Can a family member (21 years old) be evicted from home (Virginia)... not contributing to the household, unemployed, not looking for work, stealing from the house.

The only people who can be evicted are tenants. People who live in a home with family members are not usually considered tenants. They can be asked to leave or even thrown out by the other family members but they cannot be sued in court for eviction unless the owner of the home can prove that there was a landlord/tenant relationship.

Hi,
As another answer stated, "evicted" might not be the proper word.
"Thrown out" are better words. Yes, you can be thrown out; and you won't go, there are court actions that can be taken against you, but not "eviction" actions.
A Peace Bond of some type could possibly be used, and there are others.
At 21 yrs old, you are legally considered a "man" in VA, no longer a child or juvenile. With the problems you stated in your question, I am surprised you have been allowed to live at home this long.
You can change your life, make it better. Your future is up to you, no one else but you. Why not take on life, make it better, and look for a job.
I do wish you good luck, and remember, only you can decide your future, and what the rest of your life will be like.

I have a 77 year old family member who is manipulating family information for the purpose of causing undue stress for our family (ie the marriage will not work, let's look up a child who has been given up for adoption, etc). She has lived with us for six years, and does pay us for staying in our home, however her manipulative actions leave us no choice but to demand she leave. Does she have any legal standing to refuse to leave?

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Originally Posted by LisaB4657

The only people who can be evicted are tenants. People who live in a home with family members are not usually considered tenants. They can be asked to leave or even thrown out by the other family members but they cannot be sued in court for eviction unless the owner of the home can prove that there was a landlord/tenant relationship.

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I never heard that Virginia does it that way. Most states say once anybody moves in family or non family they have to go through the eviction process. Most people here that reply to these type of questions say that too. I have seen families sue over this too.
I'd like to see the law you are referring to on this.

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Originally Posted by dustycar

I have a 77 year old family member who is manipulating family information for the purpose of causing undue stress for our family (ie the marriage will not work, let's look up a child who has been given up for adoption, etc). She has lived with us for six years, and does pay us for staying in our home, however her manipulative actions leave us no choice but to demand she leave. Does she have any legal standing to refuse to leave?

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Please start your own post. I just replied to a 4 and a half year old post thinking it was new.

Once a person is established as living in your home you have to go through the eviction procedure for your state.

In Virginia, a family member who resides in a home and does not have a lease agreement with the owner or landlord of the home is considered an "authorized opccupant." Such an authorized occupant may be evicted from the home upon the giving of reasonable notice from the landlord to the authorized occupant.

Black Knight