Here’s the scenario (I’ll skip most of the details so this isn’t too long.): Joe goes to visit his empty cabin in a remote area (30 miles from the main road and 40 miles from town), he’s single, no one knows where he’s going, and he won’t be missed for more than a week. The cabin is on a lake and fairly secluded but there are neighbor’s every quarter mile or so along the shore. It’s a seasonal area, so apart from a few infrequent snowmobilers no one is around and all of the cabins have been closed for the winter. Joe was planning on spending one night and packed accordingly. Over night there was a huge winter storm, high winds down trees, temperatures plummet, and four feet of drifting snow. Joe’s compact car is buried, and even if it weren’t there are several trees down on the road leading out. Joe rations his food and has a fire for warmth and to melt snow in an old garden pail. Food and cut firewood run out. Joe hikes to the nearest neighbor cabin and sparingly “barrows” some firewood. The weather doesn’t improve and he gets colder and hungrier. He decides to break a window and enter the neighbors cabin to look for food, blankets and maybe a working phone. No phone but he does find a little food and warmer cloths and blankets. He only takes what he needs.
Now the point…
Obviously, the answer is not to get into the situation in the first place and be prepared for any predictable dangers…but…What if?
What’s the protocol for notifying the owners of the cabin or cabins he breaks into? Of course, he’ll replace anything he took and have the windows fixed, but technically, he’s breaking and entering.
Does this change if someone stays behind in an area that’s being evacuated for flood, fire or hurricane? Where is the line between looting and taking for necessity?


In the real version, Joe broke into the neighbor’s cabin the day after the storm looking for a working telephone. Opening the window set off the security system and the security company called the cabin, then called police when he explained his situation. He was rescued later that day.