Legal or illegal entry into premises?

[Ann B.]

(Property is in Missouri.) We have a tenant whose power was just turned off. At the moment, I don't know if he is still there or not, and he does not answer the phone. Can we enter to empty and open the refrigerator, so we won't have to replace it due to rotten food?

Background: This is already a problem tenant. He hasn't paid rent since February, but he's still in possession because the courts have been closed. In April, the power company sent the power bill to our property management company. The property management company called the power company. I don't know what was said. Due to COVID-19 and the CARES Act, the power company won't immediately turn the power off. They sent two letters to the address and requested a response. After two months and without a response, they turned the power off. Now, we the owners may have rotting food. Can we legally enter?

[Sharlene Mulchandani]

@Ann B. I would suggest giving them a 24 notice before entering the property. On the other hand, since you do suspect that they have abandoned the property and have reasonable evidence, since their power has been cut off; you should be able to legally enter your property - to gather evidence if they have abandoned your property or not.