Is this theaft? Help!!!!

[For want of a better word]

A panic plea for legal help from anM8 of mine down in deepest darkest Cornwall ( well nearer Truro than Bodmin from me!!)

I am having some problems with a best mate of mine and wondered if anyone might know of some help I could get !
I have two bee hives on his land isolated and locked up I had a key for the gate.
We have fallen out abit over a car he sold me which was a load of junk in my opinion but you get the drift !
Since my last inspection last year on them he has changed the lock on the gate and in a conversation I asked for a key or access to them, and I told him they need varroa treatment, and he recons I have abandoned them and he has a female beekeeper coming in to look after them and told me too stay clear of his land !
The gate has a wildlife camera on it and a sign trespassers will be prosecuted. I've considered jumping the gate but they are a distance away from the gate and they are two smith hives and a extra double gate.
The hives are fathers really as he paid for them and made new parts i.e. Hive stand etc.
Thanks for any help ! And your time !

Have deleted a few lines to protect the poor mans identity....

He is not a beekeeping forum member

Yeghes da

 

[elite123]

Rather than negotiating to look after them, I would be getting access to relocate them. It isn't clear from your post if he wont give you access to them to look after or wont give you access at all (i.e. to remove them)

In my eyes this is theft - assuming you own the hive.

NB I don't think you can be prosecuted for trespassing as it is a civil rather than criminal offence - but much better to sort things out sensibly and not escalate things any further

Does he accept you own the hives/can you prove it?

 

[Anduril]

Your mate should have the paperwork to prove they are his hives, the female beekeeper will not, nor the landowner. A case for Judge Ringer I think.

 

[enrico]

He clearly intends to permenantly deprive the owner of the property which is theft. However, the case rests on who can prove they own the property. Is there anything on paper where he admits that the hives belong to another. Abandonment is no defence for theft. The big question is proof of ownership. A solicitors letter or a private prosecution might change his mans but honestly..... Try and keep it civil. It seems to me he has his own greviance about the car thing so .....
E

 

[Stiffy]

All sounds very silly and just goes to show, you should never sell anything to a 'mate'......always goes 'tixx up' in my view. Sold a lovely colony of bees last year to a 'Mate' which he managed to lose of the winter and came running to me in spring moaning. Have given him an over wintered Nuc but never again!!
If it cant be sorted by being sensible and it was me and I was confident that I owned the hives, I would cut the lock remove them and let him try and prosecute.
S

 

[wightbees]

Doubt very much you would get police visit for trespassing. I would take them somewhere else soon. Maybe ask police for advice too?

 

[Bee Bumble]

Does the landowner consider he is owed money for the car by the beekeeper and has seized the hives in lieu of the debt? If so, that would complicate the matter!
If the hives belong to the beeks father perhaps he should demand their return?

 

[domino]

The chap/chapette should write them an email asking to agree a suitable time to come and remove your property from the land. Or record a telephone call.

If they choose not to allow that then proceed from there.

They essentially need to record the fact they are choosing to deprive them of their property.

 

[Brigsy]

I would be VERY cautious about causing any damage to recover property.

 

[Jimbo]

A panic plea for legal help from anM8 of mine down in deepest darkest Cornwall ( well nearer Truro than Bodmin from me!!)



I am having some problems with a best mate of mine and wondered if anyone might know of some help I could get !

I have two bee hives on his land isolated and locked up I had a key for the gate.

We have fallen out abit over a car he sold me which was a load of junk in my opinion but you get the drift !

Since my last inspection last year on them he has changed the lock on the gate and in a conversation I asked for a key or access to them, and I told him they need varroa treatment, and he recons I have abandoned them and he has a female beekeeper coming in to look after them and told me too stay clear of his land !

The gate has a wildlife camera on it and a sign trespassers will be prosecuted. I've considered jumping the gate but they are a distance away from the gate and they are two smith hives and a extra double gate.

The hives are fathers really as he paid for them and made new parts i.e. Hive stand etc.

Thanks for any help ! And your time !



Have deleted a few lines to protect the poor mans identity....



He is not a beekeeping forum member



Yeghes da

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Stiffy]

Had this from Beecraft and thought of you!
S
https://gallery.mailchimp.com/9e5d7...ages/93dc4495-383e-4630-b02d-0fbf2757791d.jpg

 

[Hachi]

Cutting locks is criminal damage.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Trespass is NOT a police matter and you cannot be prosecuted for it. It is a civil matter and you can only be sued for damages. So, if you friend damages a lock or a gate, he could be sued for damages.

It's slightly complicated so I think you'll find that Devon and Cornwall's finest won't want to get involved unless the dispute results in a breach of the peace.

If your friend has proof that he owns the hives, then direct action at 3 a.m. not involving any damage to property might be the answer. It would be beneficial if he were able to disable the security camera without damaging it - say, by draping a cloth over it. Leaving some doubt about who removed the hives would muddy the waters nicely!

CVB

 

[REDWOOD]

Cutting locks is criminal damage.

Unless you replace it with a new lock, then send the spare key (recorded delivery) to the said party with a note explaining that the lock has been replaced because the old one didn't work

 

[For want of a better word]

Had this from Beecraft and thought of you!
S
https://gallery.mailchimp.com/9e5d7...ages/93dc4495-383e-4630-b02d-0fbf2757791d.jpg

Brilliant!

Informed that my M8 has joined the forum.. if he gets passed by the administration!

Yeghes da

 

[Hachi]

Unless you replace it with a new lock, then send the spare key (recorded delivery) to the said party with a note explaining that the lock has been replaced because the old one didn't work

Might have stood a chance of a defence had he originally had a key

 

[Millet]

Unless you replace it with a new lock, then send the spare key (recorded delivery) to the said party with a note explaining that the lock has been replaced because the old one didn't work

That is exactly what i would do.

 

[alfazer]

Make sure you have a good beekeeping veil in place before going near the hives (and camera).
Dark glasses and stick-on beard optional.

 

[For want of a better word]

Make sure you have a good beekeeping veil in place before going near the hives (and camera).
Dark glasses and stick-on beard optional.

I would wear big pink fluffy bunny ears too if I thought I was going to be on camera!!

Nos da

 

[Bee mad]

Hi ya thanks for your help
He will not let me onto the land at all !
As he has changed the lock
My father owns the hives
We have nothing in writing from the land owner only verbal !
But I do have the message on Facebook messenger about staying away from his land etc !