Items are going missing from my locked room in a share house (the door is locked whenever I am not in the room-bathroom/shower/not home - always). The value well exceeds $4000. My wallet, money and clothing routinely go missing.
The last time my wallet went from my work bag it was gone for a month and a half (bag is completely emptied at home when I get back from work) and showed up in my bag a month and a half later (in the same bag after I had a shower before work). It cost me $800 to replace the cards.
I had installed cameras which would be broken when I returned from work or turned off. When I raised the issue of missing items with the property manager requesting a new lock I was refused.
When my key went missing shortly after and property manager refused to replace for six days instructing that I would need to leave the room open for the duration in order to gain access I contacted the head office to get a replacement as a matter of urgency through this still took three days. The key was replaced and I lost the second key which I later found giving me a spare.
Meanwhile, items were still going missing from my locked room. The spare went from my bag in my locked room when I had a shower one week later. Anything from reading glasses ($800 x2; sunglasses ($150 @), swimwear, clothing, underwear, socks, phones ($150@), DVDs, makeup, my wallet, money ($50 from my bag when I was in the shower before work Thursday) and $200 swimwear (just the tops) when I went to the gym yesterday).
Prior to boxing my items flatmates had a conversation outside my room stating that the best time to go into my room was when I was having a shower. This was mentioned to the property manager when I was requesting a new lock and she refused. When I boxed everything the property manager complained sending me an eviction notice stating that I was using the space not to live in but for storage - despite not having any notification of entry or inspection noting items in my room that could only be seen by entering. I advised in writing that things were in sealed boxes as things were being stolen from a locked room.
After addressing the issue of having items boxed in my room to prevent theft (I put them in storage) two employees of the property manager came to my room to inspect. I had put a camera in the room. The one employee on entering the room went straight for this plug and picked it up to inspect it. I return home and items are broken and moved or removed completely. The Monday following my key went missing.
When I take a shower my laptop bag when I return is all unzipped- every time. Yesterday I went to the gym on returning home the tops to all my swimwear are missing and crop tops for workout gear. I don't have the money to replace this stuff and it is occurring whenever I am at work (5 days a week), not at home, in the shower, etc.
It's more about the overall cost for things in particular that I need and cannot afford to replace and the ongoing stress and impact it is having on my by living with this. I was given $50 from a family member who went from my bag when I had a shower before work. The fact that I am and have always locked the room and have received no support/indifference/advice that is inconsistent with property manager's obligations when notifying of the situation makes it difficult as I don't know what else I can do. When I was handwashing clothing last week I returned to an open room 4x despite locking it.
My new roommate has threatened to throw out my belongings with a note on my door despite not keeping anything outside my room for obvious reasons. She has also threatened that she will fight me (note on my door) justifying the statement (verbally) that she and the other flatmates have not to respect for me. This I raised with the property manager who said she would speak with the flatmate. On my work holidays, there was a notification that the airconditioning inspectors would come (they come once a month and it is a regular occurrence that my room will be unlocked on my return on these days).
I happened to be home and they came in when I was there and then again on the following day which was not a notified entry. The last time they came on my return from work the door was again unlocked.
My questions are:
How do I go about proving what is going on? - especially considering cameras have been tampered with in the past and are very expensive (something I cannot afford).
Am I able to go to the police about this (theft/return of items)? Will they do anything/ will it achieve anything?
I imagine they have this stuff in their rooms. How do you go about getting evidence/proving it that police will even consider getting involved - especially because it is occurring routinely, daily, all belongings, invasion of my private space that I have paid for, and just the amounts that I just cannot afford to go on replacing and replacing and replacing this stuff...
Am I able to request a locksmith to change the lock and provide the property manager with the only spare?- but even if I do this I've had so much trouble with the property manager - not sure what this will achieve in the long run.
Of course, I need to move but the lease is not up until February - do you have any other practical advice or know of anyone else I could seek advice from to manage this situation and seek the return of these items that I cannot afford to replace.
The last time my wallet went from my work bag it was gone for a month and a half (bag is completely emptied at home when I get back from work) and showed up in my bag a month and a half later (in the same bag after I had a shower before work). It cost me $800 to replace the cards.
I had installed cameras which would be broken when I returned from work or turned off. When I raised the issue of missing items with the property manager requesting a new lock I was refused.
When my key went missing shortly after and property manager refused to replace for six days instructing that I would need to leave the room open for the duration in order to gain access I contacted the head office to get a replacement as a matter of urgency through this still took three days. The key was replaced and I lost the second key which I later found giving me a spare.
Meanwhile, items were still going missing from my locked room. The spare went from my bag in my locked room when I had a shower one week later. Anything from reading glasses ($800 x2; sunglasses ($150 @), swimwear, clothing, underwear, socks, phones ($150@), DVDs, makeup, my wallet, money ($50 from my bag when I was in the shower before work Thursday) and $200 swimwear (just the tops) when I went to the gym yesterday).
Prior to boxing my items flatmates had a conversation outside my room stating that the best time to go into my room was when I was having a shower. This was mentioned to the property manager when I was requesting a new lock and she refused. When I boxed everything the property manager complained sending me an eviction notice stating that I was using the space not to live in but for storage - despite not having any notification of entry or inspection noting items in my room that could only be seen by entering. I advised in writing that things were in sealed boxes as things were being stolen from a locked room.
After addressing the issue of having items boxed in my room to prevent theft (I put them in storage) two employees of the property manager came to my room to inspect. I had put a camera in the room. The one employee on entering the room went straight for this plug and picked it up to inspect it. I return home and items are broken and moved or removed completely. The Monday following my key went missing.
When I take a shower my laptop bag when I return is all unzipped- every time. Yesterday I went to the gym on returning home the tops to all my swimwear are missing and crop tops for workout gear. I don't have the money to replace this stuff and it is occurring whenever I am at work (5 days a week), not at home, in the shower, etc.
It's more about the overall cost for things in particular that I need and cannot afford to replace and the ongoing stress and impact it is having on my by living with this. I was given $50 from a family member who went from my bag when I had a shower before work. The fact that I am and have always locked the room and have received no support/indifference/advice that is inconsistent with property manager's obligations when notifying of the situation makes it difficult as I don't know what else I can do. When I was handwashing clothing last week I returned to an open room 4x despite locking it.
My new roommate has threatened to throw out my belongings with a note on my door despite not keeping anything outside my room for obvious reasons. She has also threatened that she will fight me (note on my door) justifying the statement (verbally) that she and the other flatmates have not to respect for me. This I raised with the property manager who said she would speak with the flatmate. On my work holidays, there was a notification that the airconditioning inspectors would come (they come once a month and it is a regular occurrence that my room will be unlocked on my return on these days).
I happened to be home and they came in when I was there and then again on the following day which was not a notified entry. The last time they came on my return from work the door was again unlocked.
My questions are:
How do I go about proving what is going on? - especially considering cameras have been tampered with in the past and are very expensive (something I cannot afford).
Am I able to go to the police about this (theft/return of items)? Will they do anything/ will it achieve anything?
I imagine they have this stuff in their rooms. How do you go about getting evidence/proving it that police will even consider getting involved - especially because it is occurring routinely, daily, all belongings, invasion of my private space that I have paid for, and just the amounts that I just cannot afford to go on replacing and replacing and replacing this stuff...
Am I able to request a locksmith to change the lock and provide the property manager with the only spare?- but even if I do this I've had so much trouble with the property manager - not sure what this will achieve in the long run.
Of course, I need to move but the lease is not up until February - do you have any other practical advice or know of anyone else I could seek advice from to manage this situation and seek the return of these items that I cannot afford to replace.
