Man says his partner’s dad borrowed his $380 ladder for an afternoon. 3 weeks later he found it at the neighbor’s garage

Lending a tool to family usually comes with an unspoken promise that it will come back soon. A man reportedly retrieved his $380 extension ladder from the garage of his partner’s father’s neighbor after the father kept it for three weeks, according to a Reddit post by u/Prize_Emergency5000 in r/AITApod. He now appears to be in hot water with both of them.

The owner, a 28-year-old man, said he bought the 28-foot ladder about a year ago for home maintenance like cleaning gutters. As he typically uses the tool a few times a month, he reportedly expected a quick turnaround when he agreed to lend it out.

Apparently, about three weeks ago, his 26-year-old partner asked if her father could borrow the ladder for an afternoon. The Redditor claims to have agreed, and the father picked it up that same day. When it did not come back after a week, the owner said he texted his partner, who reportedly checked with her father and said he was almost finished.

Her dad apparently handed the ladder off to his neighbor

A second week reportedly passed with the same excuse. By the third week, the owner says he brought the subject up again. However, he said his partner became annoyed and insisted she would handle it. Nothing appeared to change after that conversation, so he reportedly decided to drive over to the father’s house himself.

Although the father’s car was in the driveway, nobody answered the door, the owner said. He says he walked around the back of the property and noticed the ladder was missing. According to the owner, he eventually spotted it leaning against the neighbor’s garage, where it appeared to have been sitting for some time, then loaded it into his truck and drove away.

The father reportedly called that night to complain, claiming the owner had embarrassed him in front of the neighbor by taking the ladder without notice. His partner also questioned why he could not have waited another week or given her father a heads-up. She appears to believe he went out of his way to make her father look bad.

The owner said he had already asked for the ladder three times before he went to get it. However, he reportedly pointed out that the father was not even the one using it during that period. According to the owner, he stands by his actions, saying he was misled about the ladder’s whereabouts for weeks.

Commenters on the post have largely sided with the owner. One user argued the father was caught lending out someone else’s property and was now complaining about being embarrassed. Another suggested he tell his partner she would never have to worry about him embarrassing her father again, as he would never lend him anything again.

Others raised concerns about the ladder’s condition. One user wondered whether the $380 tool had been left outside in the elements for up to three weeks, adding that the father had no business lending it to his neighbor. Another said they avoid lending or borrowing altogether and prefer to buy or rent instead.