Return of possessions after break up

[MAHTwenty4]

Morning ladies, I need some legal advise. Split up with my ex ( last year at Xmas) we're it married the house is in my sole name. He's moved out and taken what is his etc. He took a couple of things that weren't his but nothing major and frankly not worth the hassle.

I also own an apartment in Italy in a castle where he has had a free holiday every year for 5 years (he never offered once to contribute to costs other than food, airfare) where he took and left some clothes, guitar, ukele. (I shit you not, neither of which I wanted there and made that clear) plus an old iPod dock. He has sent me an email demanding them back when I next go or £1000 instead and will report them stolen. Now he can go and get them when he likes I can arrange for someone to meet him with a key. So I'm not stopping him but why should I have to bring them back - Ryan excess luggage plus carrying them for me is hard as I have post cancer surgery issues on my left side and frankly why the f*ck should I help this tight fisted narcissistic arsed hole. But legally where do I stand , I've not stolen them, I didn't leave them there he did

I think I'd call his bluff and invite him to take me to court. I don't see a court having any sympathy with the idea that these things are sooooo important that he went to court but not important enough for him to get on a plane. And you aren't stopping him getting them, you're just declining to do the legwork for him. You're under no obligation, legal or moral, to retrieve shit he left places. Just not to withhold it from him deliberately.

It's up to him to arrange their collection from wherever in the world he last left them.

Here's his lovely email, if he left them therefore it is not theft, I don't want them and never did.

I'd let him know when you are going to be in Italy, give him times when you'll be in and tell him to use Shipley (sp?) and get the courier to collect his things at his expense!

Reply that he can go and collect his belongings from the property within 30 days of this email. Tell him you will require 48 hours notice in order to arrange access to the property for him.

What a wanker.

By the way - he's also an idiot. Of course he can't report these things "stolen". They're not stolen. You do not have to give him any money.

Charge him storage fees!!

Tell him that he has 30 days to collect them and to give 48 hours notice if arrival.

Do not travel to Italy specifically for his items at your expense. If he can not collect said items he needs to get a third party to travel there

Tell him good luck getting into Italy right now!!
Ask HIM to bring you some vino to celebrate getting rid of him!!

He is just being an idiot. Have you sorted the wider property settlement?

Agree give him a set time to remove his things from YOUR property 😂

I would quite simply state that you can make arrangements for him to access the property and gather his possessions that you advised him against leaving there in the first place. Failing that you're willing should you go to Italy to send via a courier service at his cost. I would then add that should he report them as stolen to the police he will be doing fraudulently so as he has two very reasonable options to retrieve his property. For logistics, if he wishes to go directly please give 14 days notice to you, so you can arrange access. Likewise, if you plan to go to Italy, which isn't a definite this year, that you will.provide 14 days notice for him to arrange the courier service of choice and pay etc.
That way you're stating they're not there because you wanted him to. And you have given him two reasonable options. This

Legally, you can as pp stated, give him notice to remove his possessions. Generally as long as he has definitely had receipt eg sent recorded delivery and signed for it, then snall claims won't touch it.

They are not stolen so if he means he's going to report them to his insurance he's just invalidated that entirely by putting it in writing. If he means he's going to accuse you of theft, he's put in writing that you didn't steal them. He doesn't have a leg to stand on. I'm not sure a court has any jurisdiction over property left in another country even if he did manage to get it to court (which he won't because it would be more expensive than replacing the items). Give him the opportunity to collect them but don't go out of your way. Up to him really isn't it?

I very much doubt that his theft case would go very far. I tried to argue theft when my partner was being difficult in returning or giving me space to take my possessions without him present.

I did call the police and tried to argue theft but didn't get very far but the police offered to be a 3rd party to help me collect my stuff.

What Solo said. What a pisstaking chancer.

I don’t have anything to add to the excellent advice you’ve been given above, but I just want to say what a pompous twit he is. It would be so tempting to just reply with 🤣

Who exactly is he going to report it to? Our local police station wont even engage in conversation about a local crime so leaving items in a castle in Italy isn't exactly going to be a high priority is it?

Quick, OP - best stock up on hand-sanitiser and jump on the next plane to Italy, before Interpol gets involved and you find yourself at the centre of an international incident!

what a fcuknugget

great advice above!

Dear Pretentious Cockwomble Ex

I would be grateful if you could arrange for the following items to be removed from my property as soon as possible:

1. Annoying air guitar man-toy thingy
2. Mildly eccentric musical instrument you picked up in a vain attempt to make yourself look 'quirky' and 'interesting'.
3. Almost certainly obsolete i-pod wotsit that you foolishly think 'might come in handy' one day.
4. Next season's window display in the 'Help the Aged' charity shop.

If the items are not collected by [date] please accept this as notice that I will flog them on eBay to some other fool dispose of them as I see fit.

With kindest regards

OP.

I think you should thank him for bringing to your attention that he had left some items behind in your property in Italy and you would like them removed ASAP. Then as per some excellent suggested wording.

Please send the email suggested above. Consider adding a bill for storage charges.

Thank you all so much, you've made me feel much better about telling him where to ram it.

M x

I've penned a reply.... what do you think?

M