Can my boyfriend's grandmother press charges and what kind of prove would she need?

You have asked whether or not your boyfriend's grandmother could press charges for damage to a room and, if so, what kind of proof she would need to prevail. You have also asked what you would need to contest the charges. First, she could proceed both civilly and criminally. In order to prevail on charges in criminal court, she would need to show the room was in good repair before you moved in and was damaged when you vacated. Your defense would probably be that the room was damaged when you began staying there or that your boyfriend damaged the room and you did not. It is best if you have photographs or the testimony of witnesses to support your position in this regard. If she were to prevail, a court might order restitution as part of a sentence – that is, the court might order you to pay for reasonable repairs. A criminal case has a higher standard of proof than a civil case. Much will depend on your boyfriend’s testimony about the situation. In order to prevail on charges in civil court, she would also need to show the room was in good repair before you moved in and was damaged when you vacated. Your defenses would be the same as above and your best defense would be to have photographs or the testimony of witnesses to support your position in this regard. If she were to prevail, a jury could award her a certain amount of money to pay for reasonable repairs. Again, the outcome may depend on your boyfriend’s testimony about the situation. In communications with the grandmother’s family, make certain you have witnesses present at all times. If the communications from some of these people are as you describe them, they may constitute a crime. If you have witnesses, you should inform your local law enforcement agency and file a complaint. This answer is made available with the understanding that I am not engaged in providing professional legal advice and this does not establish an attorney-client relationship with the questioner. This answer is general and not specific: Precise details of the facts in your matter may have a significant impact on the outcome of your particular matter. Before relying on material on the site users should obtain appropriate professional legal advice as to your particular situation. My comments may include opinions, recommendations or other content from third parties that do not necessarily reflect this author's views. Links to other Web sites are included for the user's convenience and do not constitute this author's endorsement of the material on those sites, or any associated product or service. The listing of a person or company in any part of this site in no way implies any form of endorsement by this author of products or services provided by that person or company. The user is advised to consult an attorney legal advice as to your particular situation. A user may wish to consult his or her own lawyer or another lawyer instead of me. A user may obtain information about other lawyers by consulting the Yellow Pages or by calling the South Carolina Bar Lawyer Referral Service in Columbia, South Carolina. If a user has already engaged a lawyer in connection with the legal matter referred to in a communication, the user should direct any questions to that lawyer. The exact nature of a user's legal situation will depend on many facts not known to me. The advice and information in this communication is general and that the user's situation will vary.

I assume she means press charges for vandalism. She would have to prove that you did it. From the description you set forth, it is doubtful she would have such proof.

All she can do is complain to the police department and it is the local distrait attorney who will decide if any charges are to be pressed if the police recommend it. It sounds like a civil matter and that the police will not do anything against you. Write her a demand letter that at a certain time she has to allow you to get the things back. It sounds as though you were renters and not lawfully evicted.

The grandmother could press charges if she wishes. However, she would need evidence to backup her claim. As the police officer stated, unless they have a before shot, it would be difficult to support that you caused the damage. Because of your grandmother's illness, everyone is on edge, so lay low for a while. This means do not talk to them and escalate the matter.

You bring proof of the condition of the property. You have here moistly a loud mouth. Why don't you try forgetting it and stay away from the loudmouth types.