What Shall I Do With His Stuff?
By GreenMoo
@GreenMoo (11833)
August 18, 2011 8:25am CST
We had a volunteer here at the end of last year, who left his luggage here when he went off. He was planning on returning, which is why he left his gear, but emailed later to say that he'd not be able to come back immediately as planned but would like to return later on.
A little while ago I emailed him to ask if we could borrow his tent, but he never responded. He hasn't responded to my more recent email either. I have no other contact details for him.
Now I need to clear out our caravans for long term guests, and I really don't need any more clutter in the house. I've brought his rucksack into the house this morning to look through, and there's little in there of value. Mainly clothes, toiletries and some food. There's his tent of course, and a cooking stove, and a little guitar.
What would you do with his stuff? I really cannot keep the rucksack in the caravans any longer, and I have vowed not to store another thing in the small part of the house we can use as it's getting ridiculous.
My plan is to get rid of his clothes, food and toiletries. Well, not get rid of, but use up at least. I'd keep his tent and stove but make use of them for other guests from time to time. I could use his rucksack myself, but it's not something I'd use often so it should remain undamaged. His little guitar I guess I could find a space for, but with kids and dogs in my house there's no guarantees that it would remain pristine.
If he ever showed up again, clothes would be easy enough to replace. The tent, rucksack and stove would still be here for his use. Does it sound like a fair solution to you? Bear in mind that the stuff has been here for around 10 months now, and I have no way of getting in touch other than the email address which he's not responding to.
1 person likes this
17 responses
@changjiangzhibin89 (16792)
• China
20 Aug 11
The stuff has been there for around 10 months and he didn't make a response to your email,excuse me for speaking bluntly,if he met with mishap?For the purpose of safety,you must get the volunteers check in like the hotel hereafter,take down their name ,address ,etc. and they must produce their identity card.
@GreenMoo (11833)
•
20 Aug 11
I don't mind you speaking bluntly at all! Please do!
If I may speak bluntly myself, if he met with a mishap then he is hardly likely to be returning to another country to retrieve a pile of old clothes and stuff back.
I take a name and passport number from all volunteers on arrival, but his passport number is not going to locate him for me unless I involved the police, who will really not be interested. Even if I had his home address, I wouldn't be going to the expense of shipping a rucksack full of clothes and stuff overseas.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16792)
• China
21 Aug 11
What,you have transnational volunteers !You have already took a name and passport number from them,I worry overmuch.Even if he hadn't met with a mishap,It was not worth his while to retrieve them.As to involving the police,don't make a fuss about it.
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
19 Aug 11
Sounds as though you've done the right thing so far by holding on to this guys stuff for him as long as you have done...He's contacted you by email,which he's no longer responding to..10 months is a long time with no further contact from him.Do you have contact info for the volunteer organisation he was with,or maybe check if he'd have moved to facebook or another social network?
After that with no word,you've done what you can to reach him..
After that,if there's no legal reason against it,you need the space...the guitar and rucksack may be of most value,at least in sentimental terms..the clothing could maybe go to a charity or thrift store..
I was reading about the clearing up after the summer music festivals here in the uk and Ireland...Glastonbury in England is famous for turning into a mudbath-many just abandon tents and equipment rather than carry them home and clean them up...Local scouts volunteering for the cleanup were given their pickof what was left behind..!
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
20 Aug 11
Disposal of unwanted tents to disaster relief charities...GREAT idea!
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
19 Aug 11
Like someone else has pointed out you should check out what the law is in your country concerning abandonned property. In most places there is a time limit as to how long you have to hang on to it. When that time is up you should dispose of everything, not keep annything at all, destroy the perishables, donate the clothes, sell the tent, rucksack and stove and donate the money to charity. Keep the proof of your actions,it will be easy to store that since it will only be a receipt or oher paper. If and when he comes back you can hand him that. No clutter in your house, no worry about damaging anything, no guilty concience.
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
22 Aug 11
As I said, there is definitely a time limit during which you have to keep his stuff. It might be quite a short time. I have no idea what this period is in your country. Disposing of the stuff will be a clean break from it all insstead of using this or that where the person then could make a claim against you if they ever returned.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
19 Aug 11
I think that 8 months is plenty long enough. I would send another e mail saying that as he hasn't . a. picked up the gear and b. intimated when he will; that you are going to dispose of it. If he wants it he'll be back to you quickly, if not, well you've told him what you are doing.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
23 Aug 11
Tough call. I'd say use some of it now, like the tent and stove etc. But leave the packpack and clothes etc. for a few more months and continue trying to contact him. If in a few months you still haven't heard from him, then do what you please. That way you can say that you made every effort to contact him and gave him plenty of time to return for his belongings and at that point it will have been more than a year since it was left in your possession.
@inertia4 (27960)
• United States
25 Aug 11
Well, what I would do is try and contact him one more time by email. I would wait a few days and then send him another email telling him that you have to throw away those things, that you do not have the room for it. But, maybe he is sick somewhere and is unable to respond.
@GardenGerty (160996)
• United States
18 Aug 11
I think you have come up with the solution on your own. It is fair, I think to do away with the perishable stuff. He must not have needed it in the last ten months or he would be contacting you. The other things, well, it sounds like you have a good plan.
@smacksman (6053)
•
19 Aug 11
I think you are a wonderful person to have kept his kit so long and that you are worried about clearing the space. Trust me, others would have dumped it long before now.
Food and clothes can go - no problem. Tents are really cheap now which is why festival goers just leave them. Why pack up and carry away $40 of tent when the entrance fee was $400? It's expendable. Rucksacks are 'ten a penny' - well, perhaps not quite, but very cheap. Same as little bottle gas camping stoves - very cheap and I'm sure the gas has gone by now.
I have been away from my email for several months - simply no connection where I was and no electricity either. So no reply to emails is possible for a few months but 7+ months does seem to be rather too long.
So my advice is keep what you want and bin the rest.
@maximax8 (31046)
• United Kingdom
18 Aug 11
It doesn't sound like your volunteer is interested in getting his things back. It was a shame that he didn't respond to his emails. I suggest you keep the tent and stove. You could use up the toiletries and recycle the containers. It might be possible to give the clothes to charity. The guitar might be fun for your kids. If he turns up again clothes are very easy to replace.
@dreamy1 (3811)
• United States
18 Aug 11
Check with the laws in your area about property abandonment. There is a statute of limitations about such things but it depends on the laws. You wouldn't want him to come back and sue you later because you threw away his things. Make sure you are doing it legally to protect yourself against any lawsiuts. If it is within the time frame then you can throw away his things.
@bounce58 (17385)
• Canada
21 Aug 11
I think you should do as you planned. Just use up anything consumable, and then use the tent and stove. Make a list of all his stuff and keep it somewhere. So that if he ever comes back, you'd know where the tent and stove is, and you'd easily replace the other stuff you got rid off.
It's actually his lost because you've already let him know.
@icats64 (43)
• United States
18 Aug 11
This is easy. You have tried to contact him but with no response. Intially, after 30 days you can do what you want with the things. It has been 10 months and obviously, he has not responded to claim his items so now they are yours. You have gave him adequate time to claim them so he isn't interested to have the items back. He probably replaced the items anyways. Keep what you want and donate the clothes. If he ever asks to stay with you again, do let him.
@stanley777 (9402)
• Philippines
19 Aug 11
Since you said it has been months since he's gone and you have done all you can to contact him but still he had no response, I guess he can't blame you if you have already decided what to do with his stuff.I guess you can put his clothes in a box and place it somewhere so as not to crowd your house.I think he's not interested in his things anymore.
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
18 Aug 11
It was irresponsible of him to leave the things there. The fact that he left it with strangers means he doesn't value it much. After all this time and with the efforts you've made to contact him, I'd say he's lost rights to his stuff.
You could donate the things or keep them for visitors that may need them. Keep the guitar, maybe one of your children will learn to play it!
@GreenMoo (11833)
•
18 Aug 11
He did genuinely intend to come back, so leaving a bag off stuff here prevented him having to haul it abroad and then back. And we weren't really strangers, bearing in mind that he's been living with us here for a month or so before he headed off. It all made sense at the time! I guess the situation just changed for him and he feels that his stuff is replaceable.
@lologirl2021 (5542)
• United States
18 Aug 11
When you leave someones house and you know your going to be gone for a couple days you should be responsible for taking your clothes.
Another thing i was thinking about was maybe looking his email address up online or even his name to see if he has anything about himself online. It is a start before getting rid of his items. The food and clothes like you have stated can be replaced and the bigger items you mentioned can be put to use or you can donate them to a local school that might need them or somewhere around you that you know that could put those items to good use.
@lilbabycatapillar (497)
• United States
18 Aug 11
If you have given him adequate time to respond to those emails, and you are just unable to get a hold of him, it seems reasonable to not want to keep his belongings any longer. Of course the important things like the stove will be there, and the clothes should be easy to replace.
