With an axe, like cord wood? 
Two things:
- If SIL will stand up for herself, talk to her instead of husband. Talk to her first anyway. Make sure your wife is there for any conversation.
- Write him the letter mentioned above, keeping a copy, and in any conversation about the stuff, RECORD IT! Just to make sure that’s legal, at the beginning of any talk you have with him, announce clearly “This conversation between <you> and <him> is being recorded for legal purposes.”
More legal wisdom from People’s Court and Judge Judy:
Sending a text or email serves the same purpose as a letter and is often easier to get a response to (to demonstrate receipt of notice). IANAL, but it seems brilliant on tv, and may be effective with a guy who doesn’t “put things in writing.”
I don’t know how contents insurance works where you are but generally in Australia it only covers the homeowner’s possessions and not the property of other people. Even rented goods are not covered.
Suggest that since this is the case you need the stuff out of your place as soon as possible because it is a burden worrying about it.
I’m confused about something. It sounds like he has room in his garage, since you were looking to store some stuff there not too long ago. So why didn’t he just put his own stuff in his own garage? This guy sounds like a real tool. I’d tell him I’m putting it out on the curb and he’d better come and get it before someone else takes it.
I had a now-former friend park some worthless stuff at my place. Months passed and he occasionally would make plans to get it, prompted by my texts, but never followed through. Repeatedly, I offered in writing to personally drop the stuff off at his house, but he refused. After about a year, I looked for a charity to take the stuff, but none were interested, so I got rid of it by setting it next to a dumpster in the hopes that scrappers could at least recycle metal bits. That was the last I saw of it.
A week later, he suddenly wanted the stuff. He had moved and now had space. I told him I no longer had it, so he called the police and claimed I’d stolen it! He also lied about the value of the stuff. I got threatening calls from the police, indicating that if I did not give him the stuff I’d be arrested! I had all the texts, etc. and I’m sure that in court I’d have won, but the police did not care, so I hired a lawyer who ended the nonsense.
This prick cost me $500. My lawyer actually recommended (for free) that I offer the prick the $500 to go away instead of paying him, but of course I wouldn’t consider that.
Get a friend with a truck, load up every single piece of his stuff.
Drive to his place.
Ask him to sign this prepared promise to have it out, or lose all title to it, by such a date.
When he refuses, ask him if he’d like to open his garage or should you just stack it in the drive.
Ignore any argument or comeback, just set about unloading. Take a photo of it all stacked in the yard. And then drive away.
His stuff is gone from your house. You gave him a reasonable option, which he refused. His stuff is back in his possession. You have a photo. And there was a witness to your every interaction. It’s over and done, as soon as you drive off.
Even if you have to hire a guy with a truck, it’ll be money well spent to my mind!
A lot of people are going after the brother-in-law because he is undoubtedly an asshole. But I think the Common Law marriage is relevant. IANAL, but I think ALL the property is “theirs”, not “his” or “hers”; or more importantly, it’s all (partly) “hers”. And “she” has permission to store “her” shit.
I think the only reasonable thing the OP can do is to clarify the terms of “her” storing property, and let them know when which items have to be out.
Also, this interpretation allows the wife to speak on behalf of her husband’s property. Get HER to agree to the terms of removal.
Force the issue! How did he even bring any furniture into your place if you didnt want to? You just open the door and say “oh no, no, no you cant, oh, no, furniture…” (insert michael jackson voice)
Tell him he has a certain amount of time to please vacate his stuff from your home as you did not agree to store his stuff and it has become an inconvenience in your home.
See Post #7.
I think you’re confusing common law marriage and community property. Common law means that if people live together and present themselves as a married couple, they legally are married even if they’ve never gotten a marriage license & gone through a ceremony. Community property means that all property obtained after marriage is owned jointly by both persons. Colorado is NOT a community property state, so the furniture may very well be his, but not hers.
Plus, in the OP he stated SIL had permission to store “specific pieces of furniture”. Even if it was her who brought over more than she had permission for, that extra stuff would still be outside the terms of the original agreement.
That’s something you can pretty much count on from an asshole who would leave his stuff at your house while you’re asking him to get it out already (but I guess you know that now :)). I’m sorry this lesson cost you $500, though - that is in no way just.
Storage lockers aren’t that expensive. You could rent one, put their shit in it, and give them the key to the lock and let them know when the next month’s rent is due. If they don’t pay it, let the storage unit people just take it over and auction their crap off to the guys on TV.
Yeah, it was completely unfair and very stressful to be threatened by the police with arrest when I’d done nothing besides fail to provide free storage for someone. I even had to avoid my own house for several days, as they claimed they’d show up to take me away at any time and were very mean and intimidating about it.
At least my lawyer is the one who profited instead of the asshole. I saw in the paper that the asshole was arrested for domestic violence some months later, so apparently he beat up his wife or baby. Maybe $500 was a small price after all.
The problem with this is you’ll obviously have to rent it in your own name and then you will be the one legally responsible for the unpaid months before they take possession.
I understand the difference; what I didn’t understand was that ANY states allowed married people to individually own separate chattels. Seems strange to me. Thanks for straightening me out.
What’s going on with the relationship between sister and arsehole?
Presumably they are still together? Why are they being talked about as though they’re not a couple?