Location: Seattle, WA.
This ones complicated but. Here we go. In 2023 I ended up having to file a protection order against my roommate for death threats and assault against me. This went through and as mandated by the court they’d need to figure out how to collect their things, most likely through the landlord.
It should be noted I am renting.
We waited for them to reach out. They broke into our house at 2 in the morning to attempt to pick up their stuff. The police escorted them off the property. They then tried this again. And they were able to pick up around 60% of their stuff before they left again.
We reached out twice about when they’d pick up the rest of their stuff. They didn’t respond until mid December when they announced on 3 separate occasions that they’d be coming to pick their stuff up.
They then did not show up at all.
We tried reaching out to them in January of 2024, then a few times over the remaining months of the lease.
Finally we sent a final letter letting them know they had 30 days to pick up their stuff or we would get their car towed and throw out there stuff.
They didn’t respond for 96 days. We had decided to throw away their trash, we needed to reach a burst water pipe and also our electrical panel. Of which their stuff was blocking access. We left their valuables alone.
When they did respond it was with legal threats.
It’s been now 2 years since they had to leave the property, they still haven’t picked up the rest of their stuff. They’ve not been on the lease for 1 year now.
When we asked the landlord what to do with the stuff he directly told us to throw it away.
Is it reasonable to consider their stuff abandoned or would I be in trouble for throwing away their trash to get to the electrical panel and the burst water pipe?