Expert: John Varghese - 7/9/2010

Question
Dear John,
I am in a mess. I recently rented a place by looking at an ad. The landlord 35 Years old male lives in the master room and i had rented the other room.
During our conversation he told me that a few Years ago he had tried to invest about 15000$ with a group of friends in an IT consulting. He did tell me that since they were friends there isn't nothing on paper that they were business partners. Once the business started picking up they had kicked him out and payed him 12k or so and had given him another check for 3500$. My landlord checked with the bank and there were no funds in the bank. They have been going back and forth about the balance and one of business partner had asked him to take 3 desktops from the office and call it a deal.

On 06/26/2010, he asked me if I could come with him to help him move the computers. We drove from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia and picked up the desktops. My landlord had the keys to that company. Two days later he gets an e-mail from the one of the business partners asking him if he was there and if not they are going to lodge a police report. My landlord hasn't replied to that e-mail right away as he was out of the country nor he replied to the voice messages. In the mean time the company had reviewed the security tapes and had asked the building management to lodge a police report. After my landlord had returned home he called one of the guys and apologized to him for the inconvenience caused and asked him to remove any charges or lawsuits against him as it was them who advice to take the computers.

Now I am stuck in this mess. What advice or where do i start in clearing my name if any in this whole situation?
Later I came to know that the building management had lodged a trespassing charge with the police(I really don't know how true this is or the kind of charges).

I am not knowing where i start ? I had only went to help him and didn't really think of the whole implications. I have never met or spoke with the other guys that owed him money.

Will there be any problems in the long run if theres a background check done for my employment or for immigration purposes.

I do have all the e-mail forwards with me ..about advising my landlord to take the computers. Also have e-mails addressing to them , from my landlord stating that there was no theft and that he had taken the computers with the help of his roommate (ie me) as per their e-mail

Kindly advice.
Thank you very much for your time.

Best,
Vamsi.

Answer
Dear Vamsi,

Since your land lord has clarified that there was no theft, and that he had taken the computers with your help, I think the problem should end there. The trespass charge would not stand since your landlord was allowed by the friends to take away the computers. Keep all the mails and show it to police, if they interrogate you. Since you don't have any guilty intention, even if the charges are pressed you can escape it. So dont worry and keep all the mails ready if police requires it.

Regards

John Varghese