When one goes to jail for any period of time, what happens to their belongings?

Question

I'm not saying that I, or anyone I know, is going to jail. I'm just curious about what happens to their car, house, and everything inside their house? Does it go to family members? If there are no family members to give it to, what happens then?

Answer 1

It doesn't "go" to anyone; being in jail isn't being dead. But a lending company can repossess a financed home or car if the note isn't paid; a landlord can take control of abandoned possessions or have an abandoned car towed off to a wrecker yard. A wrecker yard can obtain title to a vehicle on their lot if no one pays the towing and storage bill.

So if one is incarcerated and has no friends or family to manage their affairs for them, they lose much more than their freedom.

Answer 2

if they do not have anyone with money to pay rent or payments which most people don't....all of their stuff is taken by landlords theives or anyone that gets to it. With our goverment being ran by meanspirted people that want to arrest everyone and give them 60 days for having a joint ....a lot of people that are disenfranchised anyway lose their lives accumalations every day!....In ky where im from...crime is up 3% in the last 30 yrs and incarcerations are up 600%....go figure.

Answer 3

If there is nobody paying the mortgage/rent or the car payments, then the bank would repossess these belongings.

Answer 4

They need to make arrangements to deal with the possessions.  These can go into storage, to a relative's place, be sold, be given away, or whatever else is expedient at the time.

Answer 5

It really depends on the situation. If they have family or friends who can come and take the stuff, then that saves them from losing their belongings. If they own their house and someone continues to pay taxes on it, or if they are renting and someone continues to pay rent, then nothing happens. Otherwise, a landlord or a city/county/etc has the right to dispose of these items if the court grants them an order stating so, which they almost always will. As for vehicles, if they are parked on a city street they can be considered abandoned (or may be in violation of a parking ordinance limiting the time they can be curbside at one location), and can be impounded.

Answer 6

The prisoner is free to make whatever arrangements he can.  Cops do not store stuff, or make car payments or pay the rent.  If no one else does, then the car is repo'd, and possessions sold at auction.

Answer 7

It sits.