My Super Nintendo just got stolen

[dementis]

I've been through a similar experience, my now disowned sister stole around £1200 in cash and electronics, 3DS with near completed dream drop distance, PS2 with my memory card containing 130 fucking hours of persona 4, DVDs, my old Samsung galaxy and then in the end she just stole my debit card and cleared it out, all £800 gone. Over the span of a couple of years. I finally said I was going to the police and she accused me of assault.

I had to spend 8 hours in a fucking cell and deal with bullshit interviews before the police realised that the claim was made with malicious intent and I was free to go. Goes without saying that I moved out pretty quickly and haven't spoken to the ***** since.

The worst part is that some of my family still stand up for her and start fights with me on how I talk about her, like it's my fucking fault for working hard and buying things that I wanted.

I feel your pain man, I feel your pain.

 

[Ticklefist]

First thing I'd do is get on the internet and make a thread about it.

 

[Juste Goose]

At least you can watch a new episode of Blind Bag Week tonight...

It's something...

 

[Exius Xavarus]

And stealing it right back is just stooping to her level, karmic retribution or not. But I'm not going to let her off the hook until I get all of it back.

No, it's not. Taking your property back isn't stealing at all. She stole your property, you have every right to take it back. Items of great sentimental value are still valuable, even if only valuable to you and its place is with you. So I pretty much back every suggestion that you take your things back, forcefully or otherwise.

 

[Signa]

The OP read like a campfire horror story to me. I've been robbed (didn't take my SNES, only my Wii), and my SNES and Earthbound are some of my most prized possessions. I have the experiences and the possessions to make this too close to home for me.

 

[Weaver]

Call the cops, tell them you want to press charges and/or arrange a court date.

 

[Treeinthewoods]

Toughen up man! Show up at her house while she is home and tell her you are there to get your property back. Don't accept a no, if she refuses then call the police and report theft at her address and be there when they arrive. The value of Earthbound on it's own is enough to make it a more serious issue.

 

[Queen Michael]

This is what it's like. Autumn weather doesn't agree with me.

 

[MysticSlayer]

Oddly, I opened this thread right as sad violin music was playing only to start listening to intense guitars as I read some of the nastier comments...

Anyways...I'd say try to be civil at the start. Ask for it back and also ask for your key back so she can't get into your house. If she's incapable of complying, then threaten to call the cops making it clear that the only way to drop the legal ramifications of her actions will be to return it. If she still doesn't comply, then get the cops involved. Even if you don't trust them, at least give it a try. Whatever you do, do not resort to physical violence, because then she'll just call the cops on you, and they'll certainly take away the assaulter rather than the thief (well, unless the cop that comes to the house is an Earthbound fan).

 

[Doom972]

A fellow watcher of Ashens' videos, I see

You seem a bit passive about it. Have you thought about coming to her home (preferably when she's there) and just take it? Not stealing, or taking by force, just come over to her house (not necessarily informing her ahead of time), say "Hi", find it, and take it. If it's not there, it might be too late, but it seems worth trying a soon as possible. I hope you get it back.

EDIT: Forgot to mention that you may want to change the lock as well to prevent such a thing from happening again. Don't bother with getting the key back from her, she might've made copies.

 

[gideonkain]

*sigh*

I'm reading your overly detailed description of the events leading up to the discovery of the theft wondering why there is this much exposition. Your work, your kitchen, your prefered nighttime wind-down activity and then the "crime".

Your sister took your SNES without asking? Are you kidding me?

You made it sound like a stranger broke into your home and stole it, now it's gone forever.

Questions I'd like an answer to:

When you say "living space" do you mean your room? As in, your under 18 and still living at home and maybe your sister is recently out of school, living in an apartment in town so really all that happened was...nothing?

If your an adult and she's an adult, and you live separate lives, why does she have a key to your house being a "known thief" and all?

 

[Kajin]

-snip-

I came into this thread with visions of assorted mayhem, thinking that someone had broken into your house and actually robbed you. But it was just your sister. Dude, if you know where she lives you need to march down to her place and take it back. Even better, if you have the keys to her place just walk in while she's gone and take it back like she did to you. Then change the locks at your place so she can't get back in.

Seriously, childhood game consoles are sacred. She shouldn't be touching it.

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

So, why exactly does your sister have keys to your home?

Especially when she's got a history of nicking your stuff? Does she do drugs or does she just consider you as some handy one-stop self-service provider of everything?

How much more of this are you willing to take? Just asking, because, y'know, it sounds a bit abusive.

I don't think that that's a very healthy relationship you got there. If you want it to stop, make it stop. Whatever flavour best suits you. Try "nice" if you fancy that. Make it real ugly, cops and everything if "nice" doesn't get you anywhere.

 

[Amir Kondori]

Call the police? Family or not, she still stole your property and you have legal right to getting those items back.

Or if that doesn't sit right with you, why not do to her what she did to you and just go into her house and take the stuff back, it's your stuff don't just sit there and leave it be.

I know I should, but my faith in the police goes below zero and into numbers only expressible in scientific notation. It's not like she made off with a load of cash or jewelry, so I doubt they'd care. The local cops are too busy fulfilling ticket quotas or going after homeless people to be of much help when you need them. Last time I called the cops with an emergency, the guy kept me hanging for close to an hour and then gave me this brush-off response like he was shooing the cat out.

She also has two daughters that I only ever get to see whenever she needs someone to fob them off on because she can't be arsed to hire a sitter or get her oldest signed up for school. I don't know if dragging the cops into this is worth the strife it'll cause, especially considering how dead set I've been on rising above the family drama instead of creating more of it.

And stealing it right back is just stooping to her level, karmic retribution or not. But I'm not going to let her off the hook until I get all of it back.

You know you say you don't want to call the cops, you say you don't want "steal" it back, although I fail to see how reclaiming your property is stealing, sounds to me like you don't mind that she has it.

 

[Lieju]

You say she is convinced it's hers, why is this?

Is it maybe a console you both played as a kid but that ended up with you? Because she might have a claim to it. Maybe just ask the stuff you personally bought back if that's the case? Like Earthbound?

And why did she take it? To sell? To play?
In any case, why does she have the keys if you can't trust her? I have a relative who does stuff like that. He just doesn't comprehend what privacy is or why you shouldn't take someone's stuff if you 'really' need it.
So we lock the door if we're not home and don't let him in unsupervised.

EDIT; Re-reading it, it doesn't say 'house', but a 'living-space', so do you live together or do you live with your parents or something? Because if the latter, and it's a console you've have had since you were kids, is it really yours? This just sounds like what my cousins went through, where the brother and sister played the same consoles, and then who they belonged to was unclear when they moved out.

Taking it without asking is still inpolite, though.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

And stealing it right back is just stooping to her level, karmic retribution or not. But I'm not going to let her off the hook until I get all of it back.

No, it's not. Taking your property back isn't stealing at all. She stole your property, you have every right to take it back. Items of great sentimental value are still valuable, even if only valuable to you and its place is with you. So I pretty much back every suggestion that you take your things back, forcefully or otherwise.

Depends on if its a b&e. Either way it would be more fulfilling to confront her directly. Trust me, I've had to do this.

 

[Olas]

2 siblings fighting over a Supernintendo, and you guys are how old?

Sorry, I don't mean to make light of your plight, it just seems funny. It's times like this you look for some sort of leverage you can use to make her give it back. Is there anything she depends on you for?

If not I'd tell family members, and if they don't help you I'd go to the police.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Man up, go to her house and demand to have it back. It's yours, she took it, you want it.

 

[Exius Xavarus]

And stealing it right back is just stooping to her level, karmic retribution or not. But I'm not going to let her off the hook until I get all of it back.

No, it's not. Taking your property back isn't stealing at all. She stole your property, you have every right to take it back. Items of great sentimental value are still valuable, even if only valuable to you and its place is with you. So I pretty much back every suggestion that you take your things back, forcefully or otherwise.

Depends on if its a b&e. Either way it would be more fulfilling to confront her directly. Trust me, I've had to do this.

Err, b&e? Forgive me, I'm not good with acronyms.

I'd be satisfied simply having my stuff back, however it happens. Although for once, I'm in agreement with what Lilani said, earlier in this thread.

 

[BartyMae]

And stealing it right back is just stooping to her level, karmic retribution or not. But I'm not going to let her off the hook until I get all of it back.

No, it's not. Taking your property back isn't stealing at all. She stole your property, you have every right to take it back. Items of great sentimental value are still valuable, even if only valuable to you and its place is with you. So I pretty much back every suggestion that you take your things back, forcefully or otherwise.

Depends on if its a b&e. Either way it would be more fulfilling to confront her directly. Trust me, I've had to do this.

Err, b&e? Forgive me, I'm not good with acronyms.

I'd be satisfied simply having my stuff back, however it happens. Although for once, I'm in agreement with what Lilani said, earlier in this thread.

"Breaking and entering", perhaps? It's my best guess, anyways,

Luckily, I don't have family members who'd steal stuff from me. They might steal OTHER people's stuff, but they know well enough that I'd notice anything being taken, and bad things would likely result.