Re: My tenant stole my stuff! - Landlord Forum thread 263647

Re: My tenant stole my stuff! by Franklin (TN) on August 9, 2012 @15:18

Seriously? I can't say I've ever heard of anything like this ever happening. Tenants stealing appliances, sure. Being a good tenant for the duration of the lease, cleaning his unit, and stealing your stuff? Seems too much work for a lowlife tenant.

Are you sure someone didn't break in after he left and steal everything? I know it sounds fishy that his voicemail box is full and he's not answering, but it's a slight possibility I guess.

My advice is to bite the bullet and buy the new appliances. You've done all you can by filing a police report. I'm not even sure if this would be small claims court, though unless you had high end appliances, I can't imagine all that is worth over $5,000. It's highly unlikely you'll track him down, get him to court in ME from CA (though he probably won't show up, so you'll win there...), get the judgment, and actually collect on that judgment in a couple months time. That will take the better part of a year I'm sure, if you collect at all. I'm not sure what the legal ramifications of all this is, it's obviously theft and he'll do jail time if convicted.

Not sure what to tell you here but just to buy the new appliances and keep pursuing legal action...

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