Dumb Crimminals: Man steals and uses neighbor's tractor

[csziggy]

1. Got a similar story, only involving a bulldozer

Our neighbor has an earth moving company - they clear land, build ponds, grade roads, etc. About 15 years ago he was selling one of his older bulldozers so he could buy a newer, bigger one. A guy visited the job site where it was to check it out and asked if he could test it out. The neighbor said OK, just don't use it for serious stuff like pushing down trees or anything illegal.

Later that day my husband came home and said someone was clearing the lot at the corner but there were no permits posted as required by law. He called the county and they sent out an inspector who stopped the work since there had been no permits issued - or applied for. The inspector recognized the bulldozer and called our neighbor. The moron "trying out" the bulldozer had carried it across the street from where the owner lived and was using it illegally!

The idiot who had "tried out" the bulldozer got charged with theft of property (because he didn't have permission to use it for the purpose he was using), and for clearing trees without proper permitting. He lost his license to do clearing in the county. The owners of the property were also cited for not getting the permits. They eventually had to sell the lot because the county was very reluctant to permit them for anything. Even then, they sold the lot for less than market value because the trees had been indiscriminately cleared and the job was only partially finished, with piles of trees left laying around.