Roommate left her stuff in my home what do can I do?

Question

Ok so here goes a really long story of a girl that I abosultely hate. My husband and I decided to rent out our room to help us finacially and also to help out anyone in need. This lady emailed my in response to my ad saying that she didn't have much money because she just paid $500 to the peopel she was just staying with for only a week and a half and they lost the house and didn't tell her so they took her stuff to her work and left it there. So we felt bad for her and took her in. We told her that she didn't have to pay us the deposit of $100 or the $100 rent for the last two weeks she was going to be at our house for the month until the 31st when she would be getting more money from her paycheck. Well 4 days after move in she lost her job. She came home early and I asked her what happened and she lied and said the pipes broke so they sent everyone home. Well when she didn't go to work again the next day my hubby went to her work to see if what she said was true. The girl that took over her position told him she no logner works there. So right away she started off with a lie. So we confronted her about it. Anyways, we ended up telling her that instead of paying us any rent or the deposit for the rest of that month that she would just need to help me around the house and with my small business and anythihng else we asked of her in exchange. She agreed to this. Well we do yardsales often and my hubby had to work the day of the yardsale and we have a small child here and my hubby didn't want me doing the sale alone with our child. So he told me to have her help me until he got home which would only be for a few hours. I told her the night before and she informed me that that is way to much to ask of somone and she don't want to do that. So we told her then she needs to pay us the $200 she owes us because she made a deal. So after going through tons of c**p trying to find out what she was going to do she finally gave us $100 and told us she would give the other $100 to us on the 31st. We agreed so she didn't hafve to help with the yard sale. Well the 31st rolled around and nothing, she didn't have the money to give to us. So we once again told her she needs to start helping out again. I tell you guys it would be easier to find a needle in a hay stack then to get her to do anything. I constantly was telling her can you do this...what she could have done in 30 mins took her all day because she didn't want to do it. She never would come out of her room ever, she hardly ate. All she did is stay in her room on the phone and computer. Well we talk to her several times about this issue and it don't seem to improve much and were getting tired of it. Well we just found out that I am 6 weeks preggo on my birthday which is the 31st of july and i was throwing a small party for myself. I had some grocery shopping to do and my hubby told me to have her go with me so she could help load the heavy stuff. I told her and she agreed to go along. First I took her to the pawn shop to pawn somthing of hers for some money. Then we headed to frys. Right away at the store she takes off and does her own thing. Completely left me to do all the shopping on my own. She finally finds me when I am almost done all I had left to do was buy soda and water. I told her she was supposed to stay with me and help out, she argues. By this time I am furious with her and ready to leave here there. She barely helps at all with a few items. I had enough. I told her when we got home she needed to move out. I gave her until aug 4th to find somehwere to stay. So she finds a place and last night she loaded up her stuff and left. Didn't say anything to me at all. I go look in the room she stayed in and half her stuff is still there. I tried to call her 8 times last night and even text her and no response at all. She had 5 hours to get in touch with me before we went to bed. I text her telling her if she didn't call me last night her stuff was going in the trash. She finally calls me at 1 somthing am and leaves a messages threating to take me to court if I trashed her stuff and that she will here first thing this morning to get her stuff. It is now as I am writing this half past noon and she has not showed up. She will not answer my calls only text. And she keeps claiming she is coming but has yet to show up.

So the real question here is what can I legally do? This is bull c**p that I have to take this from her.

Is this what I get for opening my home to someone?

I am sorry for this being so long, I guess I just needed to vent some. Thanks for any response. Have a good day!

Answer 1

Wow, you're quite the little victim, aren't you?

Did it ever occur to you that you weren't opening your home to someone you were entering into a business contract? You also can't renegotiate a contract as it suits you. The moment you told her she didn't have to pay rent-she didn't have to pay rent until a new negotiation was *agreed* upon. When you asked her to work-she refused-totally her right but it meant that she didn't have to work for rent. She's smarter than you and she has the upper hand. You can show the police her text messages-it will only show that you are aware of her property still being in her legal residence-that's your home by the way and are attempting to illegally evict her. If they help anyone it will be her-you are keeping her illegally from her rightful residence. The cops can't help you because no crime has been committed by her. Being late for rent is not illegal but you harrassing her, keeping her out of her home (yeah I know you pay the mortgage-doesn't that just bite?), and illegally evicting her is illegal. It's a civil thing now and she can take you to court. The other thing is-this works both ways- she can use your messages against you to prove you have not taken legal steps to evict her but instead used harassing messages and phone calls.

Don't play the magnanimous victim it doesn't suit anyone but Ghandi. You did this for extra money and help. Like the other poster-you should feel lucky she was just a lazy liar and not a drug addict, theif, gang member or pedophile.  

You find out on your birthday you're pregnant -it's after that date that you tell her to get out (no notice) and you expect her to be gone by August 4th? That's illegal, sweetie. She can sue you for harassment, rent, the value of whatever she can prove you took-(all she needs are reciepts and a lenient

judge, prove you didn't take it-she has your text messages saying it's still in your house)-and moving expenses.

*you need to google your states laws- if she spends so much time on the computer, I'm sure she has already. She was probably evicted from her last place and knows the laws. Go see an attorney and start a legal eviction. Then don't be such a pinch penny and hire a maid, nanny or friend if that's what you were after.

Answer 2

I take it that there was not a lease signed, but verbal "contracts". Contact legal aid, or sometimes law colleges have free assistance. I don't know where you live, but I would think that she left her stuff so i would be abandonment. It will really come to her word vs. yours but keep your texts, and show the police that is how she communicates with you, show then the 8 calls you made that went unanswered, tell them about all the stuff she wouldn't do, tell them about the lying. All you want is for her to be gone, but its seems all she wants to do is not do what you say. I believe that if this qualifies as abandonment you can throw her stuff out.  

Answer 3

Oh, my!

I don't think anyone was being a jerk...intentionally.  

Right now you have other issues to be concerned with.

Be good to yourself and your family.

Being pregnant and not financially stable is very stressful and not good for the baby.

Focus on just being a mother, enjoying your family and the experience of being pregnant. Cut your stress levels and try cutting down on expenses. Give up some of the frivolous things you really don't need-like the parties and such. Living modestly can also be lavishly if you know what to value. You will find with very little hardship you can change the way you and your husband manage money and live comfortably within your means. Budgeting can be fun too! You can get everyone in the family involved-best way for kids to learn! Clip coupons, take those bottles back to the recycle center. Design a budget, stick to it and you won't have to take in strangers or sell your property on the front lawn. It can be done and no better time to do it than now.

When that woman comes back for her things, hold your head high, smile, wish her luck and say good riddance to bad rubbish (just not out loud-you really don't know if she's unstable or not). Be content with the knowlegde that you have a home and a loving family and soon a budget, lol-you'll see dear, it's fun. You will move on and she will just continue to move.        

Answer 4

you should just take all of her stuff and put out on the front doorstep...

if she doesn't take it or someone steals it just say that you took it to good will and she can go buy all of it back...

what she did was terrible and she needs to get punished 4 it!

Answer 5

Legally she does not have to remove the stuff and you cannot sell it-

You have to go to court to evict her and she has (in some states) up to 90 days of being served notice. If she decides to contest the eviction-it could take longer.

It sounds like what you really wanted instead of a tenant was a slave that would pay you money. You only just find out that your pregnant on the 31 and all of a sudden grocery shopping is too strenuous? That's not her problem-that's yours. If lifting a couple dozen eggs and pint of Haagendaz is too much for you have your husband stop at the store. She was probably hiding in her room because she didn't feel like waiting on you, your husband and kid like a serf from the middle ages. This woman was a complete stranger that you brought into the home where you keep your daughter. She's not your best friend or a family memeber so why should she care if you can't lift something or need an iced tea? You are lucky she wasn't a crazed psycho who planned on kidnapping your daughter and unborn child. It doens't sound as if you are very bright-you can send your husband to check on her job-*harassment* but you couldn't do a back ground check on her first to find out past job and tenant history? Had you called someone you might have found out she was a liar. You might also have other problems depending on your state, county and city laws concerning renters rights-but I'm sure if you didn't have the common sense or regard to your family's safety to do a back ground check on a person who you invited to share residence with- you won't check the laws regarding a legal contract you entered with this woman or the rights she now has. If she wants to sue you-she can. Lotsa luck.