[dannyboy084]

For the year of 2013, my sister and my niece were living with me for $200 a month. In November, I informed her that her rent for 2014 would be going up to $300 a month. She pays rent at the end of every month and her last payment was in December in the amount of $200. She decided to leave all of her belongings at my house and just disappeared without notice in the middle of January 2014. She has not made an effort to come and get her stuff and has not given me any money for rent. It is now the middle of March and I want her stuff out of my house. What do I do? I live in Philadelphia, PA. We do not have any written contracts and she does not receive mail with my address on it. Please Help!

[joypulv]

Send a certified letter to her known address (yours, if you don't know where she is) stating that as of April 1, her possessions are considered abandoned according to the ordinances where you live. Call the police main number and ask - usually 30, 60, or 90 days.
There's a small chance that she will come back and claim that she is a tenant and that you didn't evict her by law, even though she left and hasn't paid for 3 months. If you think that's possible, file for eviction at your court house.

[dannyboy084]

Another thing I forgot to mention, I live in a condo and I am not allowed to legally rent out the property so I wasn't necessarily charging her rent but we had a verbal agreement that she would pay a set amount a month to help out with utilities. I allowed her to stay with me until she could get back on her feet (which still hasn't happened) and she just left out of the blue without her stuff. She is staying with my grandmom now, could I just give her a letter saying she has 30 days to get her stuff or I'm trashing it? Or would I have to go through court?

[stinawords]

Do not send a letter saying that she has 30 days to get her things or you're trashing it. Since you know where she is, send her a certified letter. Check with your local police office or county clerk office to find out what time frame her things are considered abandoned. As mentioned above it is generally either 30, 60, or 90 days. In the letter tell her when that date is (or was). Then give her x amount of time to get her property.

I would not say "trash" anywhere in the letter.

[AK lawyer]

...
There's a small chance that she will come back and claim that she is a tenant and that you didn't evict her by law, even though she left and hasn't paid for 3 months. If you think that's possible, file for eviction at your court house.

She could claim whatever she wants, but in this case the claim would be unfounded. She clearly has moved out and is no longer a tenant. A suit for eviction is unnecessary.

One solution for this kind of situation which has been suggested on this forum in the past: put the stuff in storage and send her the key.

[talaniman]

Yeah what AKL said.

[dannyboy084]

Thank you everyone for your help! I'm going to start taking action on this ASAP

[ScottGem]

One point to add, your condo association by laws may state that you can't rent the condo. Such a clause generally means that it has to be owner occupied. It doesn't mean you can't take in a roommate. You would have to read the bylaws to see the exact wording to make sure.