Q: My grandparents kicked me off of our land because I’m gay, I’ve paid the land taxes for the past 8 years.
They will not allow me to come back to the property to collect my belongings. I don’t know if I have any rights to the land because I’ve been paying land taxes for 8 years. In the last two years I’ve been remodeling the home just to have to ripped away from me.
A:
Contact the precinct Constable's office for the address of the property and ask if they can provide a civil standby for you to retrieve your personal belongings. If they can't, ask if they know which law enforcement agency can. They may have another name for it besides a "standby" but basically the idea is that an officer accompanies you and is there as an official witness so there is no trouble. This will only work if your grandparents agree but they might be more likely to agree with a uniformed cop on hand. The officer does not settle disputes over ownership, any items that that your grandparents claim to own must remain.
If that doesn't work you could try to file a lawsuit against them in small claims court for recovery of your personal items.
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.
