burgled whilst on holiday. Nowt came of it. But read in chronicle a while later that the kennel owner where we boarded our dog. Was done for passing on information to burglars. I was fortunate that we came home a night early and must have disturbed em when I pulled into drive. Went in front door and saw stuff strewn all over. Nothing of value taken but back door and frame had to be replaced. Absolute scum.

 

I'm not one for the death penalty, but I do think we need to look into the punishment for people who do such things.

 

Could it be someone else - not the original thieves who have taken the sentimental stuff.

 

That’s what worries me. No real way to find out. Stuff was thrown all over the hall so if they had maybe someone moved it thinking it unimportant.

 

Development on this:
Following reviewing the cctv footage the police confirmed only 2 items were taken during the initial burglary, meaning everything else was stolen by people either in or with access to the building in the 4 days it took the letting agent to inform me the break in had happened- with my storage locker sitting open.
They have still not even begun to fix it and are telling a lot of lies- told me it had happened the night before initially (not 4 days before), then told me all lockers had been broken into (only certain ones with valuables were), told me they would send an email out to residents to keep an eye out for my stuff (they haven’t) and that I could put a poster up in the lobby (it gets removed every time I put one up, I think meaning they only told those that had been broken into so everyone didn’t know about the break in)
I feel like I have a legitimate grievance for negligence from the landlord but am unsure what I stand to gain or what I can do about it? I feel powerless and very upset that had they told me about the incident when they found out (the day of it) I would still have my belongings.
They have since stopped replying to my calls or emails and I think just want me to go away knowing I can’t do anything about it. Indeed, when I told them about it initially their words were ‘well, that’s not worth any money’!!!!
Any advice would be very appreciated as I know there are people from all kinds of walks of life on here.

 

Start by naming and shaming them.
B@llocks to slander.
Bad publicity is the very minimum they deserve.

 

Would love to but would be worried about any implications if I do end up taking it further (though not sure id stand to gain anything from that)