Is it permissible to take one's right through theft if one is unable to obtain it rightfully?

If a person has a right over another and cannot reclaim it except by taking it secretly without the other's knowledge, then it is permissible for him to do so, provided he takes only his right without any excess. This issue is known as the "Mas'alat al-Zafar" (the issue of gaining one's right by seizing it).