I rented a room in my rented home to someone I thought was a friend. I've known her for over 10 years. We've always gotten along well, I thought I could trust her and we've talked about her living w/me before. We made an agreement, verbally. I was trying to help her out a little but I also needed the money and could not afford to support her. It was to be a short term thing, perhaps 6 ms or so. We agreed that she would pay me $50 a week to live w/me for rent and contribute to food by either buying some groceries every month or paying me $20 to $30 per month towards our food. When she first moved in she had no car and was coming from another State just prior to beginning her job so her money was tight. Out of consideration and being generous I told her to just pay me $20 a week for the first two weeks and once she was getting her regular paycheck after two weeks we would begin at the $50 a week rate. All was fine for the first month as far as her paying me, we had other difficulties but she was paying me on time the full agreed upon amount. Then she decided to got out and buy a car she couldn't afford, her controlling mothers idea and the mother co-signed. She could barely afford to pay me and she buys a car for $300 a month that she absolutely can't afford and makes and agreement w/her mom that she will hand over every paycheck to her mom and her mom will control where it goes. Right away she tells me she can't afford to pay $50 per week so we talk about it and I agree since she is looking for a second job and a better paying full time job that I will temporarily lower the rent to $40 until she gets more money coming in. Then a couple weeks later she decides to go live w/mommy for $20 a week and is trying to stiff me for about $200 which is a combination of rents for a couple weeks, grocery money, money I loaned her and money my daughter loaned her. She is threatening me and says she will not pay me. She never got any of her stuff out before this all happened and I want to know if I have a right to refuse to give her her belongings if she refuses to pay me what she agreed to pay me? Should I call the police? Am I breaking the Law?

Unfortunately you may have lost a friend. Not all friendships can survive a business relationship! Send her a letter asking her to remove the rest of her belongings by a certain date.

Personally, I don't think the police need to be called. She has already moved out. You could "try" to sue her. And frogs might grow wings too.

You and your daughter loaned this woman money. Why? Did you have her sign anything? As for back rent, that may be gone too. You have now received an education in human nature unattainable in any university, and far more valuable. Hopefully you and your "ex-friend" her can patch things up after some time passes.

You are not allowed to keep her property until she pays you. You should send her a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, with another copy sent by regular mail. In the letter you should inform her that she has 15 days to retrieve her property and if she doesn't do so within that time then you will sell it and apply it to the amount that she owes you. Add that if you're not able to sell any of it then it will be thrown out. Make sure you put details in the letter about exactly what she owes you and what it's for.

After she picks up or you get rid of her property you can file a lawsuit against her for the amount she still owes. Even if there's nothing to collect now she may not always be judgment-proof in the future.