Can I sue my mother for throwing my belongings out and taking my house key?
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Can I sue my mother for throwing my belongings out and taking my house key?
I’m 28 and have been living with my parents. The last few weeks I have been spending most nights with my boyfriend and coming home during the day. Today I got to the house to find someone had taken my key off my key ring without my knowledge. When I finally got my brother to let me in the house I found that my mother had packed up all my belongings in the house and taken them to Goodwill. Is there any legal action I can take for her getting rid of all my things without my knowledge or consent?
Asked on July 8, 2011 under Real Estate Law, Ohio
Answers:
M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Landlord tenant situations that involve children are never really easy to decide or give guidance on. Do you actually pay rent to your parents or are you a "guest" for legal purposes in the home? If you do pay rent then you may need to go to landlord tenant court and file an unlawful eviction proceeding. If you are a guest in the house then you may want to consider filing a conversion actions against your mother. Leaving your things there created a bailment situation and she "converted" the belongings by bringing them to goodwill. You are going to have to estimate the damages here and the value. There are other issues here that need to be worked out between you. Good luck.
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