What can I do about an ex-girlfriend who is withholding my property and defaming me?

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What can I do about an ex-girlfriend who is withholding my property and defaming me?

I recently lived with someone for 30 days. Prior to that, we dated for 5 months. She has locked me out of the residence we briefly shared which also contained everything I owned, including very personal documents. I have contacted the police on 3 occasions, including last night. They accompanied me to the residence and she still refused to allow me my belongings. The police again did nothing and said there was nothing they could do. She has also contacted some of my creditors telling them to reposes my travel trailer. She has also contacted my ex-wife and given her some of my belongings and she is invading my personal privacy by reading my most personal documents and threatening to make the contents of some of those documents public.

Asked on July 28, 2018 under Real Estate Law, Alaska

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 5 years ago | Contributor

1) You can bring a legal action in county court on an "emergent" basis (think: "urgent" or "emergency") to get a legal order requiring that she return your belongins to you. This is commonly or traditionally called an action for "distraint," though it is possible your state ahs a different name for it--if you go to the county courthouse customer service (if they have one) or clerk's office, they can provide you forms and instructions for doing this.
2) If anything is not returned, is destroyed, etc., you can sue her for the value of those items.
3) You can potentially sue her for violation of your privacy, especially if she publishes them.
4) Defamation is the making to other people of untrue factual claims or statements about you (basically, lying about you; true facts, even if unflattering to you, are not defamation, and her opinion is not defamation, either--only untrue factual assertions are defamation). 
You have several potential legal actions against your ex; you may wish to retain an attorney to help you with them. 


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.

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