A monetary question

Domestic abuse victim here with a question. I live in Maryland. My ex-boyfriend (we lived together for 2 years) has been in jail for 6 weeks now due to a domestic disturbance at which time my teen daughter called 911. I wanted him out of my home, but probably would not have pressed charges (he said at one time that he would kill me and my daughter before allowing himself to be arrested), but due to the fact that he had pushed my daughter into a counter during the dispute, the sheriff's department arrested him. I have obtained a protection order since that time and filed an additional charge because he broke the protection order by trying to call me from jail. The criminal trial for the charges filed by the police department and my charge against him will be held December 23.

Now for my question - I received a letter today by express mail from his father who lives in Missouri (where my ex is from) with a detailed list of all his son's things that I have so that I can box them all up and he (the father) can pick them up. I'm not a money grubber or anything, but I have fully supported his alcoholic son for the past year and a half while he sat on his lazy butt at home, and I don't feel I should have to give all the things back. Where do I stand legally? (I don't have money to hire a lawyer)

I would consider the liability of "handing over" property to someone other than the owner of that property. Use that as an excuse not to give the father anything. Then consider that it really is his property and do you really want/need the headache of keeping it? If you purchased it then it is yours, so keep it.
Most of the time it is not worth the nagging headache of having the property. Should the owner take you to court over the property you had better have a good excuse for disposing of the property or proof that someone else has taken responsibility for it.

My opinion for what it is worth: wait until he is out of jail have an officer standby and deliver everything that he remembers is there. Do not offer any reminders and only give him what he asks for. Have him sign a release showing you have no more of his property and then get on with your life. Someone will come along and love you without the violence.

"I wanted him out of my home, but probably would not have pressed charges (he said at one time that he would kill me and my daughter before allowing himself to be arrested)"

You say you probably would not have pressed charges? But he has threatened the life of yourself and your daughter???

Unload the property and get rid of every last trace of this loser. The price you could pay for having ANY link to him is more that you should be willing to risk.

Threatening those kind of things is the first step to the "real thing". If you don't think you deserve better, think about the example you are setting for your daughter.

No amount of property is worth any "reason" for him to have contact with you ever again.

handing his stuff over

i too am a domestic abuse victim, mostly emotional. my ex pulled some fast ones, has a lot of money and got what he wanted. after the divorce was final, i asked him for the christmas decorations that i bought over the years, which totalled about 1000 dollars, he told me that i gave that right up when i did not show in court for the divorce hearing (did not know about it), so it is now his. well, this past october he asked me for some items that he wanted (mind you, i could not have my stuff including my father's hand truck). like an idiot, i gave him what i wanted, because i felt that he would go ahead and tell his attorney that i wasn't compliant. i then again asked him for my christmas ornaments and have not received it.

in your case, i agree with the other person that posted, that you should not return it without his signed and notarized statement. also if you want to send it to him, you could send it cod, take a picture of the contents, have it verified by an impartial party, or send the non valuable contents to the father. however, if you purchased them, then you keep them. if you want to break all ties from him, then just send it regardless. lastly, you could have the father to your house, have a witness, and have him take exactly what is on the list. make sure the father brings a witness as well. it is an extremely tricky situation. best thing, talk to attorney about it for much better guidance than i could ever give you.