Q: Former landlords/roommates physically attacked me twice. They refuse to return my 2 Cats and disposed of my belongings.
They showed up at my work, caused a scene & I subsequently was let go They disposed of ALL of my personal belongings within a few days (including my deceased husband's ashes). They agreed to care for my cats until I got settled in a new place. They refused to communicate except to harass & make threats. All I want is my cats back. They say they gave them away but I think they may still have them. I have offered to pay them for the food and litter as well as for their efforts to care for them. The cats are my babies. The Sheriff told me not to go back for my own safety. Due to all if this I was homeless for a time but am now working and have a home again. I have been trying to get my kitties back for 6 months. In the beginning of all this, they promised they would not give away or surrender my cats to SPCA and they would care for them as long as was necessary for me to secure a new home. I have attempted to communicate by phone, email and text to no avail.
A:
You can contact the police to report the attacks and theft. You may have a case to sue for conversion of personal property and breach of lease agreement. As for the disposal of your property at your rental home, did you receive any sort of notice of abandonment? See: http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/notice_of_belief_of_abandonment_per_civil_code_19513.pdf
More details are necessary to provide a professional analysis of your issue. The best first step is an Initial Consultation with an Attorney. You can read more about me, my credentials, awards, honors, testimonials, and media appearances/ publications on my law practice website. I practice law in CA, NY, MA, and DC in the following areas of law: Business & Contracts, Criminal Defense, Divorce & Child Custody, and Education Law. This answer does not constitute legal advice; make any predictions, guarantees, or warranties; or create any Attorney-Client relationship.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.