Can you sue a family member for back rent, damagaesand stolen personal property?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

Can you sue a family member for back rent, damagaesand stolen personal property?

My husband’s sister lived in my husband’s house for about 3 years. There was an agreement of rent to own with all renovation her responsibility. We had items stored at the house, collectibles totaling $5000, pool table around $800, numerous miscellaneous personal property unknown amount, etc., that the sister stole/sold/gave away, we talked to witnesses/neighbors about missing items. Back rent owed total $3,150. The house now needs to be torn down due to damages incurred by the sister. House amount $15,000. Can anything be done without spending a fortune in legal fees?

Asked on October 11, 2011 under Real Estate Law, Oklahoma

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 12 years ago | Contributor

1) You can sue anyone--including family--for back rent as long as there had been an agreement that she pay rent, which you indicate was the case.

2) You can also sue anyone for damages they did, either intentionally or negligently, to your property; and for any of your property which they either intentionally or negligently lost, gave away, stole, etc. Therefore, you may have a cause of action for damage to the house and the loss of your property, too.

3) You could represent yourself in court--i.e. act as your own lawyer on the lawsuit--though is NOT recommened. You describe being owed $3,150 in rent; over $6,000 in personal property, and around $15,000 in house damage, totalling $24,500+. For that amount of money, you should let a lawyer help you--it will increase your odds of winning greatly.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption