Legal Question in Civil Litigation in North Carolina

Legal responsibility is not the same as moral responsibility. Legally, you really have nothing between the two of you. However, morally is another question. She did let you move your things into her storage building, and presumably, she did not contemplate doing this entirely for free if you were to move in and share in the living expenses. How long were the things there?

This may help you decide if $250 is a fair sum or not. You might wan t to counter-offer her some lesser amount just to make this go away. Call a storage place and find out what the monthly rental would be and offer her that. Get her to sign a release of claims before you pay her any money if this is what you decide to do. You may be able to find a sample release that you can use at www.ilrg.com in their free form archive.

In the alternative, you could sue her to recover possession of your property. However, she may countersue you for storage costs so be prepared for that if you refuse to pay her at all.

For the future - don 't do this. Store your stuff in a reputable place next time over which you have full control. Yes, you have to pay, but it will be easier to retrieve your things in the long run.