[snowman16]

I had a month to month lease that I gave notice for May 31st. I gave the notice in the required (per lease) 30 days.

My landlord had asked when I would be leaving as I have relocated for work, I initially told him the 16th and then later sent an email saying we had gotten behind in packing and that while I needed to leave on the 18th, two friends were coming over THAT evening to collect some of my possessions. They would also have cleaned the place and informed me if I needed to hire a professional service.

I had arranged for the floors to be cleaned (per lease agreement) as well as a general cleaning with the building's service. I left them a check for $150

Mind you, I STILL held the lease until the 31st! I never received a response to the email stating when he would be entering the property.

When my friends arrived the evening of the 18th, my landlord was already there. My friend called me and said that everything I had left had been placed OUTSIDE on the porch and that the items I expressly asked about (a purse and three dresses as well as a box with two antique candlestick lights and two antique plates in it) were missing. I spoke to my landlord who insisted the only items they threw out were an obvious pile of garbage (which I had left a note about because the garbage chute was full that weekend).

I called the cleaning service and they insist that nothing was taken out of the closets (where the plates were) nor were any items thrown out by them. The women said that the landlord had thrown out items into her trash bin.

All in total about $900 worth of items including irreplaceable antiques are missing.

I just received a check from him for the security deposit MINUS cleaning fees.

a) I held the lease until the 31st
b) he entered and would not let my friend in to do anything except take the piles on the porch
c) he insisted they give him the keys
d) he began coating the floors from the DOOR to the inside so that they could not enter
e) no mention or further response to my missing property
f) no refund for the 18th to 31st even though he took possession while I legally held the lease

I spoke to the police who said it may be considered grand theft.

Any idea who else to speak with? Or ANY advice? I took my last landlord to Small claims and won for refusing to pay my deposit back as she used it for her own mortgage!

Thank you for advice