How to remove someone's things from my garage

Oh I sympathise…. Tell them they have 1/2/3 weeks or whatever you deem reasonable to arrange collection of their belongings and if they have not been collected at that point arrange for a house clearance firm to come and take them away… you and your family have gone above and beyond what is reasonable to help a friend out.
Good luck!

What would happen if there was fire or water damage in the garage, where would you stand with this person's stuff?
Could any of that person's stuff actually be your late mother's?

Just a couple of questions that came to mind.
Do hope this situation gets resolved as soon as possible for you.

We had a similar situation when we bought our second house. The previous owner left furniture and other belongings in the loft, shed and garage. There was a lot of it and we needed the space for our own storage. After 6 months he still hadn't removed it, always had an excuse 'didn't have a vehicle, nowhere to put it, got a bad back' etc.

We sent him a letter (didn't use a solicitor) giving him 30 days to remove it or it would be disposed of by a house clearance company and we'd send him the bill. I also sent him the name of the clearance company (after they had removed it) if he wanted to retrieve anything. We had no response from him and it was all removed as arranged, though I doubted he would reimburse us. One day DH came home to find an envelope on the mat stuffed with money, no message or anything, but it was the exact same amount as the bill I'd sent him so we knew who it was from. We never heard from him again. Out of curiosity I asked the clearance firm if he had collected any of his stuff from them, they said no. So I guess he just couldn't be bother with getting rid of it himself.

Very much tongue in cheek advice but if it were me I’d love to put a sign on the garage door advertising “Garage Clearance Sale” some time next month!
OK, I wouldn’t have the courage, but it’s a lovely thought. (I totally agree with GSM, btw.). Very best of luck

Check your house insurance, a lot of policies now come with access to free legal.advice

Agree with ‘Hetty58’

Testin

Look up LBC legal hour. You can phone in for free legal advice

I would love to know how you get on. I would think you can just give the person notice and then dispose of items but best to check

As you state that this man is a hoarder you may have a problem, even with a Solicitor's letter.
If you have watched any of the tv programmes about hoarders you will know that it's usually a mental problem, and they are totally unable, without expert help, to make decisions about parting with any of their hoard, which may, or may not contain items of value.
It's doubtful that he has any storage free, so threatening him with a deadline will just send him into a complete panic.
I sincerely hope that you can regain the use of your garage, and put this distressing affair behind you.

The point of a solicitor’s letter would be to make clear in no uncertain terms that if the person doesn’t clear the garage by a certain date then a house clearance firm will be instructed to undertake the clearance and dispose of the items without further notice, with no liability for loss or damage attaching to the OP, and that the fees of the clearance firm and the solicitor including VAT will be payable by this person and recovered by court action to the extent that they exceed the sum (if any) received by sale of any of the goods, with any excess being paid to the person.

My friend had the same problem because Mom died she went to Citizen Advice gave them a month then the stuff belongs to you everything in the garage belongs to you really now Mom died. Sorry for your losss

That’s not the case Kaggi. The ‘stuff’ is not hers, except any of it that belonged to her late mother.

Retired solicitor here. No need to employ one. Just send a recorded delivery letter saying she has 14 days to remove the stuff or it will be disposed of. Then do it. You have no legal obligation to store it whatsoever

Another retired solicitor here who has already advised to the contrary.

Unfortunately, I think you missed a golden opportunity to serve this person notice of eviction of their possessions when the house ownership was transferred to you. You do need to consult a solicitor and get them to serve notice now, without any further delay. When a very dear friend of mine was selling her flat and her shop underneath, she asked if she could put the surplus stock from the shop, a hardware business, in our garage. My husband refused as we really did not have any spare room, but he did find her a garage to rent near her new home. She filled that garage with the stock, and her own double garage and three garden sheds! That was over 16 years ago and she has never sold one single item, it is all just rotting away! The rent she has paid all that time far exceeds the value of the contents!! We would really have been lumbered if we had agreed!

My first thought would be to physically remove it and dump it all outside but I am aware that really a solicitor should be contacted.

You will end up paying for everything especially the clearance company but at least eventually you will have free space.

I would give them a date when the 'stuff 'has to be completely cleared ..It would be disposed of the day following the date given.......I think that is legal..... maybe a date six week ahead !

A solicitors letter on their notepaper is much more likely to have an effect on the person than sending your own notice, which may be ignored, given the person's conduct to date. You may end up having to clear the garage yourself either way, but a solicitor can advise you of if there is any risk of a counterclaim.

So to continue the story - on consultation with a solicitor I was told to simply write initially giving him notice and a date on which to remove his possessions and saying that otherwise I would have no alternative but to do it myself. Since there was no contract I was told I had every legal right to do this as long as I gave him warning. I did not clarify what I would do (clearance or putting it in storage, which of course would be at my expense but eliminate possible comeback for theft/destroying someone else's property). I also maybe stupidly said I would be willing to help, in view of the comments made about hoarding being a mental condition so did not want to cause panic and further digging in of heels.
I put it in writing and this is the response I received (the dashes are added by myself in case the actual words are not permitted on Gransnet!):

'How the f-ck are you supposed to be helping me sort my stuff out. I thought rather it was a case of me helping you
pack up your stuff efficiently. How can you possibly have used 40 boxes already for possesions in a tiny flat. Going by
the way you chucked random stuff into black bags in the garage you don't pack efficiently. You are nuts and have
turned out to be a bit of an unreasonable dictatorial nazi. You are f-cking barmy, I know what your mother had in the flat, where the f-ck are 40 boxes coming from. I will work through disposing of stuff and am sure the garage can accommodate whatever is left. You have an amazing ability not to be able to co-operate properly. Your mum let me use the garage. I bl--dy organised her bathroom even moved tiles from the shop. I amazingly generous to her for more than 20 bl--dy years.'

This went on a bit longer but I won't as the whole episode is making me feel rather sick.

OMG, be careful.

You should have got the solicitor to write the letter.

Solicitor’s letter telling him he has two weeks to get rid of it or you’re having it chucked and charging him for it. If he responds similarly, tell him it’s harassment. You owe him absolutely nothing, the nasty piece of work.

Oh my word! Definitely a solicitor's letter and when you do start clearing the stuff either get someone who does that sort of thing as a living or have some strong men to help you. This person seems aggressive and intimidating and possibly dangerous. Poor you xxxx

Consult a solicitor, cheaper and less stressful in the long run. Do not destroy that letter as it is proof of aggression and lack of cooperation on hoarder's part. Show the solicitor the letter to indicate what you are dealing with. You owe the hoarder nothing no matter what was done for your mother. Years of hoarding the stuff is payment enough. Make sure you have people with you when the stuff is collected so that none of yours goes missing. I wouldn't delay any longer as it is causing you stress and withdraw all offers to help. Change the locks when all over. And don't engage with said person as it sounds dangerous.
If all else fails, go for the nuclear option by either selling the flat and garage or renting the garage to a third party who will insist on clearance or rent.