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Need to dispose of ex-roommate's property

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Designuki

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? ALABAMA

Last year, I had a roommate who departed suddenly, leaving behind a significant amount of his personal posessions and a $145 debt for unpaid rent.

This roommate was on the lease as a tenant, but not as one responsible in any way to my landlord for rent owed; the roommate and I had a verbal agreement to split rent and utilities evenly. After staying with me for a few months, he quite suddenly left in mid-October, 2005, with a friend who had come to visit from California... giving me about 3 or 4 days' notice of his departure.

His behavior since then leads me to believe he has no intention of paying what he owes me. He was kicked out of the place in California and left owing them over $800, money they will likely never see again. He has also left property with previous roommates for long periods of time (again, without paying for their storing it).

So, I'm stuck caring for his property. Before he left, I informed him that there would be a $30/month charge for storing his personal property, but of course he was uninterested in signing anything on actual paper. He said he would come back and pick up the property "whenever he could"... but that might be a very, very long time, if ever. See, he currently has a warrant for his arrest within the State of Alabama, for unpaid traffic tickets.

I am considering claiming his property as abandoned and selling it to recover the money he owes... now up to $505 ($145 unpaid rent + $360 storage fees). I doubt it's worth even $145, but I'd like to get what I can. What do I need to do in order to protect myself from liability for conversion? As I see it right now, I'm the voluntary bailee of his property, which is not yet truly abandoned.

Do I need to send him a certified (RRR) letter stating that, unless he pays the money owed me and unless he (or an agent) physically claims the property within some reasonable time period, I will consider it abandoned and dispose of it as I see fit?

I think that he might contact a local friend to pick up the property and store it for him... but without payment, I have no intention of releasing his property. He currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin; I think 30 days from date of mailing would be a reasonable time period for him to either come down and get his stuff or for him to arrange pick-up by a local friend.

Thanks for any advice you can provide.
 
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