Thank you for the question

Given you are out of the US and he is Ca

you want to hire a local lawyer lawyer in Ca to sue him on contingency fee basis

normally 25%

The only other alternative is to come to Ca to sue in small claims court

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Quite good

he was the caretaker and now does not have the items

he is charged with returning them or covering their value

I would just be careful with your time and fees

being out of the country

you want a lawyer to handle on contingency

and avoid having you traveling for court

so trying to settle out of court would be prudent

It would come down to credibility

But given your location, you should consider settling

50% being a reasonable

full litigation with depositions and hearings could cost well more than the $2000 otherwise

I hope that is direct and helpful

The court normally looks to the details of the complaint

if you are specific

about dates, times, number of dress, why left, his holding them etc

the court is more likely to side with you

But here it is a case best settled out of court

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Thank you for the question. I hope you found the answer easy to understand and straightforward.

Please click ACCEPT. This is necessary for me to be paid for my work and so that I may get credit for the answer.

Your question will not close and you will still be able to follow up with me if needed by clicking REPLY

Leaving a Bonus and Positive Feedback are nice ways to say "thanks" and are certainly appreciated.

Please remember that the law sometimes does not support what we want it to support but that is not the fault of the person answering the question.

If you have another question in the future, hours or even months down the line, you can always request me - just begin the question with “FOR INFOLAWYER…” Unless I am taking a break or helping another customer, I will respond quickly.

If I can clarify anything else, please let me know

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it is the only way I get credit for the response