Ex-Wife Stole My Property and Vandalized My Home
My question involves personal property located in the State of: Washington State
I'll make this short, in April of 2015 my ex wife (we have been divorced since 2013) who was staying with me because she was homeless and I needed someone to watch the kids. Had me thrown out of the house on trumped up charges.
She moved her sister and her ex boyfriend into the house and I was not allowed back in the house. She slowly started selling all of my stuff, my extra car my games and game systems.
recently she's vacated the property and they left an absolute mess. Crack pipes, pills... the carpet it ruined, they spray painted all the walls in the garage. holes in all but 2 interior doors. walls are disgusting and they took all of the bathroom mirrors as well as curtains showers curtain hangers blinds etc.
I have homeowners insurance that should cover this however they also stole EVERY single item I owned that was left in the house. My TV books bed clothing couches. I was not allowed to go get my stuff due to the charges and was only allowed 15 minutes one time in april where I managed to get my clothes and computer for work and school.
now she's taken everything and the cops are telling me she had the right to because I let her live in my house.
We were not married... we had not been married since 2013 she was only living there since September 2014 before she had me thrown out. in our divorce we had already divided up our property and she did not bring anything else back into the house aside from her clothes.
I am wanting to file a police report and an insurance claim to have everything repaired as well as be able to replace my stuff however the police are saying I can't.
I've looked up RCW 26.16.030 The Police officer I spoke to told me that if I were to let him live in my house for 1 week he could then claim he lived there and everything becomes community property. This makes absolutely no sense.
anything I can use to do this as getting this to be criminal will greatly help in my other case showing that she's nothing but a liar and a thief.
thank you
Re: Ex-Wife Stole Everything
I am a little surprised that the police are not looking at this as a potential crime. However, there may be elements to this whole situation that they know and we do not. Part of the problem may be the time frame. If you knew she was ripping you off for months, you should have taken some action to evict her loooooong ago.
Contact a supervisor at the police department and ask them why this is not a crime when she took your property without your permission. They may see it as a civil matter because she had a different tale, your tale had some elements we are not privy to, or the officers are simply giving you the heave-ho.
Re: Ex-Wife Stole Everything
I didn't evict her because my children were living there and I couldn't have them be homeless on the streets. It's an extremely convoluted and ridiculous affair. I had gone to the courts numerous times letting them know that she was selling my stuff and they didn't care.
regardless, what she did was theft. She's not spoken to the police since she started all of this. Do I tell the police to just write a report on this because it's absolutely ridiculous what they are telling me.
basically I'm being told a friend can let me stay at his house for a week then I can move everything he owns out of his house while he's at work and it wouldn't be a crime because everything is community property because he let me live in the house. this doesn't seem correct at all.
Re: Ex-Wife Stole Everything
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Quoting
liftedplane
I didn't evict her because my children were living there and I couldn't have them be homeless on the streets. It's an extremely convoluted and ridiculous affair. I had gone to the courts numerous times letting them know that she was selling my stuff and they didn't care.
You say you "went to court" ... for what? Courts do not take crime reports. So, did you make a claim against her and sue her for the property? If not, why not? Since this seems to be a civil matter, that is where you will receive compensation - if she is capable of paying any award.
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regardless, what she did was theft.
Apparently not, according to the local police. What you believe to be theft may NOT be under your state's law. It seems to be larceny, but, what it seems to be and what the status of larceny law is in your state may well be different.
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She's not spoken to the police since she started all of this. Do I tell the police to just write a report on this because it's absolutely ridiculous what they are telling me.
How do you KNOW she has not spoken to the police? If she steals your stuff, can you believe her when she says the police have not contacted her? of course, if the cops are not looking into it, they would not care to talk with her.
I thought you said that you already reported it to the police, and they declined? Note that all you can do is report it to the police. You cannot force them to write a report, much less forward the matter to the prosecutor.
If you want to hedge your bets, write out a statement to provide to them. Include dates, times, and a description and value of all the taken/missing property. It's no guarantee they will take the report, but, it increases the odds.
Have you spoken to a supervisor, yet, to ask why they will not take a report?
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basically I'm being told a friend can let me stay at his house for a week then I can move everything he owns out of his house while he's at work and it wouldn't be a crime because everything is community property because he let me live in the house. this doesn't seem correct at all.
Maybe if you and your friend have children together, used to be married, and you did it over a period of time and you declined to take action earlier ... maybe. There can sometimes be a fine line between a civil matter and a criminal one. What you describe sounds criminal to me, but, I have to think that there's something more to this if the police are not looking into the matter. That, or they are exceedingly lazy or dim in your neck of the woods.