My question involves a roommate in the State of: California
I let a 17 year old relative stay at my house with a verbal agreement for her to pay $500 a month. She didn't have a job until the 4th month and once she got her job we agreed that she would pay me $125 weekly, which would add to $500 monthly. Her paychecks were smaller than she hoped, so she was only able to pay $100 each week for the first 2 weeks. The third week she quit her job without notice, or even calling in, and decided to move out and wanted to take off for a couple days.
I had her sign over her paycheck to me as rent ($161.44) , since she was leaving and had not payed yet. I told her I wanted her out immediately since she quit her job without notice and decided to move out without giving me any notice. When her friend didn't show up to pick her up, I drove her to her parents house, and with her she took some of her things, and packed up the rest and left them at my house, which she would eventually get. The next day she apparently stopped payment on her paycheck, and got a new one reissued to her, so she defaulted on rent for the rest of the month. So basically for 4 months, she payed $200.
My question is can I legally hold the rest of her things to collect unpaid rent?
She has tried several times to get them, but she would tell me she would come and then never come. Today she finally came, but today I found out she stopped payment on the check herself, and she had been lying to me about this the whole time, and I refused to give her her belongings until she pays me back for the rent. She said she would get a police escort and I told her she should. I have since moved her things into the garage.
The sewing machine is the only thing of hers that I actually bought, can I legally keep that? I can prove that I bought it, although at the time I bought it for her. But now that she's screwed me over, I'm done being a nice aunt.
Please help!
Can I put a lien on her bank account or do anything like that to collect money owed?

