Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in California

First, I am sorry to hear about your sister-in-law passing. Next, as far as elder-abuse, you need to consult with an attorney who handles matters of that nature - as the question was posted in Landlord & Tenant law, you're not likely to get a response from someone with experience with elder-absue cases.

With respect to the property they left behind, you do not have to go through an eviction to get rid of it. Irrespective of their status in the home - renters, non-renters, etc... the rules are the same. From what you posted, it sounds relatively clear that they have left with no intention of returning. As such, the property they left behind is most likely abandoned property in the context of landlord-tenant law. The California Department of Consumer Affairs has a pretty good webpage describing what a landlord must do with abandoned property. That page can be found here http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/legal_guides/lt-5.shtml. Read that, as well as the underlying law (footnoted on the webpage) for the specific procedures for dealing with the property that has been left. You have to be reasonable in your assessment of the value of the property - you can be held liable for dumping property if its value does in fact exceed the statutory limits if you were not reasonable in your assessment of value. Good luck.

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