I was almost tempted to start my own website when I came across yours on the computer. I own a two family home in a middle class section in Brooklyn, NY. The problem I am having, is that my tenants abandoned their apartment on or around May 23rd 2012. I have not been paid for the months of May, June and July. The worst being that I do not have access to my own apartment, because the keys were never returned to me and nor was I ever told he was leaving his apartment. His so called family have been back and collected a few of the items; they told me that he left the country and will not be back. They told me that they would clear out the apartment and give me the keys back. So far even though i called them numerous times nobody has come back to take their belongings. I spoke to an attorney about this matter and they said because we do not have a lease there could be only an 80% chance that we could win if we went to a hearing. I been holding out on hiring an attorney in hopes that the family would come back and clear up my apartment. Every day they promise and they never show up. I just felt that if I can somehow get them to clear out the apartment it would be easier than hiring a lawyer and waiting a long time for a hearing to be held.---- So what should I do???? --24.90.xxx.xxx

I would check with your attorney for abandonment laws and processing. You probably only have to post a notice of abandonment. Since you've already tried to contact the tenant through all avenues, you can post the notice on the door and take over the premises in as little as 24 - 48 hours. You hire a locksmith to change the locks and clean and rerent. But this all depends on your city/state laws for abandonment. --75.162.xxx.xx

Visit housing court regarding the abandon unit and post the proper notices after studying your local and state laws, because it sounds like your first time thinking about the ending it would be smart to hire an atty to order the people on the lease to pay up or move out, as you have learned this far there is no benifit for sitting on your hands, your chances of collecting are pretty slim if the tenant is now out of the country - need to serve them at a known address - when they still live at your place makes a lot of sense, if someone has access they must have a copy of your key, meet them to sign a form saying they are finished moving and make a promissory note to pay for damages and removal of remaining property. --76.241.xxx.xxx

Be sure and read up on local/ state LL/tenant laws so that you can more easily and creatively break them(LOL) if the premises have been "abandoned" in many places you can enter the premises and take possession. You may have to store their crap or not depending on local regs. --108.220.xxx.xxx