# Looks like my douchebag roommate are finally getting the boot **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 29, 2008, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-my-douchebag-roommate-are-finally-getting-the-boot/435398 "2008-01-29T01:54:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-my-douchebag-roommate-are-finally-getting-the-boot/435398/61 "2008-02-01T03:03:56Z")
[QUOTE=wring] Don’t assume that. Possession of stolen property is a felony in my jurisdiction, yea it’s usually used for the guy they think stole the thing, but certainly can also be used for others, especially if, say, you paid $5.00 for a bike worth $200. [/QUOTE] :rolleyes: No shit! If you know or suspect you are buying stolen goods, you’re “in on the deal”. That’s why there is a legal term of _“in good faith”_. That term is actually really important. For a _real life_ example… Last year, a guy came home after being out of the country for a bit. Walked in the door and here was a new famly in his house. “Who the fuck are you?”… It turns out, his ex-wife had fraudulently sold his house to innocent buyers . They bought it in good faith. That means they were totally on the up-and-up and didn’t do anything wrong. At all points during the deal they were operating under the _warrant_ that she had title and authority to actually sell the house. Did the police go arresting the buyers? Of course not, they were essentially victims of the fraud too. The ex-wife represented herself as having authority she did not have. This is something I used to deal with in contracts at work all the time. Our contracts always had the “you warrant that you have the authority blahblahblah…” That’s what my hypothetical example was about. If **bouv** warranted that he had the authority to sell the bike, it would very seriously mitigate my responsibility for buying a “stolen bike”. He represented himself as having the authority to sell it and I, believed him and acting in good faith bought the bike. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-my-douchebag-roommate-are-finally-getting-the-boot/435398/62 "2008-02-01T03:07:02Z")
good luck w/that defense. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-my-douchebag-roommate-are-finally-getting-the-boot/435398/63 "2008-02-01T03:12:23Z")
[QUOTE=wring] good luck w/that defense. [/QUOTE] I’ve had great luck with it so far, thanks. (Contract law suit.) ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-my-douchebag-roommate-are-finally-getting-the-boot/435398/64 "2008-02-01T03:24:37Z")
good for you, not so good for others. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-my-douchebag-roommate-are-finally-getting-the-boot/435398/65 "2008-02-01T04:01:45Z")
[QUOTE=wring] good for you, not so good for others. [/QUOTE] All I’m saying is that the fact taht **bouv** was prohibited by his lease from subletting, is not likely going to absolve him from the responsibility of having done so. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-my-douchebag-roommate-are-finally-getting-the-boot/435398/66 "2008-02-01T04:04:22Z")
ok- we agree on that. ---
**Author:** ![SomeUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@SomeUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SomeUserName)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-my-douchebag-roommate-are-finally-getting-the-boot/435398/67 "2008-02-01T10:46:28Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] I personally think it’s hilarious that your latest post restates so identically what a bunch of people have already told you, yet you bitch that most of the advice you’ve been given is bad. I guess if you ignore the _good_ advice, then when you reach the same conclusion you can tell yourself it was your own idea. Congratulations! [/QUOTE] This is what I was going to post. What a jerk. The percentage of good advice was astounding and ignored over and over again. I think it is funny that he probably does not actually need a lawyer but it is probably the best course for him as it appears he can not read the law, contact the courts and get the proper paperwork himself. > [@bouv](#): > > Basically, the system is in place to make sure it’s really fucking easy to be a deadbeat. It may appear that way but it also protects tenants from being thrown out on the street by idiots like you. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-my-douchebag-roommate-are-finally-getting-the-boot/435398/68 "2008-02-01T15:21:16Z")
[QUOTE=bouv] Basically, the system is in place to make sure it’s really fucking easy to be a deadbeat. [/QUOTE] True. Which is why it’s an excellent practice to check out prospective tenants/roommates carefully BEFORE you let them move in. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-my-douchebag-roommate-are-finally-getting-the-boot/435398/69 "2008-02-01T15:28:59Z")
It has yet to be established whether or not the deadbeat is a tenant or simply a roomer, so it is premature to recommend a course of action. His lawyer can sort that out with him. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-my-douchebag-roommate-are-finally-getting-the-boot/435398/70 "2008-02-01T15:58:07Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] Because it’s true. As to “who’s to say differently” – not the police, certainly. Say you’re a law enforcement officer and you report to a scene and one party says “Throw him out!” and the other party says “You can’t throw me out! I live here!” and the first party says "No, he doesn’t! I let him crash a while back and he hasn’t left since! [/QUOTE] Suppose the first party doesn’t say that. Suppose the other party really is a trespasser, or a burglar. How would anyone ever be arrested for these crimes, if the police cannot rely on the word of the homeowner, or legal tenant? Just wondering. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-my-douchebag-roommate-are-finally-getting-the-boot/435398/71 "2008-02-01T16:26:28Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal] Suppose the first party doesn’t say that. Suppose the other party really is a trespasser, or a burglar. How would anyone ever be arrested for these crimes, if the police cannot rely on the word of the homeowner, or legal tenant? Just wondering. [/QUOTE] But that’s not what we’re talking about. We’re not talking about a homeowner, and we’re not talking about a burglary or a clear trespass. So it’s not reasonable to construe what I said as meaning “the police cannot rely on the word of the homeowner or legal tenant” under those circumstances. I wasn’t talking about those sorts of situations; no one was. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-my-douchebag-roommate-are-finally-getting-the-boot/435398/72 "2008-02-01T16:31:39Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] But that’s not what we’re talking about. We’re not talking about a homeowner, and we’re not talking about a burglary or a clear trespass. So it’s not reasonable to construe what I said as meaning “the police cannot rely on the word of the homeowner or legal tenant” under those circumstances. I wasn’t talking about those sorts of situations; no one was. [/QUOTE] OK. Forget the homeowner. Say it is a legal tenant. The quote you responded to mentioned a random stranger wandering into a residence. Isn’t that a clear trespass? I really am just wondering, not trying to be argumentative. But it seems to me that if I wake up to find a stranger in my house, the police would treat it as a crime. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-my-douchebag-roommate-are-finally-getting-the-boot/435398/73 "2008-02-01T16:40:28Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal] OK. Forget the homeowner. Say it is a legal tenant. The quote you responded to mentioned a random stranger wandering into a residence. Isn’t that a clear trespass? [/quote] 😕 Of course it is. I never said anything about a “random stranger” (those were **Ponder Stibbon’s** words) except to point out that that is NOT what we are talking about: “The officer does know that, far from being a ‘random stranger’ who ‘wandered into any house,’ the person has at least been staying there (with permission) for some time.” So at no time was I talking about a random stranger being in the house. Would the police react differently to the presence of a random stranger? Of course they would. I’m not sure where the confusion arises, and if I was unclear I apologize, but your question is based on something I never said. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-my-douchebag-roommate-are-finally-getting-the-boot/435398/74 "2008-02-01T16:45:11Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] I’m not sure where the confusion arises, and if I was unclear I apologize, but your question is based on something I never said. [/QUOTE] No, I’m sure the confusion was all mine. Thanks for the reply. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-my-douchebag-roommate-are-finally-getting-the-boot/435398/75 "2008-02-01T20:08:01Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal] I really am just wondering, not trying to be argumentative. But it seems to me that if I wake up to find a stranger in my house, the police would treat it as a crime. [/QUOTE] If the intruder said he lived there, the police would ask him for some proof; ID, mail at that address, or something else that would confirm his claim. They would also ask you if he lived there. You could deny it it, but if in fact he was a tenant, it would go poorly for you when they found out you lied to the police. ---
**Author:** ![Zulema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zulema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulema)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-my-douchebag-roommate-are-finally-getting-the-boot/435398/76 "2008-02-02T16:32:05Z")
So, **bouv** , what did the lawyer say? What have the deadbeats been doing during all this? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-my-douchebag-roommate-are-finally-getting-the-boot/435398.md?page=3)