Is there a law against taking stuff out of builder skip?

[dextadriver]

Nearby there’s a group of council bungalows having new roofs
In the skip there’s a considerable amount of new batten offcuts
Which will make excellent kindling
I hate seeing waste
Then again I don’t want to be arrested

 

[Beanwood]

Surely that's potentially gonna be theft unless you ask permission? (However unlikely that may be)

 

[Erie Fred]

I have been known to do this, ask the roofer for permission, and don't leave a mess.
Never been turned down, as it lowers the weight, so they pay less at the dump.

 

[anto44]

I'd say it's only illegal if you don't have permission. I'd just go in and ask them, they'll probably let you take them. I'd say the biggest chance of being told no is they might be nervous about giving someone permission to come on site and climb in a skip incase they get hurt. If it's a council job they might be very strict on who enters the site.

 

[winchman]

I think Theft by finding would cover it and no doubt several others as its not yours

 

[6ply]

Nearby there’s a group of council bungalows having new roofs
In the skip there’s a considerable amount of new batten offcuts
Which will make excellent kindling
I hate seeing waste
Then again I don’t want to be arrested

If I wanted them, I'd ask first. Many years ago I had a friend who was prosecuted for stealing bubble wrap from a shop skip. I don't know how much he took or whether he made the situation difficult.

As far as I am aware, all roofing battens are treated. That may make them unsuitable for kindling. Heat treated pallets are easy to acquire for free if you want kindling. Look for them ones marked HT.

 

[arther dailey]

easy, just ask the guys working there , 99% of the time the answer is yes fine help your self, agree waste is a no no , make sure wood isnt treated as on fire it gives off poisionous fumes so I have been told.

 

[gaz1]

Nearby there’s a group of council bungalows having new roofs
In the skip there’s a considerable amount of new batten offcuts
Which will make excellent kindling
I hate seeing waste
Then again I don’t want to be arrested

as long as you ask to search the skip your fine to do so

if no one is there to ask keep the place tidy as you search through it

but to give you an answer its classed as theft from both where the skip is sited and also the skip company as well

most wont bother in your searching as i do it but i also ask to go round the site as well

but i do site work so most of the time they dont bat an eyelid at me

anything thats not treated you can use and that includes pallets as well

dont use the battens as they are treated wood

3x2s 4x2s wood beams, floor boards, certain roof batterns internals can be used

 

[gaz1]

wood pallets are great for kinderling and so is 9" off cuts of 4x2 wood

 

[Wozzaaah]

They will gladly give you them if you ask but if you just take them then it’s theft. Saying that, if you do just take them then they won’t come after you if that’s all you’ve taken. Simple as that.

 

[Bsmith]

If the skip is at the side of a public road and where public can walk freely I would just take it, if it's on a building site or inside a fenced off area I would ask.

 

[steveo3002]

stalk em for the working hours , then go up there slightly before or after with a high vis jacket on and crack on , can get away with murder as long you have a high vis on , have a clipboard with you too lol

 

[northwest]

It has been proven in court that taking stuff from someone's waste bin is not an offence, by skipping it they have demonstrated that they have discarded it and therefore you are not depriving them of anything. I would still ask though. You never know they might just put it straight into your car.

 

[Wozzaaah]

It has been proven in court that taking stuff from someone's waste bin is not an offence, by skipping it they have demonstrated that they have discarded it and therefore you are not depriving them of anything. I would still ask though. You never know they might just put it straight into your car.

The problem arises when a skip company gives you a price based on what you’ve said will be in it (such as scrap metal).
There’s also the issue that most skips are placed on private property.

 

[bourbon]

As I understand it. once it's in the skip, it's the property of the skip company. I'm never that lucky to see decent stuff in a skip. mostly builders rubble, not even full bricks!

 

[Porkypine]

Recently right near us was a skip on a driveway, they were clearing out their old dad's place, as soon as I took the slightest interest in the contents they practically begged me to take some stuff, there was some useful gear in there, inc some very decent old school gardening tools, they even handed me an old typewriter !
They said come back and help yourself to any other bits we put in there too, which I subsequently did. I guess from their point of view it makes more junk room in the skip ( that they're paying for)

 

[dextadriver]

The problem arises when a skip company gives you a price based on what you’ve said will be in it (such as scrap metal).
There’s also the issue that most skips are placed on private property.

This skip is on council property

 

[Nomad]

I've had a few good / great results by asking folk if I can take thigs out of their skips (most were very happy - they filled it - I emptied it - they filled it ... one chap got rid of 3 skiploads of decking and only paid for 1 skip. A good result for everyone ! )

Theft by finding has been mentioned before but I've not looked into it.

Personally my only problem has been taking stuff (with signed approval) out of a skip at my work. Factory had put loads of dexion shelving in the skip, a chap I worked with asked if he could have it - work said no and took it out of the skip - they put it back in the skip when he went on holiday. I asked the skip momager - he happily signed my removals slip so I took a load after work on Friday. Monday my boss had a go at me - he was very disappointed when I showed him a signed slip - told me to take stuff after hours in future. Surely skip diving at night looks even more suspicious??

In your case my only concern would be that you said council - I've always found them to be very unhelpful < diplomatic phase used there !> so your choice..

Sad that a lot of very useful / saveable / working stuff is skipped but after dealing with timewasters on freecycle / gumtree / ebay I understand why. A company getting rid of stuff also wants to avoid any legal comeback.

 

[northwest]

The problem arises when a skip company gives you a price based on what you’ve said will be in it (such as scrap metal).
There’s also the issue that most skips are placed on private property.

I'll give you that but we had been specifically talking about a builders skip so I didn't qualify my answer.

Naughty, NAUGHTY, NAUGHTY Northwest!!

There’s also the issue that most skips are placed on private property.

In my experience up here they are more abandoned at the side of the road! Had a result myself though yesterday, couple big pieces of Countertop. No use for it right now but why should that stop me?

 

[marlinspike]

It would be polite to ask. I looked out of our bedroom window one morning just in time to see a transit pull over and the driver get out to rummage through our skip. Left empty handed. The same week I caught an old guy rooting in it. Went over and he explained that he had lost his keys and wondered if he had dropped them in our skip whilst having a rummage earlier that day....