Lockouts and appropriating personal property are both very risky moves which could lead to a nasty lawsuit. Unless one is certain that the law will back them up, there’s a very large “proceed with caution” sign hanging over this situation.
Also tricky is the fact that your tenant himself is not the landlord.
Research is needed before any ACTION is taken.
But this is not to say that your tenant may not be able to VERBALLY bluff him out. As long as it’s strictly verbal just between the two of them and no irrevocable action has been taken, it may be worth a shot.
If the other guy is not that savvy about the law, the idea of a lockout in ____ #of days and the prospect of losing his stuff might just be enough to light a fire under his ass and get him and his stuff out of there which is basically the goal here.
If the guy calls his bluff and threatens taking him to court, he won’t really have a leg to stand on since he’s the one at fault for not paying and it was all unprovably verbal.
Hopefully your tenant knows this weasel well enough to take an educated guess as to how well this guy knows the law.
Hopefully not and he’ll head for the door. If not, at least it was worth a try and you and your tenant are no worse off than before.
In the worst case scenario it may be necessary to get a court order for eviction. After 30 days, the Sherriffs office can seize his property and physically remove him from the property.
Putting on a good poker face may be enough to get the job done sooner.