Originally Posted By: GreeCguy
Wow! Great, great, great advice from everybody - thank you all for wisdom and input.
Just returned from a visit to local Police department. Here's what they will do. They will go with me for a total of two "visits" for a total of ten minutes each. In other words, I schedule an appointment with the police. We meet at the parents house. I knock on the door. If they do not respond, the police will knock on the door. If no response in ten minutes, the police leave, (and, for reasons stated by others in this thread, they told me when they leave, I should leave). At another time, I schedule another appointment with the police and the same thing happens.
If I return a third time without the police, then the parents or ex can call the police and request I be escorted off the property. If this happens and I refuse to leave, I will be arrested for trespassing. If on the third visit, I am escorted off the property and then return a fourth time and the ex/parents call the police, I will be automatically arrested when the police arrive because I had been "warned" during the previous visit.
They suggested that if I'm going to go this route, I should call/text/email and send a registered letter informing the parents and ex that if they do not respond I am going to contact the police department, etc. They said sometimes that "scares" people into being cooperative.
But on the flip side of the coin, they also said if they know the system, (the very things pointed out on this thread, i.e. it's a civil matter, there's no proof of ownership of items, they can totally deny they have said items, etc.), then chances are a police visit will do nothing.
The officers I spoke with were very nice and sympathetic but said there really is very little they can do.
This has been a real learning experience for me.
That's good news, I would take them up on it, and follow what they said to the letter. Good luck!