Cleaning lady steals from me -- can I go to the cops? [Archive]

12-26-2005, 11:38 AM

Short story ... cleaning lady steals cash and clothes from my home. We have concrete proof -- she is on video at Nordstrom using the gift card she stole from me. All told, she stole about $1,000.

When confronted, she admitted she stole the gift card (she had no choice) but denied everything else. Said she'd repay the gift card ($200), paid the first $100 and then I never heard from her again.

I would love to go to the cops, but I am concerned because (a) we always paid her by cash/check made out to "cash", never withheld taxes, and never issued a 1099; and (b) it's remotely possible (though unlikely) that she is an illegal (we never asked).

Am I exposing myself to trouble if I go to the cops? Or can I go to them and not have anything to worry about?

PS please don't tell me it's only $1000 and I should just drop it, if I don't have anything to worry about. This woman violated the sanctity of my house, went through my drawers, took all of my wife's summer clothes, blah blah blah. Every month we seem to find something else missing. She needs to feel the rigid penal code.

One last piece of important information -- she's not hot.

handsome

12-26-2005, 11:43 AM

[ QUOTE ]

One last piece of important information -- she's not hot.

[/ QUOTE ]

That was your first mistake.

deacsoft

12-26-2005, 11:57 AM

The thing here may be that it's not $1,000 in the cops/courts eyes. You only have proof of $200 ($100 of which she payed back). So taking into consideration the veiw of the law, the real question is it it worth it for $100? I'd take a pass on that but that's up to you.
Secondly, the pay thing could come up but you're not the one on trial here. It could harm your credibility if you take it all the way to trial, but I'd think it wouldn't get that far. If it did it's remotely possible that the court could come after you for it but I find that very unlikely.
The best thing you can do, if your seriously entertaining the idea of going after her, is seek out a lawyer and a free consultation to see what your options are, your likelyhood of winning and what, and the possible consequences.

rusellmj

12-26-2005, 12:06 PM

Cops don't do taxes. Like Deac said, it's about how much you can prove. If she was using a stolen credit card then there would be alot more trouble for her. Not sure where a gift card comes in here.

Paluka

12-26-2005, 12:08 PM

I would go to the cops.

tonypaladino

12-26-2005, 12:46 PM

It can't hurt to file a report with the cops, but I doubt much will come over it. It's petty theft since there's only proof she stole $200.

Edit:

And I'm not sure how the video from the store is proof. Does the camera get so close that you can actually see the numbers on the gift card to prove it was yours? Or can they actually sync up their register journal with the video?

IggyWH

12-26-2005, 12:50 PM

[ QUOTE ]
PS please don't tell me it's only $1000 and I should just drop it, if I don't have anything to worry about.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's exactly what I'm saying. While she actually did the bad deed, YOU are also resonsible. You hired her, and you obviously don't know much about her from your post.

Be more careful when hiring someone like this that can go and do anything in your house. Your lucky it wasn't worse, and with only $200 stolen goods "proof", just take this as a lesson learned and move on.

HopeydaFish

12-26-2005, 12:58 PM

So you decided to save some money by hiring an illegal alien, and now you're upset that it blew up in your face.

What are you hoping to get out of going to the cops? Most likely she'll get a slap on the wrist and then get deported. A few weeks later she'll be back in the country. You won't get your $1000 back, and you might end up opening yourself up to more trouble due to your hiring of an illegal and not remitting her taxes.

Consider the $1000 a lesson learned and go on with your life.

Blarg

12-26-2005, 01:39 PM

The fact that immigration might get involved looks like a NEGATIVE to you? Wow. We don't need our own crooks, much less those from other countries. Getting her deported would be a boon and at least for a while keep her from stealing from her next employer, which of course is exactly what she will do for as many years as she can do it.

As said above, cops don't do taxes.

As said above also, you're primarily chasing the $100. If you pursue this, it's on a moral basis. In that case I think it's more immoral not to pursue it than to pursue it, so you have "right" on your side. Especially pertinant to your doing the right thing is that whether the courts recognize the other part of the thousand she stole or not, she did indeed steal it, so she's not just a minor thief here and it's not really just about a hundred bucks at all.

So the question basically is whether you will lose any money trying to get this prosecuted, and whether it is worth it to you. Spending any time in court at all could easily cost you much more than $100, and courts can't really force her to pay even if she is convicted. So it's about right and wrong more than money, because the money is basically forever gone. If right and wrong is important to you even if it costs you money, your decision is a clear one. If you want to be practical but maybe shirk both your right and perhaps your moral duty, pursuing this thing is just going to cost you more time and money and in the parlance of a certain card game not to be mentioned, is "throwing good money after bad."

Personal/community obligations/moral or practical. Unfortunately you can't accomplish both here.

12-26-2005, 01:51 PM

[ QUOTE ]
It can't hurt to file a report with the cops, but I doubt much will come over it. It's petty theft since there's only proof she stole $200.

Edit:

And I'm not sure how the video from the store is proof. Does the camera get so close that you can actually see the numbers on the gift card to prove it was yours? Or can they actually sync up their register journal with the video?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's actually pretty incredible. Nordstrom has their stuff all synched up. They have on video every purchase, and they can identify the gift card used at any purchase. I have no doubts that their video is fine evidence. It would have been highly, highly coincidental that we asked them about gift card number 1, and they pulled out the supposed video for that gift card and it was this battle axe buying something.

Morrek

12-26-2005, 01:51 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Consider the $1000 a lesson learned and go on with your life.

[/ QUOTE ]

imitation

12-26-2005, 01:58 PM

Stop exploiting illegal immigrants working in your country and hire your cleaning staff from a centre which ensures the staff are background checked and have their relevant papers. Can't have it both ways dude, or tell your fat ugly wife to get off her ass and clean the [censored] house godamnit.

imitation

12-26-2005, 02:04 PM

I always feel a hint of remorse after making posts like this, because the original OPs wife might be quite attractive, further they may require a cleaner because their sun has MS and they spend all their time caring for him and also give generiously with the rest of their time to charities, for he is a doctor saving the needy and she a guidance councilor for underpriveliged youths. And so is it so wrong that she gave one of her client's friends a chance to clean the house and now they should be further humiliated by some anonymous internet poster.

Then I stop and realise, it's 99.9% likely OP is [censored] dumb ass rich prick who couldn't give a [censored] rats arse about this lady and probably sometimes just didn't empty the trash over night when it was full because he know the $4/hr help would be coming tomorrow, so I laugh a little laugh and get back on with my life knowing sometimes you're right and sometimes you're wrong, but most of the time people are worthless scummy lowlifes.

Blarg

12-26-2005, 02:07 PM

LOL I enjoyed these two posts immensely, and they put me in good holiday cheer!

wacki

12-26-2005, 02:35 PM

[ QUOTE ]
LOL I enjoyed these two posts immensely, and they put me in good holiday cheer!

[/ QUOTE ]

I think I like him too.

12-26-2005, 02:39 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I always feel a hint of remorse after making posts like this, because the original OPs wife might be quite attractive, further they may require a cleaner because their sun has MS and they spend all their time caring for him and also give generiously with the rest of their time to charities, for he is a doctor saving the needy and she a guidance councilor for underpriveliged youths. And so is it so wrong that she gave one of her client's friends a chance to clean the house and now they should be further humiliated by some anonymous internet poster.

Then I stop and realise, it's 99.9% likely OP is [censored] dumb ass rich prick who couldn't give a [censored] rats arse about this lady and probably sometimes just didn't empty the trash over night when it was full because he know the $4/hr help would be coming tomorrow, so I laugh a little laugh and get back on with my life knowing sometimes you're right and sometimes you're wrong, but most of the time people are worthless scummy lowlifes.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, hilarious, except I have two sons with MS, a daughter who lives in a bubble, and a dog with horrible incontinence, and my wife, 1987 Ms. Nebraska, is now a volunteer vice president with American Cancer Society.

PS those sick kids are our own. Our 6 foster children are all healthy.

UncleSalty

12-26-2005, 02:42 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I always feel a hint of remorse after making posts like this, because the original OPs wife might be quite attractive, further they may require a cleaner because their sun has MS and they spend all their time caring for him and also give generiously with the rest of their time to charities, for he is a doctor saving the needy and she a guidance councilor for underpriveliged youths. And so is it so wrong that she gave one of her client's friends a chance to clean the house and now they should be further humiliated by some anonymous internet poster.

Then I stop and realise, it's 99.9% likely OP is [censored] dumb ass rich prick who couldn't give a [censored] rats arse about this lady and probably sometimes just didn't empty the trash over night when it was full because he know the $4/hr help would be coming tomorrow, so I laugh a little laugh and get back on with my life knowing sometimes you're right and sometimes you're wrong, but most of the time people are worthless scummy lowlifes.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, hilarious, except I have two sons with MS, a daughter who lives in a bubble, and a dog with horrible incontinence, and my wife, 1987 Ms. Nebraska, is now a volunteer vice president with American Cancer Society.

PS those sick kids are our own. Our 6 foster children are all healthy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well played.

Blarg

12-26-2005, 02:47 PM

Keep the dog. In these trying times, a man needs someone to blame his farts on.

RacersEdge

12-26-2005, 02:52 PM

This person stole from you, and she should be punished. She should be grateful she's making more than she would in Mexico - and then she steals from you?

What's the worst case scenario from the illegal/tax angle? So she should have been paid less due to taxes - can you just make her pay the taxes - on a delayed basis?

girgy44

12-26-2005, 03:14 PM

She stole from you, punish her. Maybe even if they can't get her for the stolen cash they will at least find out she's illegal and ship her back. That'll teach her to steal from hard working Americans who pay their taxes unlike her free-loading ass.

Warik

12-26-2005, 03:16 PM

I have a better solution.

"Senora, tu robaste $1,000 mio. O me lo pagas o voy a llamar a immigracion y mandarte de nuevo para Mexico o de donde cono viniste a la velocidad de un jodio cohete."

Rehearse in front of the mirror.

After she pays you back, fire her and change your locks.

(Translation: "Ma'am, you stole my $1,000. Either you pay it back or I'm gonna call immigration and they're going to send you back to Mexico or wherever the [censored] you came from at the speed of rocket.")

Blarg

12-26-2005, 03:21 PM

Employers have to pay payroll taxes too, and social security.

blendedsuit

12-26-2005, 03:29 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Employers have to pay payroll taxes too, and social security.

[/ QUOTE ]
not if you have her as an outside consultant/ independent contractor.
report the bitch.

UncleSalty

12-26-2005, 03:40 PM

Does she have any family or friends in the country? If she's alone, I would recommend kidnapping her and torturing her to death in your basement.

tonypaladino

12-26-2005, 03:43 PM

The cops don't care about her immigration status or your tax issues

CardSharpCook

12-26-2005, 04:04 PM

You're not her emplyer, you are her client. You are paying for services, not employing somebody. Paying in cash is perfectly legal. No you don't have to file a report with the IRS every time you get your lawn mowed, oil changed, walls painted, or dick sucked.

Blarg

12-26-2005, 04:09 PM

Sometimes the law sees things differently.

People are often determined as employees and file suit successfully on that basis. I used to work in a workers' comp /personal injury law firm and saw housemaids, house painters, and nannys regularly considered employees and thus able to file suit.

vexvelour

12-26-2005, 05:24 PM

Go to the cops. They're not going to ask you how you paid her. You have proof she stole from you and that's that.

If you still decide you need a cleaning lady, go to a reputable place, like Merry Maids or something. That way you know they're at least citizens.

Mr_J

12-26-2005, 08:35 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Every month we seem to find something else missing.

[/ QUOTE ]

And you couldn't see something like this coming? If you have some doubt, get a safe. If you felt pretty strongly, fire her arse.

Guys he can't really do anything about it if she's an illegal, since nobody will know where she is.

If I could find, the threaten deportation sounds good. If it was a guy I'd be happy to show him why it'd be smart to pay.

For me it's about the principle. The $1k doesn't matter so much.

chesspain

12-26-2005, 09:10 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Guys he can't really do anything about it if she's an illegal, since nobody will know where she is.

[/ QUOTE ]

I didn't know that illegal aliens have mastered the art of invisibility.

12-26-2005, 09:16 PM

I appreciate everyone's responses. Except the guy who called me a rich [censored]. I am a poor, dirty [censored]. Which is why I need a cleaning lady. So he can go [censored] himself.

To clarify a few things:

1. We did not seek out to hire an illegal, and I don't have any reason to believe that she's an illegal. She's from Portugal. My fear is only that maybe I was supposed to do some sort of check before giving her any money, and I didn't want to get in trouble for not doing it if it turned out she was illegal. I have yet to meet an American cleaning lady in New Jersey. If you know one, tell her to PM me.

2. This happened several months ago. We told her to give us back the cash she stole plus the gift card. This is why I say that "every month" we find something else missing. It's been about 3 months. We terminated her 3 months ago, immediately upon finding out that she stole from us. We didn't have any idea of the magnitude until, like, this week, as more things turn up missing.

3. Proof -- I am pretty confident we can prove that she stole more than $100. Even if it boils down to her word against mine and my wife's, I like our chances. She's an admitted thief. Aside from a minor brush with the law that involved being caught in a local park with a penis enlarger, a tube of Astroglide lubricant, and a pekingese named "Toots Sweet", my background is clean.

4. I am going to the cops. Looks like it's just a time investment, and that I don't have anything to worry about on my end. I will seek the death penalty.

mmbt0ne

12-26-2005, 09:26 PM

Everybody's saying you only have proof that she only stole $1k. Don't you have enough information to get the police to search her house, and possibly find your wife's clothes/jewelery/whateer?

12-26-2005, 09:37 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Everybody's saying you only have proof that she only stole $1k. Don't you have enough information to get the police to search her house, and possibly find your wife's clothes/jewelery/whateer?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah I wasn't going to bog this thread down with the minutae, but we're pretty sure we know where my wife's clothes went. They would find them; hell she'd probably give them up herself after the cops show at her house.

lastchance

12-26-2005, 09:39 PM

At the very least, you did fire her, right?

12-26-2005, 11:59 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Everybody's saying you only have proof that she only stole $1k. Don't you have enough information to get the police to search her house, and possibly find your wife's clothes/jewelery/whateer?

[/ QUOTE ]

The thing is the cops won't do [censored]; they have more pressing matters than to search for clothing and [censored] like that. Yeah, it sucks what happened and it's important to him, but the cops don't give a [censored].

A friend of mine had his car stolen once and filed a report. Two days later my friend found his car, (apparently taken for a joyride, but they stole his stereo and speakers), and he called the cops again.

Cops come down and dusts the outside and inside of his car for prints and make a match with the computer. Cops say they won't go after them because the stereo is pawned most likely, and they don't want to nab them for something small (gangbangers) like this; they are waiting for when they do something serious and then they will add gta to the list of offences. Sounds pretty [censored] up to me, but hey….

To add insult to injury, the fingerprint dust totally [censored] up the finish and paint of his car.