Mississippi Landlords Could Seize All of an Evicted Tenant’s Property

The law in Mississippi was amended in 2021 to give tenants more protections during the eviction process. This was a result of an earlier law that, unless the ruling is overturned on appeal, permitted a landlord to seize all of your possessions in the event that you were evicted.

A landlord has the right to evict a tenant for even a single day of rent arrears, and may even forbid you from taking your possessions with you. A landlord and a constable actually woke up more than one tenant at their residence. After being presented the deportation warrant, they were prohibited from taking anything of their own, including clothing, souvenirs, and family photos. Everything was taken by the landlord, who in one instance merely threw everything in the trash out of spite.

After her landlord seized all of her belongings, Samantha Conner ultimately went to court, where a judge declared the statute illegal. Naturally, by that point it was too late. Many of her belongings had apparently recently been thrown out, according to her previous landlord. He had the option of letting her have it and taking it away, but he decided to make sure she couldn't take it without any justification. A decision can be challenged at some point in 2022.