When has the property been abandoned ?

Florida Statutes §83.59(3)(c) provides that it shall be presumed that the tenant has abandoned the dwelling unit if he is absent from the premises for one -half of the rental payment period and the rent is delinquent. In Shorter Home Solutions v Kingdom 17 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 220a Broward county Court 2010, The tenant went out of town neglecting to pay August rent. On August 20 the landlord removed the tenant’s possession from the premises and changed the locks without filing an eviction. The tenant returned shortly thereafter and sued for self-help eviction. The court ruled that with the rent unpaid, the property was abandoned as of the 15th of the month and the landlord was entitled to retake possession without filing an eviction.