Borrowing things

[NeedingTruth]

Something has been bothering me lately…in the past I have borrowed various things from different people (books, DVDs, video games, etc, some borrowed over a decade ago) and not returned them; some of items I lost or even threw away (years later). The people in question never asked for them back, and some of them I have not spoken to in years. In Catholic theology, does it become a mortal sin at this point if I don’t go out of my way to attempt returning the items or offering restitution for them?

 

[Kay_Cee]

In Catholic theology, all of these three conditions must be met for a sin to be mortal:

1. It must be grave matter. (What you are talking about doesn’t seem to be so. It would be if you borrowed a book that contained information a person had dire need of and, even though you knew that, you refused to return it.)
2. You must know it is grave matter.
3. You must give full consent.

However, although a sin is not mortal, it is still a sin and an offense to God. Even though people didn’t ask for their items back you still owe them. After all, when you borrowed them, weren’t they under the impression you would return them? Since when do we not have to live up to our obligation to return items unless they are asked for?

You should make every effort to return whatever items you can. If you cannot, you can still make retribution by replacing the items, or giving whatever dollar amount you think those items are worth to either the person you borrowed them from or to a charity.

 

[puzzleannie]

In Catholic theology, does it become a mortal sin at this point if I don’t go out of my way to attempt returning the items or offering restitution for them?

it becomes a sin at the point when you consciously, freely and deliberately decide to keep something that does not belong to you. It becomes a mortal sin when the relative value of the items or harm done becomes grave matter.

for instanct I failed to return a borrowed children’s book of very little monetary value, but it had immense family and sentimental value to the owner. When I found it later in a move, and had it fed-exed to her she was overcome with gratitude as it is irreplaceable. Had I kept it knowingly I would consider that a mortal sin.

 

[Joe_5859]

So you’re the one who still has all my stuff!

(I jest because I’ve loaned out many a book that have not been returned…)

In my case, I know I never asked for stuff back because I didn’t want to be a pest. I know different people with different personalities can have different sensibilities when it comes to stuff like this. I can be somewhat anal (heck, I still remember the kid I loaned a quarter to in fifth grade who said he’d pay me back the next day and never did ), so when I borrow something, it is never far from my mind. I usually keep the item in a place where I see it often. It never gets absorbed into my own collection. And as soon as I’ve read it/watched it/played it, I return it. I know others have a harder time keeping track of stuff like that, though.

I agree with Annie and Kay Cee’s advice. If you can return it, I would make a reasonable effort to do so. I don’t think you need to hire a private investigator to track people down, though.

For me, I have come to the place where, when I loan something out, I don’t expect it back (unless it’s to someone very close who I trust will return it). That doesn’t mean I don’t want to get it back. It’s like loaning money to family. It may be nice to get paid back. But you don’t necessarily expect to be.

 

[Sacredheart1208]

I know this is off topic but it seemed like this was the place to go. We rented a room in our house and when the tenant left she left her neck pillow for traveling here. It’s been over a year and I was thinking of using it. Is this okay? I mean wouldn’t it be silly to return something that costs less then 10 dollars to someone we barely know on something that really isn’t that important? Thoughts?

 

[Joe_5859]

I know this is off topic but it seemed like this was the place to go. We rented a room in our house and when the tenant left she left her neck pillow for traveling here. It’s been over a year and I was thinking of using it. Is this okay? I mean wouldn’t it be silly to return something that costs less then 10 dollars to someone we barely know on something that really isn’t that important? Thoughts?

This thread reminds me that I still have someone’s DVD that I need to get back to them.

Do you have a way to contact the person? If so, you could send a quick note saying that you still have her pillow if she wants it back. If not, I think you’d be fine to go ahead and use it.

 

[Bookcat]

Do what you can to return them or make restitution.

For a mortal sin one needs grave matter, full knowledge and complete consent.

 

[Bookcat]

Also note:

2453 The seventh commandment forbids theft. Theft is the usurpation of another’s goods against the reasonable will of the owner. There is no theft if consent can be presumed or if refusal is contrary to reason and the universal destination of goods.

2409 Even if it does not contradict the provisions of civil law, any form of unjustly taking and keeping the property of others is against the seventh commandment: thus, deliberate retention of goods lent or of objects lost; business fraud; paying unjust wages; forcing up prices by taking advantage of the ignorance or hardship of another.192

scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c2a7.htm#2408