property theft
Is it legal to wheel lock someone&#39;s vehicle if they have something that belongs to you?
<p>I hired someone to refinish a piece of furniture.  He took the piece, sent pictures of the progress as he worked on it.  I communicated to him several times as to the status and he has not responded to me, nothing, zip, zilch, nada.  I was thinking of wheel locking his vehicle until he returns my furniture.  At this point I do not care if it is unfinished and will gladly pay for his labor to date.  Would it be legal to do so?</p>

<p>It would certainly not be legal in Scotland (there was a court case in about this in the context of parking).  I am pretty sure it would not be legal in England and Wales (there has been legislation to allow wheel clamping - but only in certain circumstances, and yours is not one of them).</p>

<p>Outside of Great Britain, "it depends on the jurisdiction".  However this is a form of "self help", and at least all the legal systems derived from that of England (which covers pretty much all of the common law jurisdictions apart from Scotland) tend to disapprove of self help.  (In fact the oldest, still active, statute law in England is the Statute of Marlborough from 1267 which is partially about prohibiting self-help.)</p>

<p>In general, you will have to sue for the return of your furniture.</p>

<p>Note: The law commission proposed repealing one section of the Statute of Marlborough relating to self-help because it has since been obsoleted by more recent laws; it may already have been repealed.</p>
