[Lucy Wright]

So a few months ago I was homeless and three months ago my friends (a couple) rented a house and offered me to move in with them (their names are on the lease, not mine) We agreed I would pay $100 a week and there was no written contract or agreement made. Two weeks ago they got into a domestic and my room mate punched his pregnant partner in the face and gave her a black eye and when I stood in the way he threw me across the room into the doorway. I ended up hiding his partner for the night and lied to his face and said I didn't know where she was. There was no report to police made because he threatened us and we were scared. The next day she went back to him and told him I knew where she was and he called me and said his put a hit on my head and his kicking me out without notice (even though I had paid that weeks rent and the next weeks the night of the incident). Later that evening I received a text message saying that he had put my belongings outside in the rain and told me to get them by the next day or he was putting it all down the road. I Couldn't retrieve my belongings because I gave my last $10 to his girlfriend to put petrol in her car which she ended up driving back to him, I had no credit on my phone and I was nearly 2 hours away. When I tried to contact him a week later when I got paid he said that he got his friend with a ute to come get it and take it somewhere but he wouldn't tell me who or where it was. What are my rights and what can I do to get my stuff back? He won't tell me anything and keeps threatening me. I also don't have a key to the house and I wouldn't feel safe going back there without police.

[smoothy]

I going to assume you are either in the UK or Australia based on your terminology... must likely Australia.

Rights vary as do laws depending on where you live... so for anything more specific you need to tell us where.

However if you do not have money to hire a lawyer (solicitor).. then there won't be much you can do even if you are in the right. If its been tossed in the trash....how do you expect to get it back?

Without anything in writing... it going to be tough to prove.

[ScottGem]

As noted laws vary by area so we need to know your general locale. The couple were your landlords as long as you can prove that the house was your legal residence and that you were paying them rent, then you have the same rights as any tenant in your area and they have the same obligations as any landlord.

In most areas, what was done to you would constitute an illegal eviction. But it is likely you will need to take your landlord to court to recover damages. You will need to prove the value of your belongings and whether you can get punitive damages is up to local laws.

[joypulv]

She went back to him, yet you don't mention her since you gave her money to go back to him?
I'd be taking both of them to small claims court. There's a fee though. You 'win' the fee if you win, but getting them to pay is another problem.
So all in all, you are sort of out of luck.
I would appeal to your so called friend!