Lending is between neighbours.

What this is

Lot Line is a noticeboard. It records what neighbours own, who has borrowed what, and when it's due back. It is a convenience for people who already know each other — nothing more.

Every loan is a private arrangement between the two people involved. Lot Line is not a party to it, takes no fee, holds no deposit, and provides no guarantee, insurance or escrow of any kind.

Lending is your decision, and your risk

Whether to lend a tool is entirely up to its owner. So is deciding who to lend it to, on what terms, and what to do if it comes back late, damaged or not at all.

The operators of this site accept no liability for tools that are stolen, lost, damaged, destroyed, never returned, or returned in worse condition than they left. Nor for any injury, loss or damage arising from the use, misuse or condition of a borrowed tool.

A borrower's record on this site — how often they've returned things on time — is a record of what happened before. It is not a recommendation, a reference, a credit check or a promise about what will happen next. Treat it as one small input to a judgement that remains yours.

Getting your tools back is up to you

The reminders, due dates and overdue alerts here are prompts, not enforcement. Lot Line cannot compel anyone to return anything, will not chase a borrower on your behalf, and has no way to recover a tool or its value.

If it matters to you, take your own precautions before it leaves your hands: photograph its condition, agree what happens if it breaks, lend only to people you're comfortable with, and keep the tools you can't afford to lose off the board entirely.

Tools can hurt people

Ladders, saws, chainsaws, pressure washers and power tools are dangerous when misused, poorly maintained, or used by someone untrained.

Owners: only lend equipment you believe to be in safe working order, and say what a borrower needs to know about it. Borrowers: satisfy yourself that a tool is safe and that you know how to use it before you start. You are responsible for your own safety and for anyone else's.

Nothing here is training, certification, or a substitute for a manual. Wherever a task legally requires a licence, qualification or professional, that requirement still applies.

Who you're dealing with

Membership of a community is granted by an existing member. That approval is a neighbour vouching for someone — it is not identity verification, a background check, or any assurance about a person's honesty, competence or care. No such checks are performed by this site.

When you lend to or borrow from someone, they can see your name, lot number and phone number, because a loan needs a way to reach the other person. Don't put anything on the board you wouldn't want your neighbours to see.

Insurance and the law

Lending or borrowing may affect your household or contents insurance, and may sit outside what your policy covers. Check with your insurer if it matters. Some equipment is subject to rules about who may operate it or how it must be maintained; those rules are your responsibility, not this site's.

Nothing on this page is legal advice.

The software itself

Lot Line is provided as is, without warranty of any kind, express or implied. It may be unavailable, lose data, deliver a reminder late or not at all, or stop working entirely. Don't rely on it for anything that matters, and keep your own record if a loan is important to you.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the operators and authors accept no liability for any loss or damage of any kind arising from use of this software or the information in it. Where liability cannot lawfully be excluded, it is limited to the minimum permitted.

Disputes

Disagreements about a tool are between the neighbours involved. Lot Line does not arbitrate, adjudicate, or hold any record that is intended to be evidence in a dispute. The person running this site may remove a community, an account or a listing at any time, for any reason.