Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Massachusetts

Re: roomate

Your best route would be to advise the ex-spouse that his property is in your hands, and ask whether she will obtain a court order to take possession as partial payment of the alimony owed. Failing that, you have to determine whether your tenant has "abandoned" the tenancy and property (doubtful; jailing is not voluntary) or should be evicted.

It may indeed be a hassle and expense to do all of this the "right way," but you are at at lease -some- risk of being sanctioned by a judge should you not do so. I might bet with my -own- money that a Housing Court judge would be unsympathetic to the man's pleas against you when he leaves jail, but not with -yours-. You thus should get a court order of some type.

By the way, despite politeness, a man who makes no effort to pay his court-ordered payments to a former spouse or children is not a "gentleman."