If someone leaves something at your apartment and doesn't ever come to get it does it become yours? ?

Question

The item in question is a computer and the person once lived here and hasn't for about a year now and their name is no longer on the apartment lease

Answer 1

if you know them and cannot get in contact with them, I'd say yes.

if you can get in touch with them, do so, your obligated.

Answer 2

I think it will become yours once they haven't got it in the time you think they should be coming to look and find it. I would look around for them and ask around. Then if no one clams it then it should be ours...  

Answer 3

If you know the person then call and ask them if they want it back but if you don't know the person then yeah it is yours.

Answer 4

it still doesn't make it yours but keep it anyway  

Answer 5

have you told her that you have it.

if you dont have any communications with that person then i guess you can keep it

someone answer my question

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 6

Ever is a very long time, actually is eternal so you have no time frame to decide where to draw the line. Do you have the person's number where you can reach him/her? You should make an honest attempt to try and contact the person because there was never a conversation in which he/she told you that the computer was yours, was there? It depends how ethical you are too, do you feel comfortable taking the computer as yours, just because the person left, and possibly forgot it? I would try and contact the person, or someone close to him/her first, and if I could not get a hold of anyone, I turn it in to the police station or ask them what the possibilites. I would not feel comfortable just taking it and claming it's mine, don't think it's right.

Answer 7

As someone who rents out an apartment I can tell you the laws in my state say I need to hang onto anything left behind for a year. I can charge storage fees, after the year is up I can dispose of it as I choose. You might try checking the local laws where you are. Hope this Helps.

Answer 8

just take it if he/she really wanted it or it was that important to them they would have taken it

Answer 9

have you have attempted to return said item to it's rightful owner? if you have told this person to come get the computer and they haven't then it might as well be yours. however I'm not sure what the law is about something like that. seems to me a year is a long time to have left something behind and still expect it to be returned if you haven't tried to get it back.

Answer 10

I guess, until of course, they come and claim it.

Answer 11

you have to ask yourself this did i try to get ahold of this person plenty of time have to tried to communicate with them at all about there computer and if you have good set a time and date for them to pick it up if the answer is no and they never return your phone calls or whatever then yes ifs legally yours. if you make a point and call them but dont call back and things like that lead up to you keeping it and doing whatever with it. after 90 days if they dont come and pick it up its yours its called abondement just make sure you have evindence that you tried to call them becuase if you dont they could sue you which wouldnt be fun make sure you keep all your possesions and notes and stuff from this other person just in case of small claims you never know what could happen.

Answer 12

It is considered abandoned after a year. It's yours.

Answer 13

perhaps you could contact them and ask them if they would like to collect their belongings.  i dont see a problem in using the machine but probably would advise you sell it or anything.

Answer 14

The simple answer is yes, but it depends on your states law. The only thing that varies is the duration that it's left in your home.

Answer 15

Lol, if they left it there after they moved that sucks for them. Finders keepers? :P

Answer 16

No.  What you should have done a year ago, but can still do is have a lawyer, paralegal, etc. draw up a letter stating to them that they have x number of days to get the item in question, or it becomes yours to do with as you wish as of such and such a date.

Edit: If they left it there, there's a good chance that computer is stolen.  So scratch what I wrote above.  Turn it over to the police.

Answer 17

well technically, no. its still someone else's property. but in your case, its been there long enough, and the person basically left their property in your property, and you could've just thrown it away. but since you were merciful enough to keep it, you get to keep it. i kind of confused myself there..

Answer 18

Personally speaking: you have to remind them to pick it up. if 2 months go by its yours to do with as you please.

Legally: you should turn it over to the police as lost property and it becomes yours in 60 days. MASS law.  

Answer 19

if he did not leave any forwarding address, didnt make any attempt to reach the landlord regarding his things, then its yours. haha. but if he comes back for it, then you have to choice but to give it to him. since he isnt around to pick it up then you can use it for the time being. just dont use for anything incriminating. hehe

Answer 20

I know that works with land, that if you sit on it for so long it becomes yours if no one asks you to leave.

It probably works with property too. I'd just keep the computer unless that person comes to ask for it.

Answer 21

yea, keep it, or sell it or whatever you want to do, they obviousely don't care.

Answer 22

There is a legal theory called abandonment, but it has a lot of little nuances. If they haven't contacted you, said anything about it, made any attempt to get it, etc, I'd say you might be safe doing what you want with it. I doubt if you sell it, or whatever, someone is going to take you to court over it. And even then, they'd probably lose.

Answer 23

yeah unless you throw it away

Answer 24

heck yah

Answer 25

Think about this: who's going to say that it isn't yours?  Your former roommate?

Answer 26

Of course yes, take it

Answer 27

contact them and tell them

Answer 28

You BOUGHT it WITH the apartment ;)

If it was in there, its your property. That's my philosophy.