Can I file a police report for something that was borrowed and never returned to me?

Question

Here is the story.. (well it's actually my friends)

She is in college and had to turn in a final which was a paper they had to write. Her friend in the class asked to borrow her paper because she hadn't done it yet and needed help/ideas. My friend let her borrow the paper. The girl never returned to class, won't answer her phone or anything. I know my friend shoudn't have let her borrow the paper but she did and now since the girl hasn't returned it, doesn't that mean she basically stole it? Can we file a police report?

Please help! My friend does not want to fail this class and she doesn't have the money to pay to take it over. We know she was wrong but still.... her "friend" is even more wrong.

Don't be rude and say my friend got what she deserved. She had handwritten most of the final. Some people like to help other people out, sorry folks.

It was a whole semesters worth of work. It was over 13 pages, not just one simple page.

We have tried to get in touch with this girl numerous times. She is being unfair. It's obvious that she doesn't want to return the paper. We have tried to call her and everything.

Answer 1

IT"S A CIVIL MATTER!
File a suit.
There was no theft. The police will not write this one, if you're honest with them.

Answer 2

No because no written contract was ever drawn up. It would be your word against the other person's word that they stole something from you that you really should have had a copy of or not given to your so-called friends in the first place. You can run ideas by people over the telephone... you don't have to read someone else's essay in order to determine what you are going to write about. If she uses any of your work in her paper, she is guilty of plagiarism. This is not a case that could stand up in a court of law because there is absolutely no proof to prove there was ever an original essay to begin with. Your friend needs to go over to the person's house that took it and beat on her door until she gives it back. If the friend calls the cops on the one beating on the door, you tell them she stole something from you and you aren't leaving until you get it back. If that doesn't work, then someone needs to start writing a new essay paper to keep from having to take this class over.

Answer 3

Eh, its a bit iffy. If it gets out that your friend shared her paper, she could get in some trouble with the school. And I'm not sure borrowing a paper and then not returning can be considered stealing. If she's in the class, your friend can probably look up her name in the phone book or on the internet and get her address. Then just show up at her house and ask for the paper back. She's probably not deliberately trying to keep the paper.

Answer 4

If your friend wrote the paper can't she remember what she wrote? Personally I think the police would not be in the slightest interested in something so trivial. Firstly the paper hasn't been stolen. It's still, presumably, in the possession of the person to whom it was lent. All they would need to do is return it. Do you seriously think that the police would want to waste resources and money in claiming a piece of paper that was willingly lent to another person without any proper arrangements made for retrieving it? Why didn't your friend just give this person a copy? Surely she kept her notes or ideas and can write another.

Answer 5

Please tell me your friend was smart enough to have a back up copy of the paper on a disc, zip drive or on her hard drive. If so, print out another copy of the paper and take it to the professor and tell him/her what happened. Odds are the girl that borrowed it - has already turned the paper in as her own.

If you are going to contact a police department - contact the campus police.

Either way - I'd definitely go talk to the professor about what happened and be ready to accept what ever punishment comes.

Answer 6

I would think the campus officials would be more interested in this than the police.

Borrowing is a civil law, similar to a contract. For example, you borrow money for a car. If you don't pay for the car, the dealer takes you to small claims court, or the bank repossesses the car. The police are not involved, a civil lawsuit is filed.

I realize a lawsuit in this case is not practical, but I raise the point to show you the police are limited in what they can do.

Answer 7

Legally, it isn't stealing. It could not be proven that she had the intent to permanently deprive your friend of ownership of her paper.

Additionally, your friend is an idiot. I'm not sorry to say so. She should be kicked out of school for assisting someone in plagarism, which is almost certainly against your school's rules. Additionally, the person who borrowed it should be kicked out/sanctioned as well.

This is shameful and morally appalling. If your friend ever wants to become any type of professional that requires licensing (attorney, therapist, doctor, registered nurse, etc) she'll need to pass a moral character background check. She needs to fail the class and take her karmic lumps. She set herself up for this one.

Answer 8

first you must have diret evidence, aka PROOF.
they really can't do anything unless you have proof or evidence. Talk to your teacher and tell them the story, they should believe you, and if not, go to the next person higher, and so on. The police have many more important things to take care of (not saying that your case is not a priority).
The female who took the paper, needs to get some sort of punishment, or talk to a teacher to see what the next action that needs to take place will be.

best of luck on your case

Answer 9

Talk to Her seriously She could fail because of this 'Borrowed Paper'. You should give her 3 days and if she does not return it
you should file a police report.

Answer 10

College is about responsibility. Everyone in college knows better than to just lend a final to someone. And if she REALLY did do the final, she would have had another copy saved on the computer or printed out already. Face it, your friend probably got what she deserved.

Answer 11

That is going to be a civil complaint.

She can file in small claims court. The problem the court is going to have though is, what is the value of the paper. They will likely make a monetary reward, how do you value something like that?