What offense occurs when someone takes a basketball from their neighbor's yard without permission?

The offense that occurs when someone takes a basketball from their neighbor's yard without permission is classified as theft. Theft involves the unlawful taking of someone else's property with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of it. In this scenario, the individual unlawfully took the basketball, which belongs to their neighbor, without seeking permission. This act demonstrates the requisite elements of theft: taking property belonging to another person and the intention to keep it.

While burglary involves entering a property without permission with the intent to commit a crime inside, it does not apply here since the act described does not involve breaking and entering. Trespassing could be considered if there was illegal entry into the neighbor's property, but the main offense here relates to the taking of the basketball. Robbery, on the other hand, requires the use of force or intimidation against a person when taking their property, which is not present in this scenario. Thus, given the circumstances, describing the action as theft is wholly appropriate.