Very suspicious

[Welder Dave]

I had a guy who lives close come out and help me pump water off my MX today and a few hours later went back out to pump some more. When he went to lock the gate, the lock was gone! If it would have fell off it would have been laying on the ground but it was nowhere to be found. It's a dead end road and I can't help but think my problem neighbor might have taken it. Thinking maybe he saw a vehicle go past and went to see if it went to my track and saw the lock unhooked on the open gate so took it. Thankfully the guy helping me has a friend a couple miles away and got another lock for the gate. I can't see someone going down the road and up to my open gate and taking the lock. Sure wish I had a trail cam set up. Last year someone cut the chain on the gate. I have a trail cam but it's not set up. I was thinking about getting a newer cellular trail cam that can take live pics. and send them to my phone. Am I wrong to think my neighbor might have taken it? It was in the evening at the end of a dead end road. I'll definitely change the combo on the new lock. The neighbor already takes pics. and calls the cops on people he thinks are speeding so it's not too far fetched he's trying to make things difficult for me.

 

[RocketScott]

The simplest explanation is most likely so I think your reasoning is solid. It's not wrong to suspect the neighbor who's made it clear that he doesn't want you there doing what you're doing

Have you talked to law enforcement about the neighbor? They've got be sick of him calling

For sure get trail cams up. If more things start going missing get some air tags. Put them in things that are over the threshold for felony theft and point trail cams at them. I'd let the petty nuisance stuff slide for a bit. Wait till he does something serious enough to face criminal charges then drop the hammer

 

[Vetech63]

Make sure the next gate weighs 2000 lbs and is anchored in 1000 lbs of concrete.

 

[thepumpguysc]

We had the lock stealing problem UNTIL someone suggested snapping the lock closed after opening the gate..
A veritable genius I tell ya.!!(me)

 

[TCat]

If you put up a camera make sure it’s well hidden or at an elevated position where it can’t be stolen or vandalized. If the person figures out it’s there, pictures of a masked person stealing or smashing the camera aren’t much good.

 

[CM1995]

We had the lock stealing problem UNTIL someone suggested snapping the lock closed after opening the gate..
A veritable genius I tell ya.!!(me)

What good is a lock without the key or code??

 

[Vetech63]

What good is a lock without the key or code??

Scrap money lol

 

[Welder Dave]

I always couple the lock but don't change the numbers. If someone was smart enough they could figure out the combination just by looking at the numbers when they pull the lock apart. It's not like a school combination lock that resets every time you close it. Very little traffic down that road especially after supper time. The gate was open and it's about 100' inside my property. Who is going to drive up the driveway and be looking at the lock when the gate is already open? I've had people come up the driveway, see me and then make a beeline out of there. The neighbor seems the most likely. Someone taking the lock doesn't help them if I get a new lock with a new combination right away. I'm going out with a new lock and will take a good look to see if maybe the lock fell off in a hard to see spot.

 

[Welder Dave]

The simplest explanation is most likely so I think your reasoning is solid. It's not wrong to suspect the neighbor who's made it clear that he doesn't want you there doing what you're doing

Have you talked to law enforcement about the neighbor? They've got be sick of him calling

For sure get trail cams up. If more things start going missing get some air tags. Put them in things that are over the threshold for felony theft and point trail cams at them. I'd let the petty nuisance stuff slide for a bit. Wait till he does something serious enough to face criminal charges then drop the hammer

I talked to the public works director at the county. There are no stipulations for me regarding the road and the county noise restrictions are in effect from 10pm-7am when I'm not open. The lock thing is weird but not as weird considering someone cut the chain last year. Could be the neighbor trying to be a nuisance hoping I'll get fed up and shut down? I'll put a camera up soon.

 

[Bumpsteer]

The sportsman club I used to belong to had the gate lock welded to a chain....that was welded to the post.

Ed

 

[Welder Dave]

I've considered that. I did wrap a zip tie around the chain and lock so there's no way the lock can fall off. It would be easy to cut the chain with bolt cutters but taking the lock doesn't benefit anyone. It's just annoying and I had to buy a new lock. I hope it wasn't the neighbor but have strong suspicions based on other things he has done. Last I talked to him he figured people came to the track and got mad it was closed so sped off down the road in anger. If the gate wasn't locked people could get in. It could be just a way to annoy me too. Cut the chain 1 year then come across an open lock and take it. You never know what tricks someone might be playing if they're not happy with you or what you're doing. Trying to figure out how I can hide a trail cam to watch the gate.

 

[BluewaterLa]

I would ask him if he needs any pad locks next time I seen him. Just randomly and to let him know he's not messing with a dummy.
Guilty people will show signs over some random question geared at them when they know its specific to something they have done wrong.

 

[cfherrman]

Get two trail cams, one put in a obvious spot so they know you are watching, then hide the second watching the first so you can see who stole the first one.

I would definitely troll the neighbor asking him if he needed a padlock as you have some spares laying around.

 

[Welder Dave]

Might be better to say I lost a couple things. If he asks what, I could say a couple tools I left out. Maybe later he might slip up and ask if I found my lock.

 

[nicky 68a]

You’d be suprised.
I’ve got 70 storage containers and customers occasionally forget to lock them and leave the padlocks on the ground.Useless without keys,but doesn’t stop the thefts.My assumption is that they’ll come back later knowing a container is unlocked and get inside

What good is a lock without the key or code??