Maid to order? We have a dilemma!

[Snowy79]

I find information on people tends to trickle out. I'm renting a decent sized house and the owners employ a caretaker and his wife to do the grounds. They have a son about 15yrs and a daughter who just turned 17. When we moved in the owner assured us the wife could be trusted to look after my partners daughter if we fancied a night out. 

I met her and joked to the wife that she looks shifty but we used her to look after the daughter one night. The next day my partner asked how much money was in a money tin that we throw the odd 5 and 10 peso. I never had a clue but the partner was thinking some money was gone. With no proof we couldn't say anything but I was reluctant to use her again. 

A few weeks went by and we had to go out and had no choice but to let her baby sit again. I deliberately put the catches on our cupboards at set positions. The catches are pretty stiff. Sure enough when we returned the cupboard where the money tin used to be kept, we'd moved it were in different positions. 

Nothing was missing but all trust was gone. I'd catch her peering in our windows and she'd randomly step onto our balcony and just stand there. Many times I'd be walking around in my boxers then realise she was there. 

I told her to keep a respectful distance and always use the front door and to knock, never to look first through the windows to see if anyone was in. 

About two months ago me and my partner were going out. The caretakers wife passed us on our side steps as she headed down to the local sari sari store. We got on our motorbike and passed her. My partner then remembered she had left a folder so we turned around. We caught the caretaker's wife just about to step over our small wall onto our balcony. We'd left the balcony door open. My partner gave her a right mouthful and she came up with the excuse that she was just making sure the house was secure. 

A few days later a neighbour came in and without prompting warned us off about her. To top it off her son was caught with a ladder at the side of our house and his hand on my partner's daughter's bedroom. This time I unloaded on him and briefed the parents. I'm now in the tricky situation of having to inform the owners. The caretaker and his wife have been given about 100 sqm where they have built a basic shack and have no where else to go. Fun times ahead. 

[OnMyWay]

43 minutes ago, Snowy79 said:

I find information on people tends to trickle out. I'm renting a decent sized house and the owners employ a caretaker and his wife to do the grounds. They have a son about 15yrs and a daughter who just turned 17. When we moved in the owner assured us the wife could be trusted to look after my partners daughter if we fancied a night out. 

I met her and joked to the wife that she looks shifty but we used her to look after the daughter one night. The next day my partner asked how much money was in a money tin that we throw the odd 5 and 10 peso. I never had a clue but the partner was thinking some money was gone. With no proof we couldn't say anything but I was reluctant to use her again. 

A few weeks went by and we had to go out and had no choice but to let her baby sit again. I deliberately put the catches on our cupboards at set positions. The catches are pretty stiff. Sure enough when we returned the cupboard where the money tin used to be kept, we'd moved it were in different positions. 

Nothing was missing but all trust was gone. I'd catch her peering in our windows and she'd randomly step onto our balcony and just stand there. Many times I'd be walking around in my boxers then realise she was there. 

I told her to keep a respectful distance and always use the front door and to knock, never to look first through the windows to see if anyone was in. 

About two months ago me and my partner were going out. The caretakers wife passed us on our side steps as she headed down to the local sari sari store. We got on our motorbike and passed her. My partner then remembered she had left a folder so we turned around. We caught the caretaker's wife just about to step over our small wall onto our balcony. We'd left the balcony door open. My partner gave her a right mouthful and she came up with the excuse that she was just making sure the house was secure. 

A few days later a neighbour came in and without prompting warned us off about her. To top it off her son was caught with a ladder at the side of our house and his hand on my partner's daughter's bedroom. This time I unloaded on him and briefed the parents. I'm now in the tricky situation of having to inform the owners. The caretaker and his wife have been given about 100 sqm where they have built a basic shack and have no where else to go. Fun times ahead. 

It can get complicated!  Tread softly!

[Snowy79]

29 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

It can get complicated!  Tread softly!

I'm trying to explain that to my partner. Another neighbour a foreigner has already had one run in. He's a lawyer and explained in his dealings the foreigner is always at fault. He's bought his way out of trouble once and also has nothing but bad things to say about the caretaker's wife. I want to deal with the owners brother. He is connected in the municipality. The owners live in Belgium  he's the Belgian his wife is Filipino. I want him to deal with it on the quiet without the owners being involved. A final warning. At least this way I can be seen to be doing enough without ruining a few lives. There's and ours.  

[Old55]

1 minute ago, Snowy79 said:

I'm trying to explain that to my partner. Another neighbour a foreigner has already had one run in. He's a lawyer and explained in his dealings the foreigner is always at fault. He's bought his way out of trouble once and also has nothing but bad things to say about the caretaker's wife. I want to deal with the owners brother. He is connected in the municipality. The owners live in Belgium  he's the Belgian his wife is Filipino. I want him to deal with it on the quiet without the owners being involved. A final warning. At least this way I can be seen to be doing enough without ruining a few lives. There's and ours.  

Best to simply move.

[expatuk2014]

We had the same prob a while back had a helper the wife had known for years but things began to go missing not expensive stuff but things like soap old shoes the wife wore in the garden , and the wife noticed footprints on the stairs leading to our bedroom, all our valubles are kept in a safe so they were not available , thats when we added CCTV !

One is in our living area pointing at the bedroom door one downs stairs looking into the front entrance

Another facing the back and the bay and another at the front of the house showing the road and our carport so we can see who has rung the doorbell ( bloody kids !) Nothing missing after that all set for record 24/7 and motion detection.at different levels

[OnMyWay]

12 minutes ago, Old55 said:

Best to simply move.

If I recall correctly, Snowy found a really nice house.  It would be a shame to have to move due to this.

[sonjack2847]

5 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

Well if you did a strip search and got caught you have a good excuse that your protecting the family jewels.  

Or not if she takes offense.

[sonjack2847]

4 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

I feel the same way.  Compared to our past maids, this girl is young and seems fairly smart, all things considered.  If she continues to fit in with us and contribute, I don't mind helping her get a leg up in life.

Like most of us it seems you have a habit of losing things, you already found the card, are you sure the chain did not go into the trash as well?

[Snowy79]

55 minutes ago, Old55 said:

Best to simply move.

I'll ride it out. The husband knows me. If anything he's the decent one in the family. Pretty simple kind of guy. A good talking to from someone in authority will quell it. I've got a good reputation with the other locals about me so I'm not too bothered. Two days after having words with them they had the cheek to ask me to be a God parent. I pointed out I'm a heathen and you couldn't pay me to have anything to do with religion. They left happy enough.  

[bastonjock]

5 minutes ago, Snowy79 said:

I'll ride it out. The husband knows me. If anything he's the decent one in the family. Pretty simple kind of guy. A good talking to from someone in authority will quell it. I've got a good reputation with the other locals about me so I'm not too bothered. Two days after having words with them they had the cheek to ask me to be a God parent. I pointed out I'm a heathen and you couldn't pay me to have anything to do with religion. They left happy enough.  

Well telling them your from Killie would have been enough