Can I sue my brother-in-law and sister-in-law for stealing my stepson's piggy bank?
Question Details:
My brother-in-law and sister-in-law were staying with us. They stole my stepsons piggy bank. We didn't notice until after they moved out. It was a large plastic bottle that contained at least $300 in loose change and bills (some 20s and 50s) and weighted about 30 lbs. The money came from birthdays, Xmas and extra change that me and my wife had. My wife just doesn't want to deal with them. As the owner of the house, can I sue them for the amount and punitive damages? We also had to change the locks. Can I recoup that also?
Business Law Answers
Yes and yes. You can sue them for theft--both as owner of the house and as parent of the minor who was stolen from. You can also sue them for additional security precautions you've had to take, such as the cost of changing locks. You should probably proceed in small claims court--much faster, easier, and cheaper than other courts. You may wish to also consider reporting the theft to the police--that way, if they later attempt to retaliate, you'll have already created a record of their criminality.
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