Question about Belongings...
I signed a 6-month lease on January 1, 2006. The person I was rooming with had lived in the house already for a year. He had the only copy of the lease. When I paid rent, I gave him cash (I did not get receipts because he was a friend) and bills were the same way. After the lease was to be up on June 30, we were going to be going to a month-to-month lease format.
On June 23, I sent my roommate an e-mail saying I was moving out, and would be out by August 1st (he was out of town). I told him to take the $250 Security Deposit I had paid as my July rent so he would not need to find a roommate for another month. I owed $65 from May's bills and $160 from June and told him I would pay him on the 14th and 28th of July so that on August 1st, we would be squared away.
I did not hear a response from him. On July 10th, I went to the house to gather some of my belongings and the deadbolt had been changed. I e-mailed him and called him about it, but did not get a response until July 13th, saying he gave me a week and a half to move out (he did not respond or let me know this) and he said he had the deadbolts changed, was going to keep hold of my stuff and lock it and even pack it up himself and would not give me my belongings until I gave him the $218 I owed him.
Is this legal? Can he do this? Do I need to go to the police about this? Help me out, he has my entire life worth of belongings in his possession and is holding it hostage.
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