QUESTION
I have a friend that owes me 500 plus dollars she moved out my house but I still have some her mail is it illegal to keep til she pays my 500?
Asked on Apr 27th, 2020 on Civil Litigation - Louisiana
More details to this question:
I had a friend whom was pregnant an needed help bying baby stuff bc the baby daddybwouldnt so my husband an i boight everything for this child . We are asking for 500 back at least of what we paid. An we have mail here with my address unopened for her our police said ita not illegal to keep the mail til she pays us the money back.
1 ANSWER
With all due respect to your police friend, I think he/she is wrong. It's a crime to withhold osmeone's mail. Google "is it a crime to withhold someone's mail" and you'll see. The fact that you have a claim against that person for money you cliam she owes you (all it is is a claim until and unless you win a lawuit and get a judgment, but you still woulnd' thave the right to withhold her mail) doesn't change this. You have no contract with this person in which she agrees to let you withhold her mail until she pays you back, nor is there any statute which allows you to withhold mail until your claim is satisfied. Give her her mail and sue her in small claims court.
Answered on Apr 27th, 2020 at 1:25 PM