My boyfriend lived with his old roommate for about a year. They had no written agreement and he paid her cash monthly, which she paid to her landlord. He paid her $500 dollars a month for rent, plus she usually asked for about $300 a month for utilities (which i believe to be astronomical, and she refused to show him bills. one time he found a phone bill that was 3 months overdue, he had payed those previous months, and she was asking him or the full amount again.)
So when he moved out, it was rather bizzarre circumstances, i had just had a surgery and he came over to help me out and never left. He tried calling her and e-mailing her to tell her he was moving out, and she wouldn't return his calls until 4 months later, at which point she told him he couldn't have anything back. All he had was the clothes on his back that he left with. out of respect for her, he didn't enter the house after he had called to tell her he was moving out. He asked her to give him an amount that she felt was fair and she said "at the very least, a few thousand dollars" She refuses to give him an amount, refuses to show any bills, and refuses to return his calls. He's asked her to sell averything that doesn't seem personal (i.e. bed, tv, vdr, stereo) to recoup the costs and just give back personal items (family pictures, fathers albums, friends artwork) she also refuses. She won't allow him to retrieve the things he could sell to give her the money for his personals....etc. it's a big mess. it's been a year now, and she won't give him any figures, paperwork or belongings. she only returns calls about every 4 months.
finally, my question: does he have any recourse? can he legally get his things back? i think he should call the police and have them escort him there. can anybody help? This was in Orange County, California, by the way.

