Hate to be honest, but that's pretty redicious to say if your best friend got kidnapped....made a slave, and was property for years...and you had a chance to free them but couldn't cause of a VA for no stealing. Stealing items like gold minas/property etc. yes...a character? SEroiusly? XD?
The whole 'you need a VA to do x' business is nothing but people trying to avoid losing, especially when x is something as mundane as freeing a slave. These restrictions are absurd.