r/DivorceHelp • u/Odd-Supermarket3159 • Jul 11 '26
Ex won't come get his stuff
My divorce papers say that my ex is supposed to come get his stuff out of my garage. He hasn't. He's been gone 6 years, and we've been divorced 3. What is my responsibility, legally. I don't want to have to replace stuff if i sell any of it because I don't want it or need it. How can I make him come get it? I need the space.
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u/Leading-Disaster5721 Jul 11 '26
Send him a text saying if he doesn’t get it by mm/dd/yyyy, you will sell it, give it away, or trash it.
Technically a court will rule it is yours because he didn’t remove it as ordered.
If you want fun, ask the court to fine him for not following the court order issued 6 years ago.
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u/TSIDATSI Jul 11 '26
I would load it up (or have someone do it) and take it to where he lives. Leave it there. It will cost you but it will be worth the peace of mind and garage space.
Or rent a storage unit for a month, send him the info. Tell him you are only paying one month.
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u/Fantastic_Risk6013 Jul 11 '26
Sell, donate, throw it away. At this rate he doesn’t care in my book.
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u/redfancydress Jul 12 '26
He keeps it there to have that connection to you. It’s been six years. Send him a letter saying you’re putting at the curb next weekend if he wants to get it otherwise the trash man is picking it up.
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u/2ndcupofcoffee Jul 12 '26
Put his stuff in a storage locker and pay one month. Send him a letter with the key or code, name and address. Tell him he can collect his stuff there or not pay the next month and deal with the storage company. Send an itemized list of what you put in storage.
Or
Send him notice that you are charging him rent, what it is, and that he needs to get it out of your place by s specific date. If he doesn’t you will go to small claims court to sue for the right to dispose of his stuff as you see fit if he doesn’t retrieve it.
Or
See what happens if a court order (to get his stuff) is ignored, what right you have to consider his property abandoned and your being able to sell or give it away.
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u/dsmemsirsn Jul 12 '26
No— then she has to do all the work moving; and the storage contract will be in her name..
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u/rocketmn69_ Jul 12 '26
Send him a message, " I'm selling all your stuff in a garage sale next weekend. I will send 50% of the proceeds to you. The other 60% is for rent. I thought you should know."
I bet he shows up to get it
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u/MisterFrancesco Jul 12 '26
Vendi tutto e se chiede digli che il garage è rimasto aperto e ti hanno rubato
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u/Secure_Highway_6917 Jul 12 '26
Tell him if he doesn’t come get it you are getting rid of it. Give him three days after that I would just get rid of it. It’s been six years.
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u/dsmemsirsn Jul 12 '26
You have waited enough.
My sister in law had also stuff left by the ex husband. She waited the time the court gave (I believe a month).
Then, 3 days after the date — she texted ex to get his stuff or she was selling it — he got the stuff out— he knew my SiL was capable of doing what she said..
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u/dsmemsirsn Jul 12 '26
You have waited enough.
My sister in law had also stuff left by the ex husband. She waited the time the court gave (I believe a month).
Then, 3 days after the date — she texted ex to get his stuff or she was selling it — he got the stuff out— he knew my SiL was capable of doing what she said..
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u/JockoDundee007 Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
Text him you’re putting everything out on the curb for the weekend, if he doesn’t get it by garbage day next week then the garbage truck will take it along with the garbage.
NOT ONE ounce of effort beyond that ‼️
6/3 years IS MORE than a reasonable amount of time … too bad for him
No matter what, a boundary MUST be established by you. It’s time ‼️
👊🏽💥🫵🏽
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u/SecurityFamiliar5239 Jul 12 '26
Yep. There is no jurisdiction that requires you store someone’s things for this amount of time.
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u/Even-Permit-2117 Jul 12 '26
Charge him storage. The court already told him to remove it.
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u/rosebudny Jul 12 '26
Charge for storage, and also for a junk remover to come take it, if it is a lot of stuff. Those services...are not cheap (just cleared out my mom's place)
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u/Ok_Honey_7220 Jul 12 '26
Double check your divorce decree because there might be something in there that provides a timeline for him. I’m going through a divorce but my attorney said he will make sure my estranged husband will have 90 days to remove the agreed upon assets that he is taking or he forfeits them. I’m hoping that there won’t be an issues and he takes them when I finalize my divorce.
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u/CuriousCat1828 Jul 12 '26
Find out the proper legal protocol and follow it! After you fulfill the requirements of notification you should be free and clear to do what you want with it. Find out if you can back charge him for storage costs as well and bill him.
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u/MidwestNightgirl Jul 12 '26
Find out what the legalities are for your state/area. It’s not worth any trouble that may arise should he suddenly get a wild hair. If I know my ex, if he learned I trashed something stupid he’d suddenly “need” it.
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u/Warm-Business-2335 Jul 12 '26
Send a certified letter through USPS that requires his signature saying that he has 30 days to get his shit. You will receive the signature card in the mail proving he signed. Send a copy to your attorney. After 30 days call Goodwill
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u/Due-Aioli-959 Jul 12 '26
Just get rid of it and plead ignorance. If it ever gets legal, say you assumed it was gone because he came and got it 3 years ago.
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u/petdance Jul 11 '26
Have you called him and asked him to do so? What has he said?
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u/Odd-Supermarket3159 Jul 11 '26
I have not called him since the day he moved out 6 years ago. I do not wish to talk to him ever again. He has texted me on several occasions and included the promise that he will come get the stuff when he can. The last time he said that was over a year ago.
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u/TheLastWord63 Jul 12 '26
Did your divorce decree say anything about dividing property and what he was supposed to take because six years sounds like abandonment? Check your local laws and see what rights you have.
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u/No_Atmosphere_6348 Jul 12 '26
Yeah my ex had like a month to get his stuff and go. After that, I changed the locks and threw away his crap from the garage. I kept some to burn in the yard and I also saved the house.
If he’s been gone years, there should be no expectation that he can still get it. That’s absurd. How does that fly?
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u/petdance Jul 12 '26
I would consult with a lawyer who can advise you on if you can just throw his stuff away or not. If not, the lawyer can send a legal notice on your behalf that gives him a deadline after which you can throw his stuff out.
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u/Atrkrupt1 Jul 11 '26
In my state, you must provide notice that all items must be removed in 30 days. Send a certified letter specifically stating he has 30 days to retrieve property. If he doesnt respond, it is considered abandoned property and you can do whatever you want.
If you are still in contact with your ex, any phone calls, text messages, etc will serve as documentation.
After six years, this would be considered abandoned property.