Someone I know 'borrowed' an item of property and won't give it back. What can I do?

Someone I know 'borrowed' an item of property and won't give it back. What can I do?

Taking an item becomes 'theft' if the person who took it:

  • knew that the item belonged to another person and
  • has no intention of returning the item to its rightful owner.

A 'dispute' is not necessarily a theft. If you are able to contact the person who took the property, you should try and resolve the issue between you.

After that you can take your case to the Disputes Tribunal.

You may be able to get free advice from a Community Law Centre.

If you believe you were the victim of theft, make a complaint at your local police station.

Note: To recover stolen property, you must be able to prove you owned it in the first place.