Feeling Bad About Where We Live After A Theft.

[Jenarry]

My boyfriend had his work van stolen in the early hours of Monday morning. it was parked on the road outside our house.My bf is gutted.
He has been hankering after a new van for a good while now so I hope we can turn it round into a positive if the insurance give him a fair pay out for his van.
Unfortunately all his work tools aren't covered by the insurance so it is going to cost him in time and m oney to replace them all. :O/
the worst thing though is the bad feeling it has left that it has happened on our village street just outside of our house.
It is quite a busy road that gets used as a rat run to other villages and so my wing mirrors gets dinged quite a bit by speeding drivers and my bf has had his workvan scratched due to vandalism .Also a neighbour down the street was burgled recently and also shed thefts and things stolen from front gardens.
so all in all we are now thinking about moving house either to a quieter part of the village or somewhere new entirely hopefully with our own drive.
it feels a bit like a knee jerk reaction. Do you think we are over reacting to this.

[grasscarp]

If you are not happy about where you live then do find out about moving somewhere else. Scratches, broken wing mirrors and outright theft are things you can do without.

[jno]

no, move wherever you wish and wherever you can afford; that's what everyone tries to do. (But do remember vans can be stolen from drives too.)

[Octavius]

I think if you are unhappy where you are and can afford to move then you should. Just do your research well.

[EDDIE51]

Apart from the traffic these things happen everywhere so i don't think moving would solve the problem. If you could afford a place with a private drive then that would be better for the parking but crime happens everywhere.

[Old_Geezer]

Nowhere is immune to sntisocial activity. Do whatever makes you feel comfortable, but my advice would be not to rush away but let things settle down first and then see if you feel you need to go through the hassle. That said you do list a number of things that suggest you aren't in the most salubrious of places. You may decide it is for the best when the time comes anyway.

[Georgiesmum]

So srry to hear about you boy friends theft. No, i dont think you are over reacting.Ive heard of people on our estate having work vans broken into and tools taken too.Has he marked them with his initials so they can be easily recognised? If so, when he reports the theft to the police, they will look round boot sales for you and hopefully get them back. This does happen.
If he has a garage, tell him to back the van right up to it at night so no one can break into the back doors., thats if he hasnt got a garage to park it in at night of course.

[andy-hughes]

What he needs - and I know this is a horse / stable-door interface - is one of those 'No tools left in this vehicle overnight' stickers.

Thieves are opportunists, they won't waste time if they think there will be no result.

[pixie373]

If you do move, ring your car insurance people first for a quote for the new area. That should give you some idea of car crime/damage in that area.

[jomifl]

Thefts may happen everywhere but some areas are more prone to thefts than others. Parking on your own property will make life easier in many ways as suggested above. Meanwhile If your bf stores his more valuable tools in a trunk bolted inside the van then that will be a temporary solution.

[Arksided]

Thats a shame for you as posted above if you feel the need to move do so, a few years ago my brothers van was broken into and all tools/equipment were stolen (Electrician). After which when he replaced them all he put a sticker on the back of the van which read "There are no tools in this van, get a job you lazy F**ker!" it never happened again. not much help but hope it gave you smile.

[Jenarry]

the whole van plus tools was stolen .:O( which we are told is unusual for his type of van.apparently they are very hard to steal unless you have the keys. :O/ I don't know which they were after particularly but i suppose one of those signs are worth a try with the next van.

[stewey]

Wouldn't the tools be covered under your home-contents insurance?

[Peter Pedant]

Put in CCTV and train it on the van.

[Jenarry]

no I rang them today to check ..not covered for items in a vehicle. :O(

[Epona]

Jenarry, sorry to hear about your burglary. When you get your next van insured try Van Compare, we got a good competitive insurance policy using Zenith and the tools were included. If you are not happy where you are move, its just a house. You have to be comfortable and feel safe.

[Dee Sa]

lots of vans now have this "no tools left in this van overnight" on their back window. Same happened to my eldest son, he had to frequent the local boot sales and buy his own tools back !

[jacklee]

I know this won't be of much consolation but how's this for a burglary story.
We were ready to move into our brand new bungalow - van packed -ready for the dream move,
Phone call about 8am - if you are moving into plot number so-and so - don't bother as you have been burgled!
Panic - wife weeping - said she wsn't moving - but people on wasy to move into our house.
Brand new bungalow - builder distraught!
My son and I went to the bungalow - all the new curtains, lamp shades, gas boiler, shower removed.
Worse still all doors ripped from kitchen units - leaving the carcase useless and needing refitting.
Parting shot - guess what the buggers stole - yes, the toilet seat!!!
Took three weeks to put every back to normal - but we have had 20 happy years here until recently when my dear wife has has to move into a nursing home.
Hope things go well for you

[Jenarry]

we have heard that so much Dee sa. I want to try a couple of the local car boots on sunday and one in particular that has a reputation for this.
Jacklee that made me go aaah. what a horrible start to your life in your new home but I'm pleased to hear you were happy after this. It makes me sad that some people give no regard for others and how there thieving ways effect them .
A neighbour was telling me today that her husband had his workvan with thousands of pounds worth of tools stolen a few years ago ,he couldn't work for months with no van or tools and a couple of years later had to declare himself bankrupt with the van theft the root cause of all their problems. :O(