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Q.Can a tenant sue a landlord who, without the tenant's permission, gave the possessions to someone else or sold them?
A.If a tenant leaves behind personal belongings that appear to be abandoned, the landlord must safely store the property in a place where it will not be damaged or stolen and sent the former tenant a written notice, describe the property left behind, advise the tenant if reasonable costs of transport and storage will be charged before the property is returned, and give the tenant a reasonable amount of time to respond. If, after the deadline, the tenant does not respond, the landlord may do one of two things. If the landlord reasonably believes that the property is worth less than $300, the landlord may keep it, sell it, give it away, or destroy it. If the landlord reasonably believes the property is worth more than $300, the landlord should arrange to have it sold at a public bidding sale after giving notice of the sale through publication. Anyone can bid and after the property is sold, the landlord may deduct the costs of storage, advertising the sale, and conducting the sale. The remaining money must then be paid over to the county.
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