Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Indiana
For the last 5 years, or since I was 17, I have lived with my aunt. About a year ago we had moved into a house that was owned by her brother (my uncle). There was never any sort of lease agreement or nothing put on paper for us to stay there but a verbal agreement for my aunt to pay the mortgage and other bills, which she did.
A few weeks ago my aunt died, just days after the funeral my uncle came in and said that I had to move in a few days, if I didn't leave he was going to call the police and say I never had a right to be there in the first place. This left me with no where to go but to stay with a friend until I can figure something out. He had intially offered to help me by buying me a car so I wouldn't be on the street basically with nothing. He gave me the title and I signed the back of it well the day that I was going to get my stuff out of there he came in and said "Give me the title, I want to make sure the guy signed it right". I didn't know what he meant but went ahead and handed it to him anyway and once it was in his hand, he had forced me to give him the key too and said that he may not be able to give me the car because of a problem with my aunts life insurance policy. Is he able to just take it from me like that after I already had possession and signed the back of the title?
To make matters worse, after I had moved I had left another car that I have owned for a year in the garage because it wasn't running and I was going to get a tow truck. Well before I even got the chance to get it out of there he got rid of the car and refuses to tell me where it is. I've tried making several calls but cannot find out what he did with my car.
What am I able to do since he illegally evicted me from the house without a court order, refused to let me get the rest of my belongings out of the house, got rid of my car, and about the other car he gives me and then takes back the next day after I already signed the back of the title?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Depending on the value of the vehicles, you can sue in small claims for wrongful conversion.
If over $6000, you will probably need an attorney to file suit in plenary court. Good luck.
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