I live in an apartment complex where I have a garage for storage. I own a pressure washer that I use for work and to wash my vehicles. I washed out my garage today. I pulled the hoses and washer unit off of the sidewalk onto the lawn so nobody would trip over it while I left for 45 minutes to pick up my truck and run an errand. Upon returning, I found that the pressure washer and my hoses were gone. I was going to call the police and report them stolen. Then I thought, who in their right mind would steal this in broad daylight, especially the five dollar garden hoses. I went to the maintenance man and asked him if he had taken it. He had. When I asked him why, he said I had left it out and it was a liability risk. When I asked to get it back, he said he would let me have it on Monday, since his workday was over. I was furious. Do you think it is illegal for him to keep my property for any length of time, if only for two days?
2007-03-23 18:54:36 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Sorry , all the folks who seem outraged for you & KNOW IT"S ILLEGAL are wrong !! No offense to them or their sense of right & wrong. I understand it seems wrong & illegal , & he should have taken ten minutes to return it right away.
BUT , do you understand what the word "liability" actually means w regard to owning a property like an apartment complex? They are legally responsible for an injury for example to any person on their property if they were injured by an action the landlord could have taken to prevent that injury.
Let's say a child started playing w your equipment while it was unattended & hurt themselves or some other child (I know it didn't happen, but....) Had the landlord , OR their "agent" (legally the maintenance man is their "agent") seen the risk & not removed it they would have been crushed in court & paid out a HUGE settlement.
2007-03-23 19:37:33 · answer #1 · answered by SantaBud 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Call your local police dept. (non-emergency phone number).
He can't take your property and hold it as a punishment, he does not have the authority.
Also you should call your Landlord and complain.
The maintenance man is just that, a maintenance man not the Ruler of the property.
If the washer was left out overnight I can see putting it away someplace, but after 45min. that's just him trying to push the tenants around.
You should not put up with that.
You may be a renter but you have rights to your home and your property, he has violated them.
Fight Back !
Call the Police he stole your property it was not abandoned as someone else said if that was the case every time you park your car you are abandoning it.
2007-03-23 19:13:57 · answer #2 · answered by Wraith53089 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Is this in your rental agreement (about the liability risk?)?? Does he have this in writing or is he going to use your pressure washer this weekend? You might want to be more responsible in the future and put up your tools before you leave.
Get your stuff back. If he can't produce something in writing that states this, he has YOUR property.
2007-03-23 18:59:39 · answer #3 · answered by lizzieboredom 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No it is not legal, You could have probably had your things back if you would have told him that you were going to call your lawyer and then he would get your items back and some extra cash for the trouble. Funny how fast people move when you get a bully just as big as them involved.
2007-03-23 19:00:04 · answer #4 · answered by gigi 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Your careless actions endangered children, wldlife and pets in the village unit. You are truly fortunate no accident occurred or you would be in court begging or working as an indentured servant for the rest of your natural life.
Think before you take another selfish errand run.
2007-03-23 20:53:37 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Many ladowners- and in this case managers- start over time, to develop an ttitude of being apoliceman of sorts.
But I don't believe tey have the right totake your things.
You might have case here.
2007-03-23 19:10:29 · answer #6 · answered by answermaker96 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
unfortunately you left your personal property in a place where anyone could walk off with it. you know what they say: 'finders keepers.'
i like that this guy admitted that he has your equipment. however, he didn't have to. he just could have kept it. you can try to get some justice by asking the police to help you get it back now. maybe a few words by them will help.
but i do think it would be legal to keep it.
2007-03-23 19:09:35 · answer #7 · answered by Louiegirl_Chicago 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Who cares? Stop using the N word so negatively jerk
2007-03-27 11:19:01 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
unless you signed some sort of liability agreement, he has confiscated your property against the law.
2007-03-23 19:35:59 · answer #9 · answered by urban_myth07 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
your words show you are not very smart, it is legal for the groundsman to lock up your things you left out side on the lawn , technically he doesn't haft to give them back to you since it was abandoned property, so go ahead and tell him you have a great lawyer , as he might make you prove it ,I would, and when you use the word NAZI please use it as to what it means,
2007-03-23 19:08:10 · answer #10 · answered by james w 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋