You are here

My Inlaws are holding our rv hostage...

hismineandours's picture

So this is part vent part need for advice. Back in 2010 we stored our rv on my mil or dh's grandpas property. We are unsure which as their property lines butt up and we don't know exactly whose property it is on. Apparently this was during better times when dh and Inlaws got along ok. We had sold our truck. The plan was whe dh got fully released from the army- that fil would bring it back or take it to another location for us to park it. Also during a 6 month time period we were having financial difficulties- dh was injured-had not startd receiving va compensation so Inlaws offered to pay our camper payments for 6 months while dh was away and in his final phase of out processing. No talk of this being a loan.

So fast forward to spring 2011. Dh comes home. Fil never feels like bringing the thing back over- dh asked multiple times. Since we can't move it ourselves we let it go and of course resumed payments. In actuality they only paid 3 payments because I paid months 1,3, and 6. Present day- fil is very pissy angry at dh for reporting someone opening credit cards in his name. Of course someone turned out to be sil. She is currently awaiting legal action. Dh's whole family of origin has turned against him. Sil made up many lies and family just chooses to believe them. So we realize we need to get this rv off their property. Dh finally calls and says something about getting it. He was told- he wasn't getting it until he paid the 6 months of payments. He was also told that they had already talked to an attorney and the attorney said they could keep it because it had been abandoned. This is a 30,000 rv. Dh told him tha he didn't not owe the money but we would pay the months they actually paid in order to not owe them anything and to just get the damn rv. Asked mil/ fil for receipts of what they paid. They do not feel like providing them and told us to do it.

We found someone to move it but it has to be done within the next week before this man goes out of town for months. Fil is jerking dh around and keeps telling him he'll think about it and so forth. In the meantime I'm getting irate, the rv is actually in my name alone. What are the legal rights here? I say we just call the damn sheriff to do peace keeping and go over and get the damn thing. Or I guess we could call an attorney. At this point I'd rather pay an attorney than my Inlaws. This was not a loan- has never been mentioned that way, no request for repayment until NOW. This is not fils property in any case. We do have to drive thru mils property to move it. Mil told dh once that she doesn't want the money and she didn't care if he got it, but that he'd have to talk to fil about it. Now she won't return calls.

Any advice? I'm still voting for calling the police for escort and getting the damn thing. We've been dicking around for about a week now about whether they are going to allow us to retrieve our own property.

Comments

Justme54's picture

I would go the cheap route first. It is in your name. If they want to take, I feel sure they have the burden of proof. Just call the police and tell them a the story. They can try to hold it...but the can not sell it. I think FIL is a dick and just wants to fuck with you all. GOOD LUCK!!

purpledaisies's picture

You have paper work in your name than yes call the police and have them stay for you to get it. They can't not let you have a vechile that is in your name and not theirs. They can't prove it is theirs nor can they keep it for accusing you of peeing money. It has to be in writing. If the want they can Sue you for those payments but they have to prove it was a loan and that they paid them I.e. receipts. I would just go get it and be done.

Stepcop's picture

I don't know your state. In Texas, I checked on this for a vehicle. If it is in your name, you can get a tow company to get it. I was told, about a car that was in my name, I could get another key made and drive it off at any time and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Make sure your paperwork is in order, as far as your name being on it, and check with the local PD or Sheriff.

Onefootout's picture

I googled your situation and found this link. It applies to missouri, but it's a place to start researching. Sounds like they don't recommend going yourself to retrieve it without some help. There is also a site called lawguru.com, I've used that before. I bet you anything they are lying about talking to an attorney. Even if they did, I would bet the abandonment argument is a losing argument in court. They're just trying to intimidate you.

For $30K property it might be worth paying a lawyer.

http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/my-personal-property-is-on-someones-pr...

hismineandours's picture

I agree that dh probably needs to call the popo for peace keeping. I offered to him to do it myself- call the police, go with the guy whose getting it- but we both think that would really set them on fire. They love dh compared to how they feel about me. We don't want any trouble with these people- we just want away from them. That's why we were thinking of just paying them- but it really smells of blackmail and bullying to me and I just don't react we'll to that. Dh wants to pay them. I told dh even IF you pay them there no guarantee that they will let you on the property or that you wouldn't have to take the police. Fil is just being an asshole and to me if we give into this demand he will just demand some other thing later. We have to pay 15.00 to get our financial records from over 2 years ago. So we are going to pay to find out how much we need to pay them for something we don't actually owe them. In the meantime my dh is moping around the house which I'm about at the end of my rope with. I get that it sucks big ones that his family are such nasty people- and take every opportunity they can to try to make him feel like a nasty piece of shit. He has been trying to keep his mouth shut when he talks to the Inlaws so that we can just get this damn camper back with minimal fuss-so of course my fil is taking this as an opportunity to tell dh how much he NEEDs this money--and how they are short on cash from having to take care of ss (whom they already receive plenty of money for taking care of)- just whatever they can say to guilt dh.

Kilgore SMom's picture

That once happen to me with a car. I call the police and they meet me over there and I got the car and left. I had my paper work showing that the car was in my name. Anyone with any sense is going to know you didn't abandon a fairly new rv. Call the loan company and ask them to fax or mail you something showing that your payments have been made.

Lalena75's picture

I had to do similar to get my vehicle I had loaned someone for a week, called the cops to meet me as they had threatened I was stealing their property since I "gave it to them". Chick was crazy and I took my paperwork title etc and the cops met me there and I drove away with her still screaming at the cops that possession was 9/10's of the law and are they too stupid to know their own laws.

hismineandours's picture

I am not going to pay them because it reeks of bullying and blackmail. I am not going to do that. In actuality we were going to pay it when we first started discussing it because we don't want anything from them- but since they are trying to bully us, threaten us, etc, nah I'm just not doing it. This was not a loan. Never discussed as a loan. If it was a loan we would have already paid it back.

Don't get the mistaken impression that they assist us with things all the time. This was like the only thing they've ever helped with in the 13 years we've been married. We have loaned/ given them money multiple times over the years, given them things dh has helped them do work, have let them use our camper, blah, blah, blah. It doesn't really matter I just don't want it to seem like they are always helping us and we do nothing for them. It is really rare that we have needed to help of any kind- dh was already properly grateful at the time, terms were discussed then.

But them telling us that we can't retrieve our own property unless we pay them back for 6 payments (which they didn't actually make?). That's bullshit. Fil was supposed to bring the camper back as well. They as part of the reason we haven't gotten it back yet. We just don't have a vehicle to do so. It's a 5th wheel- so a towing company won't do it either. S trying to tell us we abandoned it is also bullshit. Dh also offered immediately to make an initial payment, and then to,pay the rest of the actual payments they made back on a monthly basis and they still were telling us no. Because it really is not about the money. They know we don't owe it to them. Fil is just being an asshole.

As far as ss? They offered to keep ss. Dh never asked them to do so. They WANT ss there (or mil does anyway). They already receive funds to take care of ss. However this is part of the issue they use to guilt dh. Since they have ss dh should give them money whenever they want it. The first time ss resided with them- mil literally called every month and asked for cash or clothes. Dh paid it. Whatever they asked. He provided whatever was needed. 100 percent. Along with the monthly payment they receive. If they no longer want to keep ss, dh said that is there choice and he can go back and live with bm.

kellyyy's picture

I wouldnt wait too long. When my parents divorced my dad said I abandoned my car when in reality he was holding it hostage. It took him a couple months but he was able to file some paperwork and got the car titled in his name.

mommyof1girl1boyangel's picture

that's what i was thinking. it's the same with cars that get towed and not retrieved. it may be legal property with title and all, but after so long, the property it's on, eventually the owner can claim abandoned and assume owner ship (like a car impound)

hismineandours's picture

Police already said they wouldn't get involved. But dh contacted his grandpa who said he would grant him access thru his property. So we are just waiting for the guy to call us back regarding moving it.