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I have a family member, named Brenda. She can be "difficult." Due to some unusual circumstances Brenda came to live with her elderly Aunt Edna. The living arrangement became so stressful for Aunt Edna that she asked Brenda to move out. Brenda rented an apartment for the last year, but is now saying that she can no longer afford the apartment (she has not been able to find steady work in some time). Her lease is up at the end of the month. She has asked for help in moving her belongings into "storage," until she finds other living arrangements. She finally revealed that "storage" means back at Aunt Edna's house. Aunt Edna doesn't want this added stress, but feels compelled to help, as Brenda has no where else to go.
Benda says she has somewhere else to live temporarily, and just needs a place to store her belongings for the next three months, but everyone's suspicion is that once her belongings are at Aunt Edna's, Brenda will squat there as well. Getting her to leave again will be nearly impossible.
No one wants to see Brenda on the street, but no one wants to take her in either. Did I say she was a difficult person? Brenda has no credit card and refuses to seek out public assistance.
Her cousin, Louise is her only ally. Louise has proposed telling Brenda she will not help her move her belongings to Aunt Edna's (because Aunt Edna does not really want that), but she is willing to help her move them into commercial storage. Louise knows that Brenda will say she doesn't have money ( nor a credit card). Louise proposes to get a seperate credit card and rent the unit for Brenda, telling her she will only do this for three months, then cancel the card. Brenda has three months to either find a more permanent solution or get a credit card and pay for her own storage. Louise plans to let the storage company sell Brenda's stuff if she doesn't do either.
What do you think of Louise's plan to "help" keep Brenda off the street without taking on her problem? Do you have other suggestions?
Louise's plan is excellent. Brenda can go to a shelter, apply for public assistance whether she likes it or not. Louise's plan keeps the responsibility solely on Brenda where it belongs.
Louise's plan is excellent. Brenda can go to a shelter, apply for public assistance whether she likes it or not. Louise's plan keeps the responsibility solely on Brenda where it belongs.
This - it is an excellent suggestion, except pay cash and put it in Brenda's name so it doesn't negatively affect Louise's credit.
Help Aunt Edna practice saying "no", because that will happen next.
That's nice of Louise. But I'd try to see if she'd be able to pay cash (in the cousin's name) up front for 3 months rental of the storage space. Otherwise, as others have pointed out, Louise would be on the hook (in the case of credit cards) for the amount of time the cousin overstays (to my knowledge, these storage facilities don't and generally cannot just toss one's belongings as soon as one's account becomes delinquent . . . there is a time limit before they can stay selling the goods . . . the time leading up to that point the person is still being charged for the space) for late fees, nonpayments, and the cost of selling the goods. Not all storage places may deal in cash, but some may.
I agree. Pay the three months storage up front in cash, and in Brenda's name. No matter what, do not allow her to move her belongings in to the Aunt's home.
I'm afraid the only thing which that plan would achieve, is to get poor Brenda to admit that she intends to stay with her beloved aunt. If aunt cannot turn her down after all, she will be forced to take her in. And if aunt Edna could say "No", she could just let all the furniture and belongings sit outside of her property (it's so simple - just don't open the door and shout "get the hell outta here, I'm done with you!").
Helpers or not, it's up to the aunt to defend her peace and her place.
What do you think of Louise's plan to "help" keep Brenda off the street without taking on her problem? Do you have other suggestions?
I think that Brenda can find a free lawyer and sue Louise's pants off for unlawful conversion.
If Louise takes Brenda's furniture and puts it into storage, then allows it to be disposed of later, Brenda's scrappy free lawyer can assert taking by deception, since Louise never shared the details of allowing Brenda's belongings to be sold.
IANAL. I am, however, a landlord, and we have to be careful about disposing of left behind belongings as we can be sued for conversion, i.e. coveting and taking those things for ourselves.
I also think that Brenda doesn't really have a place to go to, even temporarily, so this is probably all hypothetical. The Brendas of the world burn a lot of bridges.
Buy Brenda a one-way ticket to the opposite coast.
While she's gone, everybody pack up and move to new undisclosed locations.
Problem solved.
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