fox10078
macrumors 6502
So this this post is about to score a bike, but the truth you don't care about it?
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My Roommate Disappeared 2+ Months Ago! Can I Keep His Stuff?
- Thread starter HappyDude20
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So this this post is about to score a bike, but the truth you don't care about it?
eric/
Guest
I understand wanting to keep the stuff, especially if he left. But in order to do that in the clear both legally and morally you have to do the following:
1. Contact the police and explain to them what's going on. Explain that it had never dawned on you that something may have happened to him.
2. Try and get ahold of his family, wait for the guy in Africa or whatever to get back with you. Do you know his name? Look him up on Facebook or something. You have to take all reasonable steps necessary to find him before just taking his stuff.
3. Have the landlord or whomever put it in writing that you can have the things that were left there and that the tenant violated the terms of the contract. This way if something does happen for some crazy reason, you've got actual documents saying that you were told you can have the things.
If you do all that, I think you're good to go. Even if you don't care about the guy (and that's find, you don't know him), you have to protect yourself and cover the bases.
Got it?
GoCubsGo
macrumors Nehalem
So through this blabber what I'm reading is you are once again rationalizing why you don't care or why you do care (frankly it's unclear), that you don't know the guy so **** him, and you're pretty sure nothing bad has happened to him. You just have more to add to this so-called story leaving logical people skeptical at best.
Just take the ****ing bike. It sounded like you had the TV so now you just need the bike. If you could buy your own bike then you wouldn't have come here all nonchalant asking how you can keep it. Even if you can buy your own bike, a free bike is a free bike and **** the wanker who left it. If he is dead, even better. That is how you come off, really. I feel badly for people who care more about stuff than peoples' well-being.
Enjoy the bike and the TV buddy. I hope your not-friend, kind of roommate, is ok.
What a mess. I would sell off some of his possessions to pay for (1) the month you had to cover his rent and (2) a self-storage unit where you can deposit his stuff. I don't think that would be unreasonable.
ouimetnick
macrumors 68040
What is so hard to understand? Call the damn police. Its simple, and takes a few minutes. Even if you hate him, call the police. He could be dead or something.
Why can't you just call the police? Stop making excuses, and make the call.
Why can't you just call the police? Stop making excuses, and make the call.
ReanimationN
macrumors 6502a
Exactly.
OP- forget about the bike. There are far more important things here at stake than a bike. Don't even think about it one more time until you've contacted the police, established your roommate's whereabouts and what has happened to him.
I agree with all who suggest that you talk to a police and get the right suggestions from them. I'm pretty sure if you give the police this guy's full name, number and your situation, they can probably help you or at least give you a better idea on what you should do. If you care enough to post this on a forum, you should care enough to go to the authorities with this matter to get it resolved. You say it's not your problem, but it sounds like you want to take some responsibilities for this issue so it's time to stand up and do something so this issue is dealt with. Sorry, but this matter sounds pretty big so something big needs to be done.
0098386
Suspended
Sell one of his bigger items and use that to pay for storage. (don't pay it out of your own pocket)
Contact everyone you can (police, school, landlord, I dunno) and let them know the situation.
If the storage period runs out, keep it. In your situation I'd probably use the TV etc, until it was no longer mine 🙂.
Contact everyone you can (police, school, landlord, I dunno) and let them know the situation.
If the storage period runs out, keep it. In your situation I'd probably use the TV etc, until it was no longer mine 🙂.
He can't sell his stuff. He has no right to his stuff. The only person who could do that is the landlord, I suspect.
Clint
0098386
Suspended
In his position, had I contacted all the right people and they said "we can't find him". Either his stuff would be put outside for all to pick at it or one item gets sold to pay for somewhere to put it.
Having done the whole living away for university thing, if it's the decision between one persons possessions or another bill payer - the bill payer wins. If that means making room for it then so be it. *shrugs*
We can all play the moral highhorseman, meanwhile space needs to be gained back so another person can move in, less heart points if you just randomly leave your housemates in the lurch.
You make some good points. I think I would just add that the stuff should be sold (not just distributed for free). If a room-mate wants the stuff they should buy it for a fair market price (Ebay and CL are good guides). All proceeds should then be put into a bank account intended for the missing person should they reappear. That way the room-mates get their space back, but they have not benefited materially from the disposition of the goods.
Of course, they should also make a reasonable effort to locate the person, and to inform the relevant authorities of this person's missing status. An effort that hasn't yet been made, near as I can tell. Yes, I've read the thread.
Contact the guy you pay rent to. He can give the roommate who disappeared a 30 day eviction notice. If his belongings are still there after 30 days, you can legally do whatever you want with them.
Edit: I'm going by Pennsylvania laws. Obviously other states would be different.
Edit: I'm going by Pennsylvania laws. Obviously other states would be different.
Even that is illegal until a court says a landlord can. Eviction in California is a fairly long, involved, legal procedure. Taking any possessions requires a legal lien. Anything else without the property owner's permission is theft.
It is against the law for landlords to evict tenants on their own, without going to court AND getting AND getting served a court order directing the tenant to move out.
Even if the tenant is months behind on the rent, without a court order the landlord cannot:
Physically remove the tenant;
Get rid of the tenant's personal property;
Lock the tenant out;
Cut off the utilities, like water or electricity;
Remove outside windows or doors; or
Change the locks.
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I know someone who sold four surfboards that were left in a garage of the house they were renting. They got convicted four months in jail (suspended as it was a first offense). Store the stuff but don't sell it!
Who's playing "moral highhorseman"? I'm just stating that the ONLY person who has any rights to the leftover stuff is the landlord. And any complaints about the stuff being in the way should be addressed to the landlord as well. If you want to push the landlord into taking some action, tell him that you're going to put the stuff in storage, and take the money spent on the storage unit off your rent until he takes it over or gets rid of it.
Again, talking to a local landlord/tenant advisory board is likely the best solution. Selling stuff that doesn't belong to you and that you KNOW it doesn't belong to you is a good way to get into trouble. Putting his stuff outside for someone else to take is equivalent destroying it, which is also a good way to get into trouble.
The landlord is the one with the responsibility to deal with the stuff left behind, and is the only one with a right to the stuff. If there's an issue, take it up with him.
Clint
Update:
So, the night before Thanksgiving I was in my bedroom with my GF and we were watching a film. At about 8pm the doorbell rings and I go open the door. My GF stays in my bedroom and continues watching the film.
I open the door and two shady guys in their mid 20's are on the other end of the door. They look really drugged out.. like more so than just drinking and smoking weed. One of the guys eyes are wide open and crazy looking, while the other guys eyes were almost completely closed in that cliche stoner way they portray it on TV. Anyways, these two guys ask me if they can come in, without introducing themselves. They say they're both old friends of the missing roommate and that the missing roommate told these two characters that they were free to come and stay at any time.
I had my GF in the bedroom and told them it was a weird predicament. Before I could utter to them that I've not heard from the missing roommate in months and how we've all tried calling his cancelled cell phone line... these two drugged up guys said, "Oh don't worry bro! He's safe, I just saw him today and he wants to make sure his stuff is still here... so can we come in and check?"
I told them flat out no, that if the missing roommate wants to talk to please give me or anyone of the current roommates a call. The druggies' tell me, "How do we know you're not just lying and secretly threw all his stuff out?" I told both of them that the missing roommates stuff is all still here, safe and if he wants it back to simply give us a call. I explained to these two that we've all been trying to contact the missing roommate, to which these two individuals interrupted me and told me how they knew that he has to cancel his line and ******** after ******** and ********. These two guys were intent on getting in, to the point of stepping closer to the door I was blocking, simply because they looked like they were on some hardcore drugs... and they were holding a backpack with clinking beer bottles and who knows what else. They asked again if they could come in and crash for the night and how they promise to not be a bother to me and my GF and they would simple be in the living room. Bear in mind they've not even introduced themselves to me, and I state that to them... afterwards of which they extend their hand and introduce themselves. I'm seriously pissed so I don't bother and am about to close the door on them and tell them to come back with the missing roommate, or at the very least have the missing roommate give us a call. "But his phone doesn't work!" says one of the shady guys. Then he asks me if I like to smoke weed and that he'll smoke e and my GF out. I laugh and deny. As I'm about to close the door one of the guys steps closer to the door i'm barricading as if he's going to push his way in. I tell him that he's "breaking my balls" seeing as i'm trying to watch a movie with my GF.
I close the door on them and then go speak with my other roommates. I tell my other roommates that two shady guys are here checking up on the missing roommate's stuff and how they seem to be high on some weird upper sort of drugs and they wanna spend the night and etc.
Now, I should mention that in this apartment complex we have the penthouse, which means there are two door entrances to our place... one being the main one into the living room and kitchen and the second entrance between two of the 3 bedrooms.
As i'm explaining the situation to one of my roommates, the 2 shady guys knock on the 2nd door; the one between 2 of the 3 bedrooms. My 3rd roommate answers and can hear him speaking to the questionable characters. My roommate tells them the same thing, that they cannot come in considering we don't know them and have never met them before. They change the dynamic of their story of their attempt of coming in to just chill and drink and smoke, to asking if their friend's (missing roommates) stuff was still in the apartment. We said yes and that we still can't let them in. They offered more weed to us and then yelled something weird like, "**** the man and **** the system" as we told them that they just couldn't come in.
The interesting thing about where we live is the balcony. We have a vast balcony on the highest floor. Surrounding buildings allow for people, if they were really determined to jump from one nearby roof onto our balcony.. so all of us agreed to lock the balcony doors so no one could come in without our knowing during this Thanksgiving weekend, seeing as all of us were going home and no one would be here..except one of us. Anyways, that was that.
Oh! and that same night I went to drop off my GF off at her place and discovered someone spit a big fat loogie onto the windshield of my car, and the someone spat too on the back trunk of my roommates car. Presumably those two same people.
I didn't wanna be affected and have my night ruined by spit, so I wiped it off and went along my merry way.
But interesting nonetheless.
Personally, I feel the roommate has his buddies come to verify that his belongings are still here, or perhaps even have them come and pick it up.. the missing roommate may not be wanting to visit himself as he may feel he'll need to reimburse us for the one month we paid for his rent.
So, the night before Thanksgiving I was in my bedroom with my GF and we were watching a film. At about 8pm the doorbell rings and I go open the door. My GF stays in my bedroom and continues watching the film.
I open the door and two shady guys in their mid 20's are on the other end of the door. They look really drugged out.. like more so than just drinking and smoking weed. One of the guys eyes are wide open and crazy looking, while the other guys eyes were almost completely closed in that cliche stoner way they portray it on TV. Anyways, these two guys ask me if they can come in, without introducing themselves. They say they're both old friends of the missing roommate and that the missing roommate told these two characters that they were free to come and stay at any time.
I had my GF in the bedroom and told them it was a weird predicament. Before I could utter to them that I've not heard from the missing roommate in months and how we've all tried calling his cancelled cell phone line... these two drugged up guys said, "Oh don't worry bro! He's safe, I just saw him today and he wants to make sure his stuff is still here... so can we come in and check?"
I told them flat out no, that if the missing roommate wants to talk to please give me or anyone of the current roommates a call. The druggies' tell me, "How do we know you're not just lying and secretly threw all his stuff out?" I told both of them that the missing roommates stuff is all still here, safe and if he wants it back to simply give us a call. I explained to these two that we've all been trying to contact the missing roommate, to which these two individuals interrupted me and told me how they knew that he has to cancel his line and ******** after ******** and ********. These two guys were intent on getting in, to the point of stepping closer to the door I was blocking, simply because they looked like they were on some hardcore drugs... and they were holding a backpack with clinking beer bottles and who knows what else. They asked again if they could come in and crash for the night and how they promise to not be a bother to me and my GF and they would simple be in the living room. Bear in mind they've not even introduced themselves to me, and I state that to them... afterwards of which they extend their hand and introduce themselves. I'm seriously pissed so I don't bother and am about to close the door on them and tell them to come back with the missing roommate, or at the very least have the missing roommate give us a call. "But his phone doesn't work!" says one of the shady guys. Then he asks me if I like to smoke weed and that he'll smoke e and my GF out. I laugh and deny. As I'm about to close the door one of the guys steps closer to the door i'm barricading as if he's going to push his way in. I tell him that he's "breaking my balls" seeing as i'm trying to watch a movie with my GF.
I close the door on them and then go speak with my other roommates. I tell my other roommates that two shady guys are here checking up on the missing roommate's stuff and how they seem to be high on some weird upper sort of drugs and they wanna spend the night and etc.
Now, I should mention that in this apartment complex we have the penthouse, which means there are two door entrances to our place... one being the main one into the living room and kitchen and the second entrance between two of the 3 bedrooms.
As i'm explaining the situation to one of my roommates, the 2 shady guys knock on the 2nd door; the one between 2 of the 3 bedrooms. My 3rd roommate answers and can hear him speaking to the questionable characters. My roommate tells them the same thing, that they cannot come in considering we don't know them and have never met them before. They change the dynamic of their story of their attempt of coming in to just chill and drink and smoke, to asking if their friend's (missing roommates) stuff was still in the apartment. We said yes and that we still can't let them in. They offered more weed to us and then yelled something weird like, "**** the man and **** the system" as we told them that they just couldn't come in.
The interesting thing about where we live is the balcony. We have a vast balcony on the highest floor. Surrounding buildings allow for people, if they were really determined to jump from one nearby roof onto our balcony.. so all of us agreed to lock the balcony doors so no one could come in without our knowing during this Thanksgiving weekend, seeing as all of us were going home and no one would be here..except one of us. Anyways, that was that.
Oh! and that same night I went to drop off my GF off at her place and discovered someone spit a big fat loogie onto the windshield of my car, and the someone spat too on the back trunk of my roommates car. Presumably those two same people.
I didn't wanna be affected and have my night ruined by spit, so I wiped it off and went along my merry way.
But interesting nonetheless.
Personally, I feel the roommate has his buddies come to verify that his belongings are still here, or perhaps even have them come and pick it up.. the missing roommate may not be wanting to visit himself as he may feel he'll need to reimburse us for the one month we paid for his rent.
dukebound85
macrumors Core
MacNut
macrumors Core
Scepticalscribe
macrumors Haswell
And I find myself in agreement with both of you. Yes. The devil is in the detail.......and the detail.....is elaborately woven.
A question has been asked by many who posted on this thread, over the weeks this particular thread has run and run, to the OP, and it is this: What attempt, if any, has he (and/or his room mates) made to notify the relevant authorities (college authorities, police, to give two examples of what might constitute the 'relevant authorities') that the "Disappeared Roommate" has actually disappeared?
This is the question to which I would be interested hear an answer, in whatever detail the OP wishes to supply.
Actually, his story makes perfect sense. The missing room mate reads MacRumours ... and recognized the scenario.
Hey,
I'll answer this. We've done very little in attempting to realistically locate our "missing" ex-roommate. I've done the most in creating this thread and attempting to contact the leas holder in Africa and speaking with the landlord... and even that is very little. My roommates have done less; to them this isn't even an issue. He just left. Here we are almost three months later, now having been settled here and with a new roommate that'll have been here for a month, sleeping on this previous "missing" roommate's bed so as to not rid anything of his. In the past months it took almost 90 days for someone to come and ring the doorbell that even knew him, and it happens to be some drugged up kids. We told them to give us their number, but both of them said they didn't have phones. At the time this evening my primary concern was making sure they didn't come in, considering my GF was here.
This isn't about his possessions or anything alike, considering even since this thread was created none of his items have been used. His bike has never been taken out, his books are all still there, including guitar, bass, keyboard etc that are in storage. All of which haven't been used, with the exception of turning on the TV in the bedroom to watch the election results weeks ago.
I can only hope that this roommate that has been gone for so long stops by and talks to us, or at least call us.. because none of us are mad that he just disappeared; we'll be glad to give him his stuff. We just wanna communicate with him directly and not have other randoms come in through here.
MacNut
macrumors Core
When these friends of his showed up asking to see his stuff you should have told them to leave and come back with the roommate. If he doesn't care about his stuff why would he send them to investigate for him. They have no legal right to be there, unless they have a court order or something signed by the missing roommate.
Rodimus Prime
macrumors G4
Have you contact the police and filed a missing person report yet? If not you have done very little that would be consider reasonable.
This should push it even higher to contact the police.
I did tell them to come back with him. In fact, I told them that they could come in if they could get the missing roommate on the phone and took out my phone but they said his phones been disconnected for almost a month cause he couldn't pay the bill. They weren't gonna come in either way.
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