LandLord Over Reaching?

I rent a house from a man who has about six rentals all within a block of his house. In December, I left for my mother's house and because of the weather was gone more than I wanted to be.

I came back, I noticed that a tarp that I had secured a lawn chair project had been removed. Thought that was odd as I had secured it very firmly because I had spent several weeks of the summer removing old paint from this lounge chair, applying primer, paint, and clear coat that I didn't want it damaged.

We had talked about rewiring the shop and the landlord had given me about 200 feet of outside electrical wiring. Knowing this is something people can steal when no one is around, I made sure to lock it up in the shop before I left.

I return later than I wanted due to bad weather in the MidWest and the fact that someone hit my car at no fault of my own.

I immediately discovered that the tarp had been removed and thought it odd since I had so securely placed items over it. Didn't really think about the wire until later.

When I discovered that the wire was gone and that the tarp just wasn't moved but removed, I did a check of things outside. I called the landlord's wife to inquire about anyone being around while I was gone and that this wire, which I had securely put up, was missing. She very rudely told me to speak to him about it.

Bottom line, he needed an electrical line because of this fire and then realized that it would cost him more than $200 to buy. He knew this was back here at my house, his words, thought I wasn't going to use it and removed it from the locked shop. Also, in searching for it, removed the tarp and the hand truck that was partly securing it in place.

Not knowing what was going on and getting his wife's answer, I nearly called the sheriff to report a theft when in fact, he had taken the wire.

Worst part is that the metal lawn chair that I had spent much of the summer on was now damaged. It was scratched, when the tarp was haphazardly pulled off it, it chipped paint off it and basically ruined the time, effort and money I had put into to paint.

He admitted taking the wire and to why because it would have cost him 150 bucks plus to buy and thought I wasn't going to use. Said we had bad weather and that must have been the problem with the tarp.

If one gives something, it's no longer theirs to take back. In this case, I thought I had been robbed which I guess, in a way I was. But I looked my home over for over two hours to see what else had been taken, isn't that funny they thought.

Then, upon inspection of this chair which took me several weeks to restore, find that it is very much damaged in the paint job that took so much time to complete. Plus, he left it exposed to the weather getting it not only damaged but dirty.

His attitude is, no big deal. If you want the wire back, I can have it. I feel that he shouldn't have went through my things. BTW, brand-new towel in the bathroom, immediately upon returning home I noticed a cigarette burn on it.