Urgent request: Need guidance, involves roommate and unauthorized access to firearms.

[Digital_Boy]

I need guidance from a LEO or attorney familiar with CA firearms laws and tenancy requirements for eviction. The roommate in question has signed no lease papers, has no utilities or anything else in their name here.

At this point, I'd rather not put any details out in a public forum, but I really do need some guidance. PM or direct email would be best.

[armedoffroader]

Call the police if it's that serious...details are scant, but if he got ahold of some of your stuff it needs to be reported. Further, in the future be sure to thoroughly check out all people you will be sharing housing with, Ive had a few nightmare situations myself and have learned.

[Samuelx]

Actually, talking to a police officer in person "would be best"...

[chiselchst]

Post deleted by Self

[CSACANNONEER]

If all your firearms are "MIA", call the police ASAP! If someone illegally took them and has returned them, immediately, remove them and any others from the residence and if possible, the town. Take them to your parents or to a friend's house in another city. As soon as you do that, call the police and report that the illegal activity. The suspect will probably admit to stealing (he will say "borrowing") them to the PD.

[Digital_Boy]

All my firearms are accounted for, thankfully. I would talk to a member of the local PD, but the roommate just returned home, and I don't really want to leave the premises without knowing if he can or can't bypass the locked door at will.

[wellfedirishman]

For future reference, you need a strong safe, inaccessible to anyone but you, and bolted to wall studs/floor. In the meantime, remove the firearms to a safe place (trusted family member).

If your roommate took/accessed/used your firearms (since details are scant), then report it to the police, get a police report if possible.

You also need to give your roommate notice to quit ASAP. They don't have any written agreement to enforce against you. Without something in writing, they will have a very difficult time complaining about the eviction.

Change your locks ASAP also.

And finally, be very picky about who you take as roommates when you have firearms in the house.

[Digital_Boy]

For future reference, you need a strong safe, inaccessible to anyone but you, and bolted to wall studs/floor. In the meantime, remove the firearms to a safe place (trusted family member).

If your roommate took/accessed/used your firearms (since details are scant), then report it to the police, get a police report if possible.

You also need to give your roommate notice to quit ASAP. They don't have any written agreement to enforce against you. Without something in writing, they will have a very difficult time complaining about the eviction.

Change your locks ASAP also.

And finally, be very picky about who you take as roommates when you have firearms in the house.

Oh, I know I need a safe, but unemployment kind of puts the damper on buying one. I *thought* this roomie was trustworthy. Troubles didn't really start until a month ago. Don't know what changed.

Owner changed all the locks when I moved in (supplied them, I installed) so he only had keys for the main entrance and possibly the side door to the garage. I'll be changing those ASAP.

Also moving this month to a friend's place, former security forces Marine whom I've known for 4 years now, but that won't solve the immediate problem of securing my current domicile and preventing further pilfering.

[wellfedirishman]

Assuming you have nowhere else safe to store them for now:

If your firearms are pistols, go get a bike lock (e.g., the U kind) and secure all pistols to it via the trigger guard. Lock it to something solid and unmoveable. That will make it much harder to steal them or use them.

Also, bicycle cable-rope through the magwell and out the slide works well to secure both frame and slide. Also works for rifles/shotguns.

Neither of the above are a substitute for a good safe.

[Digital_Boy]

Assuming you have nowhere else safe to store them for now:

If your firearms are pistols, go get a bike lock (e.g., the U kind) and secure all pistols to it via the trigger guard. Lock it to something solid and unmoveable. That will make it much harder to steal them or use them.

Also, bicycle cable-rope through the magwell and out the slide works well to secure both frame and slide. Also works for rifles/shotguns.

Neither of the above are a substitute for a good safe.

Parents and retired Marine friend can accommodate the firearms that won't fit inside the cabinet until I move at the end of the month. The rest, well, I guess I need to bar him from the garage and lock everything else that is small and valuable to keep it from walking.

[Subotai]

Dude, take ALL your weapons and anything else to your friend's house. Don't keep anything in your residence that you can't afford to lose. Just do it!

[rt66paul]

how would you like to find out 10 years from now that the ballistics did not match something you were accused of, but a 10 year old murder? I would have them check out, just in case.

[BVamp]

padlock a fridge dude....yehp, bag it and toss it in the fridge and chain that ***** shut, even if you have food in there.

be forewarned about thieves - once they think you are protecting your stuff, they tend to get bolder as a "you are gonna show ME, huh?"

[Digital_Boy]

D'oh! Been busy with prepping to move at month's end, so here's the update:

Ex roomie was persuaded by my friend, the former Marine, to pack up and leave without any fuss, on a Tuesday evening IIRC. Thief was out by Thursday evening, locks were changed that evening. Will be moving out of this place soon enough, so I won't have to worry about him lurking.

[norcal01]

Good to hear that worked out for you and he left without any problems.