Selling ex-roommate's abandoned property?

[beef046]

Hello-

~3 months ago, I kicked my roommate out as he had not paid ANY rent in the 4 months he lived with me. I have changed the lock to ensure that he does not have access to my residence. However, his name is still on the lease (our landlord is terribly unorganized, preventing my ability to remove it) and much of his property is still here. I would like to sell his property in order to recoup some of the money he owes me. How would I go about doing this? P.S. I live in Massachusetts.

[catsangel777]

first make sure you give him a date and time you will be there to get his stuff. Have a police officer there at the time agreed on to verify things and witness the incident. It will be better for both of you. If he doesn't come on the appointed date/time. call the magistrate of your county and ask the procedure for selling the items. If you don't go this route, you could get in trouble with the law for selling things that don't belong to you.

[catwoman1314]

Posession is 99.9 percent of the law. Sell it if he owes you.

[Darby]

You better check the rental laws for Massachusetts. I don't think you can legally do any of what you've done unless you follow a process. At the very least, you have to give the person an opportunity to come get their property--write a letter telling what you intend to do and when you intend to do it, but give a reasonable time for person to collect stuff. You can't make your own justice. If you had a contract that says if the rent wasn't paid, you could keep the stuff, that would be something, but the lease isn't with you, it's with the landlord, so actually you don't have any standing. File a claim for the rent money paid by you in small claims court.