(uber short version)

I had a room mate. He moved in just over a year ago. He never kept up with rent and towards the end of said year, he'd hardly ever come to the house. Neither I nor the land lord made him sign the lease... he was a good friend and I thought it wouldn't be an issue.

Well, he racked up quit a bill. He was able to get it down to around 600 bucks. But he said he'd move out and he'd pay me back everything.

Well, he never moved his sh*t out... and I told him to by such and such date. If he couldn't I told him to call me so we can get this squared away. He never came nor called. So I changed the locks.

I told him that once he paid me back he can come get his stuff back.

Well... now he claims that he shouldn't pay for the last two months that he wasn't really there for (rent was 600 a month so 2 months negates what he owes in his mind).

So now he's saying he doesn't owe me sh*t and that he'll get a policeman to help him escort him to get his stuff.

Any suggestions or comments?

I completely agree with what you did. But man it sucks he didn't sign. I don't know about the whole police thing, like who's legally right, but I say try not to let it turn into an angry situation. You'll just end up with some stuff you don't need of his and no money.

Do you think there's anyway to get it through to him that his stuff is there so whether he is or not he owes you rent? Maybe drop it to 400 or 500? Does he have the money and is wasting it or is he just broke?

That man to money is like drinks to an alcoholic... he can't stop spending it. He hasn't even paid for tag on his car for the past 4 months... amazed he hasn't got caught yet.

Anyway, I'm really wondering if it's really even worth the bother. I hate dealing with bullsh*t like this... it's so inane and uncalled for. I'm not going to get what's mine reguardless of the circumstance.

There's a lesson to be learned here... this is what happens if you are nice. I didn't make him sign, nor did I force him to keep up with rent. So do yourself a favor and be a hardass whenever possible.

doesnt matter what he thinks, he may not have been there, but his stuff was. he owes you.

Well you know him better than I obviously so if you think you won't be getting the money, at least you can let him know you're not a push over by keeping his stuff and even selling what you can for what he owes you. Of course don't take what any of us say too seriously since we don't fully understand the situation, use your own judgement. Though I don't have to tell you that, you already know it.

Truth.

*dilemma

a problem with at least two possible solutions -

you can just forget it i suppose, what is money anyway? and it will get him out of your hair quicker. no police. easiest way out.

you can fight it, kindly point thigns out to the police officer, especially about the car badge at least then he will get in trouble even if he does get his stuff back. you could sue him for it but t hat would cost you more than what he owes and you would become part of the commonly used stat about americans being lawsuit crazy lolol i doubt you would do that tbh but it's there.

you could pawn as much of his stuff as possible and give the rest to charity or thrift shops to recouperate your losses. XD i like this one the best. it serves justice without too much formality type hassles etc.

i think really... more than his stuff being there - if he had the key, then he still had rights to the house whether he was there or not. therefore he shoudl be paying for it. and if his stuff was there occupying space and he had a key etc ... deffo he owes ya it. but what is money really? like big deal moreover kind of principle thing - scum gets revenged on or something. cus if you dont' get revenge youll feel all cheated and stuff for ages but at the same time you could just be like oh well thats life and get over it and don't make another mistake like that, live and learn and all. cus at the end of it, it's just money.

Going by your guidlines, Sumi... officially said he'd move out on April 5th and get his stuff the following morning.

He never did. So I sat on it for a while till I got fed up with it. That's when I gave him a date and told him to contact me if he couldn't. He did neither, which made me change the locks... which was right at two weeks ago from tonight.

Oh, and get this... I've been trying to call him, but he refuses to answer. The only means of communication is through text messaging. Are we in f*cking highschool? This whole situation is just really dumb.

I think what I'm going to do is antoher option. There's no changing his twisted logic. If he thinks he doesn't owe me anything, there isn't a mother f*cking thing I can say that will change his mind. It's going to be more of a hastle to try and get my money (or any kind of compensation for that matter) than what it's worth.

I've been wanting to call him to tell him he's got this weekend else I through all his sh*t in the front yard with a big 'FREE STUFF' sign on it. There's nothing he can do about that. He doesn't live here and I'm not under responcibility for his stuff. He would have had more time to move if he'd just talk to me.

I think that's the best idea so far.

Wow, this is a case for Marilyn Millian (People's Court).

How would $600 of rent negate the $600 due. Even if he didn't live there and didn't have his stuff there (even though he did), he simply wouldn't owe you that rent money. He'd still owe you from the $600 before. Am I misunderstaning what you are saying?

Nevertheless, he did have his stuff there, but you changed the locks, right?

I guess it all depend on what is implied from your orginal contract (how long he would live there, etc.)

No idea. Good luck.

EDIT: You are saying that in addition to what he owed you ($600) you are trying to charge him $600 for rental of an apartment that he couldn't get into? I'm not sure how that works. In other words, for him to owe that money it might be the case that you would have to have let him in even without him paying you and then you would have to sue him for $1200. I really don't know, I am simply sharing thoughts. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Just remember that contracts can be oral and not written, and that he has legal responsibility to honor any contract in which there was a 'meeting of the minds'.

Heh, I went ahead and called up at the police department to ask if holding his stuff as collateral was legal. They said that if there isn't any record of him staying at the house, then there's nothing I can do to withold him from his belonging.

So basically, I'm f*cked.

I'm going to go with what I said and tonight, all his sh*t will be in the yard. If he would have spoken with me last night, it wouldn't have come to this... so I don't feel bad in the least.

Anyway, I'll be taking pics of before and after shots of his room and my lawn.

^_^

WAIT! I don't think that is a good idea. You might end up being responsible for any stuff of his that someone else takes.

You may have to sue him to get the rent money (under the implied oral contract), but he may (I'm not sure, just pause and think about it) be able to sue you if you do not give him a reasonable time to get his things and I'm not sure how long that is recognized to be legally.

I say call him up and say...I mean text him and write that you will be putting it all on the lawn tomorrow and he can pick it up whenever. Its still on the property but its not your responsiblity if someone takes it. Unless you put up a sign.

All in all

First note that I edited my original post. I don't know if you saw what I edited.

Second, what I am saying in my last post, is that you may need to give him a reasonable amount of notice from the time he is first ABLE to get to his things (now that you are not locking him out of his stuff) to when you are allowed to discard it. If he has been trying to get his stuff but you have been preventing him, you may have a responsibility to notify him that he is able to get it, wait the legally appropriate time, discard it if he abandons it and sue for what you are out.

He's had the entire month of april. And he has never gotten in contact with me and told me he was later.

I can't be held responcible for things that aren't mine that belongs to someone who doesn't even live here.

I'm not going through the effort of going to court over this bullspit... it's just not worth it... and after tonight, I'll finally be able to wash my hands of the entire matter.

Actually, he said he would call me today about it. And if he does... maybe we can resolve the matter. If he lies again (like he did about paying me and when he'd be getting his things) then his shiz is going outside. I will contact him as soon as the last item his the ground.

Good luck.

Well, here's the breakdown:

Jonas' room before:





And my front lawn before:





After everything was moved he was notified and told to come get his things.

His room after:





Well, he sent his girlfriend and her sister to come get his stuff... of all people. Followed afterwards by police. They asked me what I was doing, and I told them exactly everything that has transpired so far. The only thing that could go wrong is that I'm responcible for anything taken. So me and a few friends are watching the stuff till it's all gone. With that, the police left. After asking if I've done anything wrong, they gave me a generic police responce that ment "no" and left.

Here's my yard afterwards:









Wait a minute... What's that on top of the bookshelf?



...

Anyway.

As we speak, his GF and her sister are moving stuff into the trailer. I'd provide pics and/or video, but I'd rather them not start throwing a hissy fit about that.

Alls well that ends well, I suppose. Though I may be out of some money, this stupid sh*t is finally over and I don't have to worry about it.

mmm... I wish I had one of those, mine is shaped like a dog...[spoiler] jk[/spoiler]

I am half-afraid to wonder aloud why he has a dong in his room.

Hah, dong in his room. Creppy. O_o