Man takes removalists to VCAT over missing suitcase full of work clothes

IF MOVING house wasn’t stressful enough, one man has taken legal action against a removal company claiming his entire work wardrobe, which was stashed inside a suitcase, was pilfered from the back of their van.

A man has taken a removal company to VCAT claiming it is responsible for the alleged theft of a suitcase containing his work attire.

A MAN has taken legal action after claiming his entire work wardrobe was pilfered from a removalist van by passers by, blaming the moving company for taking their eye off the ball.

David Livshiz is holding Mister Mover responsible after a suitcase containing his work clothes went missing during his move from Point Cook to Elsternwick in August.

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Mr Livshiz last month told the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal he wanted compensation for the missing case and its contents after it was allegedly stolen when the movers left the truck unattended.

An itemised list of the suitcase’s cargo included 26 or 27 shirts, eight pairs of trousers, four jumpers, 10 ties and one or two pairs of shorts.

It is not known what the estimated value of the missing items was.

The tribunal heard about 60 items were loaded and unloaded during the move, including furniture, whitegoods and boxes.

The suitcase was the only item to mysteriously vanish.

Mr Livshiz said he had arranged for the removalists to park the truck in the loading bay of the Elsternwick apartment building, which had nearby security cameras.

Footage did not show the suitcase being stolen or being carried into the building.

In a written statement, the two removalists said they had warned Mr Livshiz he should stay near the truck while they carried the large items inside but he did not, instead assuring them there were surveillance cameras at the building.

They said they could not stay with the truck themselves because two people were needed to carry the furniture and whitegoods.

Mr Livshiz claimed the moving company had “failed to provide its services with due care and skill”.

But Mister Mover director Mohit Jaiswal said the company’s written contract clearly stated it was the “customer’s responsibility to … take all reasonable steps to ensure that nothing is left behind and that nothing is taken away in error”.

VCAT Senior Member Suzanne Kirton dismissed Mr Livshiz’s claim.

“I am satisfied that (the removalists) exercised reasonable care and skill in providing the service and took acceptable steps to avoid loss and damage,” she said.

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