locked out in Pa.

[cooper68]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania.
It's a bit of a long story that I will make as short as possible.
I used to be a business owner and my residence was above my business in the same building.
When I initially bought the business, I was friends with the former owner, and as a favor to him, instead of financing through a bank, I let him hold the note and he "acted as the bank" due to the fact that he needed to be able to show income to buy property.
Now, all this was done legally and through lawyers. Well after about a year and a half, business started to get very slow, I became very late on my payments and the business/building went into foreclosure. Since I was unable to catch up, it went up for sheriff's sale March of 2007. I then received a letter that the sheriff was postponed due to a mistake his lawyer had made, but no notice of a re-schedule.
Next thing I know (about 6 weeks later), I hear through town gossip that the sheriff's sale went through about a week prior. And the man that I had bought if from, that I had one time been friends with, was the one who had bought it back, and I had never been sent any other notice since the postponement about any new date.
So now at this point, I accept defeat, realize there is not much else I can do, and realize that I better start packing my belongings. Keeping in mind, I live above the business.
So after about 3 days, I had most of my stuff packed, but was still in the apt. search process, but I figured I only had about a 6 weeks at most. That would be about enough time for him to file eviction papers through the county.
Meanwhile, I had decided to move in with a friend of mine, (now keep in mind, it is only one week later from hearing about the sheriff's sale, no eviction papers had yet to be filed and I still had not received ANY legal notice about ANYTHING) But just so I was not going to run short on time, I had decided to start moving my stuff out a little bit at a time, and I was scheduled to move in with my friend about 3 to 4 weeks later. So one nice sunny Sunday afternoon, I had moved about 3 car loads of stuff, (some clothes and shoes, and a few little things. since I was moving in with a friend, I was going to put a majority of my stuff into storage at the end of the month, and I had ALOT of stuff) Well, after my 3rd car trip, I come back to the business/residence to find Dave (former & new owner) going through my boxes of packed up stuff. I advised him he could not do this, it was my property, and he had no right to even be in my apt. until he filed paper work with the county. He then told me, no, I was wrong; he now owned the building and everything in it, since he bought it at the sheriff's sale. Well after a 20 minute, VERY HEATED argument with him trying to throw me off the property, the police were called. Once the police came, I assumed everything would be rectified; I would be given my chance to move out the rest of my belongings in the legal amount of time, which in Pa is 15 days for a residence, 30 for a business. NOPE!!!! The police proceeded to tell me if I did not leave the property, I would be arrested, and that if I had been caught on the property again, I would be arrested. I was hysterical to say the least, every single thing in the world I owned was in that building (from furniture, pictures, dishes, pots, pans, clothes.....etc...) But I left, knowing I could just go to the police station first thing Monday morning and get the help I needed since the owner and the officer were breaking the law and violating my rights.....NO AGAIN!!!!! The chief of police and the Judge magistrate told me...and I quote...."while our officer did in fact violate your rights and needs to be educated on the law, and had no right to escort you off of the property, it is after the fact and there is nothing we can do to help you" "Now you must hire a lawyer and sue him back for your stuff"
So here comes the duration of my problem, I contacted numerous lawyers and unfortunately, have found out it will cost me 5 to 10 thousand dollars in lawyers fees to sue him back for my own property. And this is money that I just don't have. So after a year of speaking to many different lawyers, the BBB, The ACLU and numerous other people, hoping for one to say they would help and take a fee off of the lawsuit...nothing. Now I am just totally lost and beyond devastated about the fact of losing everything in the world I own.
Some of which I know has been thrown away, stolen or given away but this jerk.
So I am wondering if anyone may have any possible suggestions of ideas on how to get my stuff back and/or replaced. Can I file a civil suit on my own and if so, how?
Please, please, if you do, I would take any suggestion.
(And I am sorry this is such a long winded email)
Thank you in advance for even taking the time to read this.

[momm2500]

did you try small claims court? it is only $50 to file in PA

[cooper68]

small claims only allows you to sue for $10,000.