Tenant property

[Robert D.]

So my tenant moved out 8/31. Long story short he owes me nearly $500 Question, i have in my posession some of his property. What do i do. Havnt had this happen before. Property im referring to was something he had shipped to him that arrived once he was vacated over 1 month.

[Mitch Kronowit]

http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/legal_guides/lt-5.shtml

Refer to this web page if your rental is located in California. There are clear laws in place for dealing with former-tenant property.

Your case is a little confusing as the personal property arrived at the premises AFTER the tenant left, but I believe you're still obligated to:

1) Notify the tenant you have his personal property
2) Safely store the property (hint: you can charge him for storage)
3) Hold onto the property for 15 - 18 days, depending on how you notified him.
4) If the property is valued at $300 or more, it must be auctioned off publicly. The proceeds of the sale must be disbursed via a number of rules. However, if the value is under $300 and the tenant fails to claim it within the allotted time, you may do as you wish with it.