What do I need to do if my something was stolen out of my apartment while a construction company was doing renovations?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What do I need to do if my something was stolen out of my apartment while a construction company was doing renovations?
They have been giving me the run-around, and won’t pay for my son’s PlayStation, and Wii games. I filed a police report also. At first they were going to pay me somehting but now they are saying that the workers weren’t in my apartment that day, so they can’t do anything about it. What’s the best way to handle this?
Asked on June 21, 2011 under Real Estate Law, South Carolina
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Your only option, if you believe they stole the property and they won't make good on it, would be to sue them for the value of the games. You could potentially sue in small claims court (the value would be low enough; check your small claims court rules for what types of cases may be brought). You could represent yourself to keep costs down. You would have to be able to prove by a preponderance of the evidence (i.e. "more likely than not") that the contractor or his employees (the employer is responsible for the actions of his employees on the job) stole the property. The contractor would be able to attack your evidence and/or present his own evidence in defense. There is, unfortunately, no way to seek compensation other than by suing.
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.