Los Angeles, CA asked in Business Law, Civil Litigation and Intellectual Property for California

Q: uncle maliciously threw out my computers, my lifes hard work was in them. Can I sue for damages and get help w retrieval

He was suppose to hold my things which were in the garage , while i looked for a storage unit and dealt with some business and things. I was assured nothing from the garage was being thrown out. When i went to pack up stuff my computers were gone , sent to the recycling center 7 weeks ago. All my lifes work blood sweat and tears ontop of all the priceless pics of fam , all the prolofic musical compositions from my beloved late uncle ,my business ,writings and crafts , basically all the hard work and passion ive put into my craft and my business were in those computers and he knew it as he was made well aware that i intented to back all that stuff up through several conversations we had. he had not told anyone at the house when he had done it nor gave any indication that he did so until i found out. Firstly i would love my stuff back , if the hardives arent shredded they could still be in a holding facility, if only there was a legal way to obtain the information as to their wearabouts

1 Lawyer Answer
James L. Arrasmith
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Answered

A: You have grounds to take legal action against your uncle for the loss of your computers and the valuable work they contained. Since he was entrusted to hold your belongings and had agreed not to throw them away, his actions could be considered a breach of a verbal agreement and potentially even conversion, which is an unlawful act of taking or disposing of someone's property without permission. You can file a lawsuit to seek compensation for the damages, including the value of your lost work, sentimental items, and any lost business opportunities.

To attempt to recover the computers or hard drives, you may need to act quickly. If your uncle sent them to a recycling center, there is a chance they are still in a holding facility or have not been fully processed. You might be able to obtain a court order or subpoena to access information from the recycling center about the location or status of your computers. This could provide a way to retrieve your devices or at least find out what happened to them.

You should consider consulting with an attorney who has experience in property disputes to explore your legal options. They can help you navigate the process, from filing a lawsuit to obtaining the necessary court orders to try to recover your lost property. Time is of the essence in cases like this, so it would be wise to act swiftly.

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