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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Posts
    1

    Default Legally Claiming Abandoned Property

    My question involves a roommate in the State of: Texas

    We had a roommate who was consistantly late on his rent. Back in June, when the rent was late for the 6th time in a row, we told him that he was going to have to find someplace else to live and he said that it was fine because he couldn't afford to live here and planned on moving out anyway. He still owed us $1,000 and he suggested that we keep his stuff until he could pay. About a month had gone by and he hadn't brought us anything, when he called and said if he paid us $100, could he at least get his clothes, to which we agreed (only because he has a brand new bedroom set still here worth more than the amount he still owed).

    Since then, we have been unable to contact him. He had given us a forwarding address which is a bad address.

    Three weeks ago, we received a letter from him in the mail, with no return address, just his name. There was a check enclosed for $200 made out to us, but, from someone other than him for an address somewhere else in Texas. The check cleared the account (thank god), but again, we are left with no way to contact him and the money is just not coming in.

    We have the house on the market as we are in need of moving to another city for work. We do not want to be held legally responsible for his furniture and would like to keep it/sell it in order to recoup the debt still owed.

    I have contacted several of our city offices and no one seems to know anything about abandoned personal property. One of the places I called was the Contables office and was told that after 30 days of no contact and no money, the property is legally ours. I asked if there were something I could refer to in black and white so years down the road when I am standing in front of a Judge being sued for the property, I could have something that could legally protect me.

    Does anyone know where I could find something like that? If I sell his stuff, am I going to have to pay him back for this stuff? Are there any forms that need to be filed? Etc., etc.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    -Eddie

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Behind a Desk
    Posts
    98,846

    Default Re: Legally Claiming Abandoned Property

    A summary of the law is provided here.

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