Q: I have evicted a house guest. Can I place their items outside?
I had a house guest that overstayed their welcome. They signed a 30 day eviction notice and left without argument. However, they left items in my house that take up space I need to use. I made arrangements to be home for them to pick up the items and they didn't come. I've given them a deadline. Can I legally place these items outside?
A: A guest who was offered to come to pick up their belongings and did not show up at the appointed time has abandoned their property and the owner of the house/premises can dispose of them as he/she sees fit.
A:
While you could simply dispose of it, you run the risk of a judge seeing things differently and making you pay for the extremely valuable stuff (which you never saw) the 'guest' claims was left in the house. Instead as this happens fairly frequently, I have a suggestion which costs a little but could save you in the long run:
1) send a letter (both US Mail and Email it) that in 21 (or 30) days you will put the stuff in a storage unit, send the key and a bill for the storage and your time moving the stuff. After the time is up
2) rent a storage unit and pay the minimum you have to (2 months rent is good)
3) carefully move the stuff to the storage unit (have some friends video-document the process)
4) by certified mail, send the person the key and rental contract to the unit;
5) KEEP COPIES/RECEIPTS/PROOF OF DELIVERY).
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.
