My boyfriend kicked myself and my two children out. How much time do I legally have to remove my belongings? FYI: I was not on the lease. Instead of taking legal action he stayed in a hotel and had all utilities turned off so that I could not live there with my children.

Did you contribute to the rental at all? If so, can you prove it? How long had you lived there? Did he give you any notice? Did his landlord know you were there?

Please do not use e-mails or PMs for follow-up questions. Just add a reply to the thread. Normally I do not respond to such request, but I'm posting the text of your e-mail here since you do need some help.


We moved into residence on July 1st and he would not let me sign the lease. Yes the landlord met me and knew the children and I lived there as well. My reference was used for him to get this place. I contacted the landlord who does not want to be involved. I have been a homemaker for the past six months and he knew that I would be going back to work when school resumed for my children. I lived there three weeks. My now ex-boyfriend said he wanted me out and that he was going to have me evicted. I guess he learned that he could not do this and resorted to the plan he carried out. He gave me verbal notice that he wanted me out and a week and a half later the utilites were shut off on us. He is now saying he is giving me one week to remove my dressers. Please help if you can!!!



You need to contact legal aid or some other support services. I think you have a case for suing the boyfriend for endangering the welfare of your children by shutting off the utilities and creating an unlivable condition. But you need someone local to advise you of your options here. Another possibility is getting the landlord to put the lease solely in your name since the b/f has essentially abandoned the unit. Then you can have the utilities turned back on and order him to remove his stuff.

Where are you staying now?

I am currently staying with my mother and he is living in the residence again. I tried to contact legal aid when all of this was taking place and got nowhere. Maybe I will try again! Thank you for your advise!

Well, if he's back in the residence, then your task is harder. But I still think he was criminally negligent in endangering your children and some agency can be used to prosecute him for it. In effect he was your landlord and a landlord cannot shut off utilities to force a tenant out. What I don't know is where you need to go in your area to pursue this.

I will continue to make phone calls but want to thank you for your prompt response and for your time!!

Good luck and keep us posted. You are well rid of this creep.

As for getting your dresser and other possessions, you tell him that when you find a place to live you will then recover them. That, if he does anything to your possessions you will sue the pants off him.

Just got off the phone with Legal Aid. Unfortunately, he can place my belongings on "the curb." Yes he is a creep who has no boundaries of how low he will stoop. I will be calling Salvation Army to see if they can go pick up the dressers. I would rather see them go to families in need.