Can a former employee force you to pay for the return of your own personal belongings

[xxlittlemissj]

Can an employer force you to pay for the return of your personal belongings if he won't let you on the property? I recently was fired from a job over false accusations. I have filed for unemployment, which he is contesting, and he is refusing to let me on the property "for liability reasons" to retrieve some of my personal belongings. He said he would send them to me cash on delivery, which I feel is wrong, as though he is holding them ransom? Is this legal?

 

[Hot Topic]

Why were you fired? Why didn't you take your possessions with you?

If there's building security, the employer could have you escorted on and off the premises.

There's a lot more you aren't telling us.

 

[xxlittlemissj]

I was fired for "losing the company money and not doing my work". He had recently hired a new girl in my small office (at the time, was me and the boss), who took all of my work. We discussed hiring someone and I expressed that I was keeping up with the work fine and didn't need any help. He hired someone else and gave me busy work not directly related to the company. I did not complain, however, and kept my feelings to myself. There was no security on the property, I was fired on the telephone the previous night and told that I could come to pick up my possessions, which were boxed up for me. I was not allowed to remove anything else from the office, and forgot to check the box for my boots, which were left under the desk. I asked him to return these to me and he stated he would mail them to me as I was no longer allowed on the property, said he would pay for the shipping of the item. I then received an e-mail from him today stating "only cash on delivery" for the item, which is being shipped the most expensive way (overnight and expedited). I don't feel as though I should have to pay for the return of something that should have been put in the box in the first place. Thank you.

 

[justalayman]

have you tried calling the police and asking them to aid you in recovering your boots? In many places, they are willing to do a "stand by" for situations like this.

 

[Isis1]

okay. he doesn't have to pay for the shipping. you do.

want a quick and easy way?

send a self addressed package with enough room and weight for your items. pre-paid. all former boss has to do is stuff the items inside and stick it back in the mail.

OR, a unbiased courier service. they can send a courier who can pick up the items in person and deliver them directly to you. services that YOU pay for.

 

[Beth3]

Or, ask the employer if a friend can stop by the lobby and pick them up since they no longer wish to have you on their property. The bottom line though is if the employer wants you to pay the shipping costs to return your boots, they can.

 

[commentator]

And I say forget the boots. At least for the time being. He's just being unnecessarily ugly. He may want to get involved and get you to engage with him again, possibly get to threaten you with a bad reference or a trumped up accusation of wrongdoing. But what's really chapping him is that he has found that if you were terminated for "performance issues" like this, you will actually have a pretty good chance of being approved for your unemployment insurance, and that's making him livid.

What you need to say to the unemployment office was that you showed up and did your job to the very best of your abilities. If he did not give you progressive disciplinary actions and warnings that your job was in jeopardy, and cannot show that your performance was voluntarily so bad that he had a good misconduct reason to fire you, you will probably be approved to draw. He wishes you'd quit, and he's really mad that you are going to cause his tax rate to go up, though he probably just wanted to hire the other person. So he's spitefully trying to keep your boots and make you crawl or pay somehow. Either send the police after them or forget about them.

 

[Shadowbunny]

And I say forget the boots. .

But what if they're really, really cool boots? I've got a couple of pair that I'd mud-wrassle someone over if I had to.....

 

[roadhand]

If he thinks you stole from him, I would not stick my foot in the boot until I looked inside.

 

[xxlittlemissj]

And they are really, really cool boots! Thank you for all the great advice, I'm still looking forwards to more answers. I'm just going to pay for the return of them and wait for my unemployment hearing.

 

[pattytx]

OK, here's another answer. I agree with the previous responses.

 

[eerelations]

One more answer - me too.

OP, the law - or in this case, the lack thereof - doesn't change from responder to responder. It is what it is, no matter who's telling you.

 

[cbg]

If your expectation is that someone else will magically come up with a law that makes it illegal for your boss to ship your boots COD, sorry, but it's simply not going to happen because there is no such law.

I agree with the other responders.