@davidcharge: "Hi,
I would really appreciate any advice you can give on the issue below, thanks in advance for all your help.
We live in a semi-detached house in the UK.  We and our neighbours have separate chimney pipes and pots but share the stack.  In August 2013 we had work done on our chimney pot (replacement).  In January 2014 our neighbours, while mentioning something else, advised that they had noticed that at the same time our pot was replaced theirs went missing.  If pushed I would dispute this, mainly on the basis that we have survey photos from 2012 that show there was no pot there then and I am certain one was not put up in the interim.  If our neighbour wishes to pursue the alleged removal of her chimney pot is it in fact not even our problem but rather a claim that should be put to the company that did the work?  We are (so far) on good terms with our neighbours and I have put the allegation to the company involved on their behalf but they just laughed down the phone and denied that they would ever do something like that � which based on my photos is probably the truth.
David"
    @NOTsomeone: "<quote>
You need to explain all this to your neighbours. Otherwise, you could 
end up explaining all this to a judge.
You have some responsibility for the actions of your contractors. I 
don't know whether that extends to criminal acts. Your public liability 
insurance would probably cover it."
    @roland: "In message <email_address>, at 
09:20:18 on Mon, 20 Jan 2014, Dr Cee <email_address> remarked:
<quote>
Why not just show them the photo, in a friendly way?
Roland Perry"
    @AlexNOOOO: ""Dr Cee" <email_address> wrote in message 
news:<email_address>
<quote>
********************************************
You need to try and head this one off as early as possible.
Just pop round to your neighbour with a copy of the photo that you have just 
remembered that you've got and hopefully they will realise their mistake.
Alex "
    @deadmailbox: "<quote>
In general you would not be responsible for the actions of your 
contractors unless those actions are an inevitable part of what they 
have been contracted to do - thus, if the contractors undertake work 
that inevitably causes massive vibration and that vibration damages a 
nearby structure, the person employing the contractor would usually have 
some liability.
So if the contractors stole a neighbour's chimney pot, that wouldn't be 
an act for which you'd be criminally liable but if it could be proved 
that the pot on your chimney was not a new one and was your neighbour's 
pot, they could demand that it be put back and sue if necessary."
    @her: "<quote>
  Maybe you still have the invoice for the work, showing you paid for a 
new chimney pot, and your contractor can confirm who supplied it.
   Janet"
    @NOTsomeone: "<quote>
I was thinking at the time of something which is not inevitable, but is 
nevertheless a foreseeable possibility.  For example, the roofers 
dropping a tool on the neighbour's car or smashing a couple of their 
roof tiles by mistake."
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