Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Illinois
Violation of Privacy
I was behind on payments for a television I purchased from a rent to own place. I received collection letters about being late. I tried making arrangements but they wouldn't make arrangements. They kept calling to get their merchandise back but my plan was to catch up on payments. The day before yesterday I entered my apartment to find my television gone. A summons to appear in court was also on my coffee table along with documentation that they called a locksmith to get into my apartment. These people didn't have mine or my landlord's permission to enter my apartment without me being there. Is this legal? Can someone enter your private home with a locksmith to retrieve merchandise that I know I was behind on? I feel really violated.
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Violation of Privacy
No, that was illegal. Countersue them.
Re: Violation of Privacy
What they did was illegal. Whether or not they have a right to the property is irrelevant. An individual cannot simply break into your home and remove property. What they did was illegal from a civil and criminal standpoint. It sounds as if they have violated quite a few state and probably federal statutes. They have created a problem much bigger than not being paid for their property.