Laws on personal stuff left behind?

[tiggersbombed2]

No, but the law does specify how long you have to store it. For example, here is Minnesota's abandoned personal property law, according to Labor Law Talk:



And here's more advice from Woman's Divorce.com



Seriously, you do not have the legal right to just dump/sell this stuff because you decide you've held onto it long enough (even though you have the moral right, kwim?). Find out about your state's law.

You didn't quote the whole paragraph. As I said, AFTER you have notified the person with a certified register receipt letter giving the person a month or so to pick up their property. At no time did I say you should just "dump it", even tho that's what the person deserves.

 

[dani0622]

Thanks for all of your feedback! Got some really good advice as usual here.

I make my bf tell me what she says, I don't know why since it angers me, but that's all on me.

He contacted his lawyer and is waiting to hear back. In the meantime, I asked my stepmom to investigate too, she works for a real estate attorney. Basically, he said that if we send a notarized letter via certified mail with a month on it, we aren't liable afterwards for her property. So after one month, if she doesn't come and get it, it can go into the trash.

 

[tlbwriter]

You didn't quote the whole paragraph. As I said, AFTER you have notified the person with a certified register receipt letter giving the person a month or so to pick up their property. At no time did I say you should just "dump it", even tho that's what the person deserves.

But you picked an arbitrary and vague amount of time. State laws are very specific. There is no law that says you can throw their stuff away after "a month or so." All I'm saying is, don't rely on internet advice and "I think that's fair" on this one - check the law. And it looks like the OP did, so that's a good thing.

 

[cm8]

Thanks for all of your feedback! Got some really good advice as usual here.

I make my bf tell me what she says, I don't know why since it angers me, but that's all on me.

He contacted his lawyer and is waiting to hear back. In the meantime, I asked my stepmom to investigate too, she works for a real estate attorney. Basically, he said that if we send a notarized letter via certified mail with a month on it, we aren't liable afterwards for her property. So after one month, if she doesn't come and get it, it can go into the trash.

Just make sure to get everything in writing

 

[MickeySP]

Either this or, if it isn't too inconvenient, just drop it off on her front stoop.

No - you are still responsible - so don't

If we could do this without being held responsible I would totally do it and not care about losing the cost of one month!

Storage Locker w/ certified notice & key, if she chooses to ignore - her problem. But if you want to keep relationship civil tell her you wil do this if she fails to collect her items within 30 days. You have now given her 60 days and should be off the hook.

 

[jlima]

So after one month, if she doesn't come and get it, it can go into the trash.

Good for you!

But, please consider donating the stuff to a charity who may repurpose some of the items, or sell them to support their mission, like Salvation Army or Goodwill. They might even be able to send a truck!!!

 

[beattyfamily]

This may be moot at this point but just an fyi...

I watch People's Court (thanks to hubby) and there was one case where the woman would not get her stuff out of the apartment she was renting but got evicted from. The landlord tried a letter etc...and warnings. Then finally she just put the ladies stuff on the street.

The judge said you cannot just put her stuff on the street. That what she should have done (so she doesn't get sued) was send the letter with the warnings and tell her that if she doesn't get her stuff by this date, it will be put into storage. Or just put it directly into storage and then send her the key. Then if she wants her stuff she can get it OR she can pay the next month's storage fees and keep it in storage but now it is no longer the landlord's problem.

So in this case, the landlord had to pay the tenant for her lost belongings. Lesson learned.