Q: Can a stepmother pack an adult childs things, change locks & give him five minutes to find a ride to retrieve belongings
My adult half-brother has been living with his stepmother for 16 months with the verbal agreement he does various household duties and gets a job, and to move out when his younger siblings move. His siblings are still there. When he was at work, she text him saying her and her friend packed his things and he had 5 minutes to find a ride and get his things or she would take them to Goodwill, knowing he has no car. He's had to sleep in the cold, miss days at work and has caused him alot of distress. She knows he already suffers depression since Dad died in front of him. Does he have any rights?
A: He should see a local landlord-tenant attorney immediately. Yes, he has rights and no, step-mother had no legal right to either dispossess him of his property or to oust him from her home without first obtaining a court order.
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