Q: can a landlord lock up my business and rent it out with all my belongings in it with out me ever being evicted,
this is the second time. I got ill and went to hospital my landlord moved two men into my business and had them work in my business so he could get his rent which he didn't instead i ended up missing a lot of my property specialty tools and stuff and have to pay the back rent he didn't say sorry or nothing now he has locked me out and rented again with all my belongings out of the blue i never got an eviction or anything just showed up to a locked gate called him he said get my stuff out but wouldn't unlock the gates for me three days later i see m people there throwing away my paperwork and stuff and changing my shop around with all my stuff i went in and my land lord even took some my stuff to his house and said he can do what he wants with this place and my property he owns the building i was renting and i fell behind when i was ill even though i been paying current rent with a little extra to help pay the back rent. is this right don't he have to give me an eviction or something?
A: No your landlord cannot lock you out without notice of eviction. Your landlord also cannot rent out or not protect your property under any circumstances (even if you are behind on rent). You can pursue civil damages (via small claims or regular court with a lawyer) and probably can pursue criminal charges. Due to your landlord's violations you should receive compensation for court costs and attorney's fees. I recommend that you contact a lawyer--most offer free consultations.
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