Loss of Personal Property

[dsm4life]

My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Tennessee

Im just gonna give a quick run-down of what happened. One of my friends found a garage for rent back in June of this year and he asked me if I would be interested in splitting rent with him and two others. My friend went ahead and rented the garage and put his name and one of my other friends name on the lease because you were only allowed to have two names on the lease. I never signed any type of contract or written agreement, it was all verbal. The four of us split rent every month for the first couple of months. On the third month I decided to leave the garage and stop renting it because of personal issues so I told my friend who's name was on the lease that I would be leaving the garage. He wasn't too happy about me leaving the garage and told me to let him know when I was gonna come and get my tools, parts, and my car because someone needed to be there. I told him it would be a couple weeks before I could find another place to put all of my tools and car, he said that was fine just to let him know. I told him he could just push my car outside the garage so it would be out of the way. I contacted my other friend who is also on the lease and asked him if my things were not safe, and that I could possibly find somewhere to store them if I absolutely had to. He told me that he put all of my things in his section of the garage and told me I could keep my stuff there as long as I had to until I found somewhere to store them. He assured me that my things were completely safe and everything was fine (I have messages were he told me this). Well, about three weeks later I find out that my car has been towed at my expense by a local wrecking service and I would have to pay a lot more money than the car is actually worth to get it back. I also found out that he supposedly contacted his lawyer and his lawyer informed him that my tools and parts and anything else at the garage belonging to me are now his property under TN state law. Is there anything I can possibly do to get my things back? Since one of the people on the lease told me my belongings were safe and nothing would happen to them I don't think this is fair at all because I was basically conned into giving about $3000 worth of tools and parts away a;long with getting my car towed. They are also currently selling the parts off of my car on the internet. Thanks for your help

[Mr. Knowitall]

If they pushed your car outside and it was towed for some reason that was your fault (e.g., being parked on a public street with expired tags, being parked without being moved for a period of time in excess of state or local law, etc.), that's your fault.

In terms of your stuff, if they won't give it back you can sue for it.

[dsm4life]

If they pushed your car outside and it was towed for some reason that was your fault (e.g., being parked on a public street with expired tags, being parked without being moved for a period of time in excess of state or local law, etc.), that's your fault.

In terms of your stuff, if they won't give it back you can sue for it.

The car was just pushed outside of the garage but it was still on the garage property. John (One of the people who is on the garages lease) got a towing company to come and get the car for no reason other than he didn't want it there. Do you think I would have any chance of getting my items back and or compensation for my car that was towed if I sued?

[TheJKH1999]

where you still current on rent? how long ago did it happen, has the towing company filed for title?

[dsm4life]

This all happened about three months ago. I was current on rent when I told everyone I was leaving the garage. My stuff was left in the garage after I had stopped paying rent, but I was told by a member of the lease that I could keep my items at the garage until I could find a place to store them (I have messages to prove he said this). I recieved a letter from the towing company about two days after I was informed that my car had been towed and told that unless I paid all the fees for my car being towed it would be sent to the junkyard and crushed within ten days. The car has been crushed.
I would've retrieved my items long before all of this happened if I hadn't have been told my stuff was safe until I could find a place to store it. I was basically tricked into giving them a lot of valuable tools and parts (not including my car)