Q: What can we do to retrieve belongings stored at a relative's home who now refuses our visits?
My husband has always had an excellent relationship with his mother. She's now 90 and we believe she's being influenced by others as she's mentally declining. She has always wanted us to visit often and even dedicated an entire wing in her home for us when we visit. She's continually encouraged us to store many of our things over there, as we live in a very small condo 90 minutes away without enough storage. This includes my own keepsakes from my grandmothers and my mother that I brought with me when I got married and moved to Texas from California. Recently, she suddenly ejected us from her home with NO explanation and we think those influencing her are over there plundering our belongings and probably hers too. Is there anything we can legally do about this? We just want to retrieve what belongs to us, but it's her house. We don't want to put ourselves in a position where they can say we broke some law.
A:
If there is a competency issue, consult a Family Law attorney that practices law in the county where the grandmother lives.
Otherwise, if you just want to sue to get your stuff, consult an attorney that practices law in the county where grandma lives to find out if a lawsuit is appropriate. If the value of the property is mostly sentimental then perhaps visit the JP court precinct for the street address where it is stored and inquire about small claims lawsuits.
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