Who has legal rights over a skip

[loggy01]

We had a skip on the road outside our house for disposal of our rubbish/old furniture. People keep taking things from it!! Whilst I dont mind people having things that I no longer need, it is horrible someone else picking through my rubbish. Who has legal rights over the skip? Is it us, the skip man or is it a free for all?

[Postdog]

Don't know the legalities, but skip diving is pretty common - after all, it's rubbish. I wouldn't even bother worrying about it. Of course if the skip were on a private drive, that would be different.

[bednobs]

are you mad? if someone takes something out of the skip then that means theres more room for more of your rubbish at no extra cost!
We recently had a skip and someone took a fitted oven from a 20 year old kitchen that i swear had never been cleaned, and also had no buttons! Luckily it meant there was room for that extra cupboard in there which i thought id have to take to the tip in my smart car
Sorry i cant really help with your question but my guess woud be that you have clearly signalled your intent to dispose of this stuff by placing it in a skip so its not theft

[loggy01]

No, it does make more room for other things - the trouble is that they took so much we cant seem to fill it up, it has now been on the road for two months!! It just set me thinking as to whom the rubbish belongs to?

[Buenchico]

It's (theoretically at least) a criminal offence, under the Theft Act 1968, to remove something from a skip without the permission of the owner. However, that brings into question as to who the owner actually is. Does the householder still retain ownership or has he transferred such ownership to the company providing the skip?

To complicate matters further, it's not theft if the (former) owner of property has genuinely discarded it. So, for example, the tramp who rummages through rubbish bins on the street isn't committing theft.

So it's complicated. If you were placing metal items into the skip, and the skip owner was expecting to profit from the scrap metal value, taking those items would probably be theft because a court could rule that you'd simply transferred ownership of the metal, rather than discarding it. In that case, the court would probably order that any restitution be paid to the skip owner, rather than to you. However, the magazines and websites which promote 'skip diving' usually advise that, in order to stay on the right side of the law, the householder's permission should be sought before removing anything.

Chris

[tiara4321]

I did order a skip and it was on my drive way anyway they said " they couldnt pick it up for 2 months" so i told them it was on my property so i would sell it. they came and picked it up that afternoon.and they got it full of the rubble i told them what i was going to put in it .so i think most of them are happy to let the public dispose of the rubbish. to be honest would you of paid for the skip if you had known. people collect a load of rubbish thats of any value the only thing really not to any value to them is....... rubble food left overs. because anything metal they sell down the scrap yard do you not remember the rag and bone man "steptoe and son" and if it wasnt fit for any thing they wouldnt take it Ie lumps and a load of breeze blocks nappies if they did you would get charged tripple and you know if you think what you can make of any metals fridges why do you think they say put that 0ver there because they know who will buy it... But if you chuck it out do you want it back????/ dont throw it away unless you want it........ if it goes you still get charged for the skip at least if people take it you know you are not causing more people to open land fills....

[tiara4321]

And here is a lesson to everyone to shred or deface anything that has your name address on. and if the rubbish is illegaly dumped.....YOU will be responsable.... YOUR NAME YOUR RUBBISH!!!!!!!!!!!

[buildersmate]

You don't HAVE to fill it before getting it taken away.
In my experience the bigger problem is folks putting THEIR stuff in MY skips.

[Lindylou]

If you've put anything into a dustbin or a skip then it is deemed to be rubbish. Don't need a search warrant or anything else to take stuff out of it. Why fret? As stated in previous answers, just makes more room for more rubbish! If you have any sensitive rubbish then shred it /burn it or otherwise destroy it prior to putting it into the skip. Its usually the other way round - people putting their rubbish into your skip.

[loggy01]

Funny you should say about people putting rubbish in our skip as tonight when I got home there were old sofa cushions and a telephone!!

[lawsanass]

I would keep quiet, firstly as said you have more room for your rubbish and secondly a skip is not allowed on a public highway or council owned land, if your found out you could be in trouble with the local authorities

[loggy01]

The skip man had to apply for a special license or so he said to enable the skip to be placed on the road it also had to be coned and lit at night.

[lawsanass]

Oh I see, well as annoying as it is to see chavs trawling through your unwanted possessions I guess you will have to put up with it, I wouldnt think there is anything legal you could do. Perhaps try and put a large note on saying you will not be responsible for any contamination and illness arrising from members of the public searching the skip as it may contain harmful materials, chemicals and hazardous waste. That might to the trick, might be funny to watch too