Citrus Grove / Chair at end of driveway
 

I often sit in a chair, at the end of the driveway, facing the house. Friday 13 December I left it there after I sat in it in the morning, as I was going to sit in it again later.
A contractor in a white pickup, pulling a white trailer, mistook the chair for "curb alert", even though it was not trash day nor did it have a "free / take me" sign on it. He even waved at my camera.
I can understand how this misunderstanding took place. I would say in fact that most reasonable people would conclude that it was in fact being offered up. Who sits way at the end of the driveway and looks at their house ? Me, watching the pets.
So if this is your contractor, or you are the contractor, the reappearance of said chair, would be a most pleasant development.

Theft. Pure and simple.

My interpretation would be the same as the OP - he thought it was out for collection (or why else would it be there?) and waved to say "thank you"

Of course, of more interest is why the OP would want to sit there and look back at his house, but since that is none of my business...

I wouldn’t call it theft, just a misunderstanding. The second picture shows the guy waving at the house as if to say thanks for the chair. A while back I brought out an old bicycle and put it at the end of the driveway. I went back into the house and quickly made a “free” sign to put on the bike, but it was already gone when I went back to put the sign on it.

Think of it this time of year as Christmas for them...Christmas for you......get a new camouflage chair and next time they won't see it out there.

Most times, if it is at the end of the driveway, it is there for the taking. But not always. I almost took a plant that someone had at the end of the driveway, but it was not there for the taking. I try to ask first.

Well Artic Fox, perhaps I like to sit and admire the dwelling, and savor my success at having moved to The Villages, as it seemed at one point I wasn't going to pull it off.
In fact however, as stated , it is to make sure pets stay in bounds.
I will take 75 percent of the blame for this misunderstanding. If the chair doesn't come back, it will give me an excuse to go back to Harbor Freight.

It was established a long time ago and not only in TV…. things left at the end of the driveway are there for the taking.

Thats fine but once you get up and walk away it is there for the taking.

Yeah that's always a given. If it's at the end of the driveway in the general vicinity of the spot you normally leave the trash for pickup, then it's free for the taking. UNLESS there's a sign on it that says "FOR SALE."

I've never lived in a community where folks put "free stuff" at the end of their driveway or where folks drove around picking up "free stuff" that was in people's yards.

I guess there's a lot to be learned, living in a place like TV.

Nope. Not pure. Not simple. Items left at the end of the driveway are not wanted by the home owner. Been that way for a long time. The OP is correct.

Yesterday my hubby moved an old microwave stand out to the end of the driveway. By noon it was gone.

The driveway....
 

.... be it the upper or lower end, is private property. In the absence of a sign offering something for free or a pre-arrangement between the owner and a receiver, taking an item is theft -- pure and simple.

The notion that items on the driveway are assumed to be up for grabs because that "is a Village understanding" is just nuts. :ohdear:

I have lived in 8 different states and it was that way in all 8 of them.
Items left at the end of the driveway are considered free in all 8.
As long as it is not in use, of course.