Is it wrong??

[ZiSunka]

I can't get close enough to touch her. When she sees me, she goes back in her house. She's like that with all the neighbors.

I would love to be able to love her as a sister in the Lord and a friend, but she is not accessible.

Keep praying for her.

I didn't intend this thread to get as serious as it did. I just thought it would be an interesting moral discussion--is it wrong to steal trash off the street?

 

[paulewog]

I was told ... by mom ... that garbage is private property, and it's a crime for someone else to go looking through it.

Past that, I don't know.... leave on street, who knows. I wouldn't take them without asking though, that'd be like picking flowers. Do the flowers have monetary value? Not really.... but still, it's at least RUDE to do it without asking

 

[ZiSunka]

But it's not in a can, it's not in her property, it's loose leaves out on the street next to her house. If they blew across the street, they'd be in my yard. In fact, most of her leaves blow into my yard.

If they are her property, and they blow into my yard, should I make her come and rake up her leaves?

 

[ZiSunka]

I wouldn't take them without asking though, that'd be like picking flowers. Do the flowers have monetary value? Not really.... but still, it's at least RUDE to do it without asking

But if the flowers are growing up through a crack in the road in front of her house, are they her flowers?

 

[Gerry]

I have racked my brain into a migraine and have decided, yes, it would be wrong to take the leaves. Whew! There are so many legal technicalities involved it is difficult to make a moral judgement without knowing them all.
LOL. Anyway, just leave the leaves and you will be ok. As for the coveting, well, seems like such a small thing, but if the leaves are technically legally her property, then you can't do that either.

Reminds me of where I live. You cannot shoot a deer legally, out of season.
Even if they are on your property and destroying your garden. There is a very long legal mess about who owns the deer. The State is in charge of their "welfare", but the deer belong to the "People". In this case the State and the People are not the same, so for property you have to sue every person in the state individually and collectively. After that it gets complicated. lololol

 

[paulewog]

If they blow into your property, I don't know that you would be made to return her dead leaves, hehe

If she puts them OFF her property, that's a bit dfiference.

But I think it'd be rude to go take "her" leaves without asking, still.... not necessarily against the law though

 

[ZiSunka]

What if it were a smashed pop bottle in the gutter on her side of hte street, something that someone just tossed out the window while they drove by?

Would it be okay for me to pick it up and put it in my recycling bin, or isa it her property?


Lighten up folks, don't take this so seriously

 

[GraftMeIn]

Lambslove,
Sorry to hear your neighbor doesn't want to get along with you. I wouldn't take her leaves as it would only give her another reason to be angry with you.

Something you may wish to try though is to show her some acts of kindness, rather than just being kind. Like if you grow vegetables in your garden, see if she might like a few. Tell her the Lord has blessed your garden so well that you have more than you need and she's welcome to some if she would like. If you only grow flowers, and know how to dig up and divide the plants, maybe let her know your planning on doing so, and see if she might like you to plant some of the extras in her yard for her, or if she would simply like a few. Just make the offer, if she rejects it try not to take it personal. I can't promise you any of this would work, but it is worth the effort to at least try. The reason she may have taken offense when you mowed her lawn, was because she felt she had no control in the situation. 9kind of like when she lost her husband) It sounds like she has trouble just trusting others.

Here's a story from my childhood about a mean nasty old lady that lived down the block from us. ok so she wasn't as mean and nasty as we thought, but here's the story

My brothers and I used to play with some kids about a block and a half away from our house. There was this one old lady who if we went onto her front lawn, or played too close to her yard, would open the door or a window and yell at us. "Get out of my yard! You kids, stay away from here!" Well children don't always come up with the best solution to these types of problems. The other kids showed us what they did for revenge, and we quickly followed suit. It seemed the way to get back at her was to sneak up to her house and knock on the door and run.

It wasn't long before we told our parents about the mean old lady, and what we did to get back at her. Our mom asked where this lady lived. When we told her, her jaw dropped and she said "You kids shouldn't be doing that! that lady is your Great, Great, Great Aunt!" A few days later we were taken over to her house so we could visit her, and appologize. I was half embarassed about what we had done, and half afraid at how mad she would be at us.

As it turned out she wasn't angry with us at all, she was very sweet. She had a hard time getting around, and we learned that she went to bed real early, and it wasn't that easy for her to get out of bed and yell at us. All she actually wanted was for us to be quiet so she could sleep. In fact she didn't mind at all if we played in her yard as long as it wasn't when she was trying to sleep. We learned to show her more respect concerning the hours she slept, and were careful to not make a bunch of noise around her house during those hours. Her back yard was beautiful and I learned to enjoy hanging out there, and kept her birdbath filled for her. We also learned to help her out with many other things she had troubles doing alone.

I know this doesn't realy pertain to your situation, but thought it might be fun to share anyway.

I'll pray those leaves blow over into your yard heehee! I also pray your neighbor will learn to open her heart back up to others so she can see that not all people are out to hurt her.

 

[Gerry]

Smashed Pop Bottle? Oh! Well that is a different kettle of fish. In that case you would be legally required to pick it up. That is a hazzard to ones well being. Someone could be seriously injured or even killed. Now if you know it is there and you do nothing about it you are complicit in their injury.

However, you may not put it in your recycle bin, if you are going to recycle for pay.

 

[paulewog]

What about the pennies you find in parking lots

 

[DeleseRose]

Way too complicated for me here. I'm not sure wether i should laugh or b sad.

 

[Gerry]

How about intermittent tears and laughter?

 

[Gerry]

Originally posted by paulewog
What about the pennies you find in parking lots

Depends on if the heads are up or down. If the heads are up they are good luck, and you may have them. Otherwise leave them alone!

 

[DeleseRose]

Originally posted by Gerry
How about intermittent tears and laughter?

Gerry i certainly believe to the utmost that u r most certainly correct
Does it matter wether the parking is free or paid. If it's paid, don't it belong to the management?
and if it's free, don't u have to share it w/ your fellow citizens of that district?

 

[Patty]

All it takes is one sour person to make the beautiful world that God made seem like hell.

What I would do is leave her alone - in every way possible!! Her Holy Father can handle the situation.

I'd leave the leaves alone, for sure. Better to do without than to give her any slight hint of an excuse to jump down your throat.

When a man is clean in all that he does, he can sleep at night. Just stay your clean self and let the Holy Father take that woman to task, His way.

Patty

 

[Gerry]

Originally posted by Rose232
Gerry i certainly believe to the utmost that u r most certainly correct
Does it matter wether the parking is free or paid. If it's paid, don't it belong to the management?
and if it's free, don't u have to share it w/ your fellow citizens of that district?

You must leave the coin where it is if it is heads down. However if it is perchance on it's edge, you, then must share it with your fellow citizens.
If it is dface down it is bad luck and you must run an add warning your fellow citizens to avoid it.

I think that is pretty much universal, no matter where you are.

 

[Martin]

As regards the leaves.... in the UK, if the leaves from your tree fall onto a public path and someone slips on them and injures themselves - then you are liable. Thus the law sees that the leaves still belong to you. The conclusion is that if I take my neighbour's leaves, then I am taking something which is their's and I am stealing. I wouldn't take them....

I rather think that the Lord is giving you a further opportunity to reach your neighbour. It sounds like she needs someone and you may be the answer. No matter how many times you've been rejected (which hurts deeply), don't give up. I'd try to speak to her again.

Invite her round for a coffee (by letter if necessary). It sounds like she won't come, but at least you've made her aware that you want to get to know her. Send her a card a few days later.

Don't do anything for her unless she has agreed as this will just cause further aggrivation. If you get an opportunity - just say "good morning". Start simply and moev on to "How are you?", then look for an opportunity to get into a small conversation....and so on. Start small and work up to something bigger. When you get knocked back, forgive and try again.

Of course, by the time you've done all this - the leaves will have blown away.......but you may have gained a naeighbour!