Roommate died and her parents think I stole her stuff?

[quincy]

I don’t really know them, so I don’t know if they would steal anything, but the idea of them going through my stuff makes me very uncomfortable.

I can understand how that would make you feel uncomfortable. You can make a list of your items, you can label all of your items, you can get a lockbox for small items, and you could ask your landlord to keep the parents from entering the apartment while you are away so they don’t go through your belongings.

You must let the landlord know before changing the locks, however, and you must provide the landlord with the keys to any new lock you install. It is the landlord’s property and the landlord needs to have access to it.

This is no doubt a difficult time for your roommate’s parents but they should not have been rude.

 

[adjusterjack]

Nobody's mentioned this yet. The parents have no right to do anything unless they have been appointed by the court as representative of the roommate's estate.

 

[quincy]

Nobody's mentioned this yet. The parents have no right to do anything unless they have been appointed by the court as representative of the roommate's estate.

It is possible/probable that there is no will and the estate does not exceed $100,000. The parents are possibly/probably their child’s personal representative.

It also has not been said when the roommate died, although I assume the death is fairly recent.

 

[LdiJ]

Nobody's mentioned this yet. The parents have no right to do anything unless they have been appointed by the court as representative of the roommate's estate.

That is absolutely true. However, if the roommate wasn't married and has no children it might be more incendiary to challenge the parent's removing the roommate's property.

However, unless we are talking heirloom jewelry, or specific gifts they gave her I don't know many parents who would be intimately acquainted with their adult daughter's personal possessions when that adult daughter did not live with them.

 

[quincy]

That is absolutely true. However, if the roommate wasn't married and has no children it might be more incendiary to challenge the parent's removing the roommate's property.

However, unless we are talking heirloom jewelry, or specific gifts they gave her I don't know many parents who would be intimately acquainted with their adult daughter's personal possessions when that adult daughter did not live with them.

Other than what was evidenced with gifts or in visits or in photos, I agree that trying to guess at what belongs to whom would be difficult, especially if, as “Accusedofstealing” says, they were probably a similar size.

We don’t really know under what authority the parents might be acting or how they gained access to the apartment (other than by their child’s key, of course). I would imagine the landlord was notified prior to entry.

 

[Accusedofstealing]

I can understand how that would make you feel uncomfortable. You can make a list of your items, you can label all of your items, you can get a lockbox for small items, and you could ask your landlord to keep the parents from entering the apartment while you are away so they don’t go through your belongings.

You must let the landlord know before changing the locks, however, and you must provide the landlord with the keys to any new lock you install. It is the landlord’s property and the landlord needs to have access to it.

This is no doubt a difficult time for your roommate’s parents but they should not have been rude.

I don’t think I’m going to get much headway with my landlord helping me out and those other options just wouldn’t give me enough peace of mind. I’m just going to stay up late and pack things to take everything to my boyfriend tomorrow morning.

 

[quincy]

I don’t think I’m going to get much headway with my landlord helping me out and those other options just wouldn’t give me enough peace of mind. I’m just going to stay up late and pack things to take everything to my boyfriend tomorrow morning.

Good luck.

 

[STEPHAN]

1. Get a security camera into your room.
2. Was your roommate a minor? Otherwise, I do not believe that you need to give her parents access.

 

[LdiJ]

Other than what was evidenced with gifts or in visits or in photos, I agree that trying to guess at what belongs to whom would be difficult, especially if, as “Accusedofstealing” says, they were probably a similar size.

We don’t really know under what authority the parents might be acting or how they gained access to the apartment (other than by their child’s key, of course). I would imagine the landlord was notified prior to entry.

Even with photos there is no guarantee that what someone is wearing wasn't borrowed.

 

[zddoodah]

Given that you posted this at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday and it's now just after noon on Monday, I'm not sure it's worth responding, but it sounds like the roommates parents have a key such that they are able to gain access. If not, you have no obligation to give them access, and you ought to make your landlord aware that you object to any access without your presence (the landlord absolutely should NOT be giving access to non-tenants).

Beyond that, they can accuse you of anything they want and call all the police they want. The police are 99% likely to tell her that, without any evidence of a crime, they won't do anything and that it's a civil matter.