Blatant dishonesty

Just after I woke a couple of days ago I heard very loud talking in the street outside, and went to the window to see what was going on. A neighbour, from about a block away, was talking to another at the corner. He is naturally very loud so I could hear every word clearly, though had not heard the start of the conversation.
He owns a large guest house down the street, and on occasion coach-loads of tourists come to stay, though sometimes the coaches refuse to drive down the steep street so the guests have to walk down the hill. The gist of the conversation was that he had not yet erected a signboard outside as if he did he would have to start paying Council Tax on the guest house, but currently was only paying a nominal amount as a residence (Council Tax is very low here on domestic premises). He was complaining loudly about the tax rates, and was going to avoid them as long as he could.
I went down past his building today and he was outside and we started talking about a plot of cleared land opposite, which I though was going to be turned into another residence, but he said that he, and other neighbours, had cleared this to make a "leisure area" near the river, and allow for additional parking/turning (no doubt for the coaches, which have to reverse back uphill at present!). He invited me in (we are acquaintances) and he showed me round. Currently there are 18 en-suite rooms, with plans for more, and a large swimming pool almost completed, and he has a superb view over our small river.
He proudly told me that he didn't advertise much locally to keep "under the radar", but relied on external tour companies to bring guests to him. He also works as a local tour guide so has contacts with tour agencies outside the region. As well as not paying local taxes, he is not registered as a local business so pays no income tax either! This also means he is not covered by any health and safety measures, and I would also bet that he has no public liability insurance!
One of his neighbours is the Secretary for Tourism, working for the local government, and obviously is aware of the situation regarding non-payment of any taxation, but he also runs a local restaurant so benefits from this influx of tourism, and, in his opinion, any additional tourism is great for the town, so turns a blind eye.
What was ironic was that the guest house owner was complaining that he was having to fund some of the work to build the "leisure area", along with other neighbours, as the local council wasn't interested - appearing to ignore the fact that perhaps the council did not have sufficient funds if he, and others, were avoiding paying all their taxes!
I have always prided myself on my own honesty, have never, and would never, steal anything, cannot even walk out of a shop if I have been undercharged, or over-changed, would never try and evade my taxes (local or income), even if I felt they were too high (though I would protest through legal channels if I felt I was being treated unfairly in any way), and always try and be fair and honest in all my dealings, so seeing someone doing this so blatantly, and seeming so proud of the fact, really leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Honesty?

I consider myself to be a very honest person - I have never stolen anything in my life, and cannot walk out of a shop if I notice I have been undercharged or given too much change, which happens occasionally. I can even recall years ago once when my mother had sent me up to the row of shops near our house in a Yorkshire village to get her some cigarettes from the machine (I was no more than 12 at the time) - yes, back then cigarettes were available in vending machines - and the machine (owned by the sweet/toy shop there) dispensed 5 packs of Kensitas, instead of one. Without a moment's hesitation I took them into the shop and handed them in - much to the surprise of the lady shopkeeper! I don't recall any formal teaching about honesty, but must have picked it up from my parents/grandparents (we shared a house with them till I was about 4) and have followed that philosophy all my life - if it isn't mine I don't take it!

This has occasionally annoyed (slightly) some friends when we have been out for a meal, say, and I point out an undercharge in the bill - once all our drinks had been left off, which was considerable! I called the waitress over to say there was a problem with the bill, and she instantly called for the manager - who arrived ready for an argument, but was immediately deflated when I showed him our drinks had been left off! I explained later to my friends that had we walked out without paying for the drinks, the waitress would probably have had to meet the shortfall for her mistake, and we knew how poorly they were paid anyway!

I have a young friend here, who looks afer my house during my enforced absences, and he came round the other day asking to borrow my post-hole digging tool as he had acquired a plot of land and wanted to fence it off. Knowing he isn't working, and is always broke I asked him how he got the land, and he says it was vacant so he took it. The conversation then went like this -
Me: "It was vacant, so you stole it?"
Him: "No, I didn't steal it - it is public land"
Me: "Public land? But it must belong to someone."
Him: "Yes, the Municipality, but it is public."
Me: "You cannot just take Municipal land and use it, that is stealing"
Him: "No, they weren't using it and it belongs to the people, so I just took it as I need it. It is the only way I will ever get land to build my own house on."
Me: "So if I want to build a house on a road, which is also 'public' land, that is also OK?"
Him: "No! That is being used so you cannot do that"
Me: "What if the Municipality has plans for the future for that land?"
Him: "Too bad - it is mine now!"
Me: " But that is stealing - you know it doesn't belong to you, you do not and will not ever have legal title to it. If someone comes and takes it you will also have no legal right to protection! Also what about utilities like water and electricity - you cannot get them connected unless you have legal title?"
Him: "That is no problem we will just find the pipes and cables and connect to them."
Me: "So you will steal water and electricity as well?"
Him: "Well, it isn't really stealing - just taking it."
Me: "Taking without paying is also stealing."
Him: "But if I hold the land long enough it will become mine. Everyone is doing it where I live, so it is OK"

Two weeks later I asked him how the land was coming along - "Oh, I don't have it any more ... I sold it!" Now, knowing that this is the mind-set of a friend I have known for 7 years and who I entrust my home to for 6 months every year, fills me with a certain amount of trepidation!

He also was sporting a "diamond" ear stud last time I saw him (if it is a real diamond it is worth thousands, so must be cubic zirconia or similar), so I asked him where he got that (as I mentioned before he is perpetually broke!), and he told me he found it - in his bedroom! So without even bothering to find out who it might really belong to (could be a former girlfriend, or family member as he periodically moves out of the family home) he got his younger sister to pierce his ear with a needle and now wears the stud! And, yes, he considers himself to be a decent, honest person!

"If it ain't nailed down it's mine!"