Can your husband take all the things out of the house while you are away?

Answer 1

Can he? Well, yes. The real question is "is he allowed".
.
The very first thing to do is to understand what happened. If he is willing, talk to your husband, and ask him (without yelling or getting physical) what he did with the possessions. It is very important that you think clearly, because you will need to understand what he did with the possessions, and why, in order to take the next steps.

The next steps depend upon the circumstances and the arrangements you have with your husband. There are two possibilities of circumstances: the removal of the possessions as part of a separation, or the simple removal of the possessions while you are still married. Let's begin with no separation.
.
No Separation
In this circumstance, you come home to find hubby but no possessions. There are two possibilities here - either he has disposed of the possessions (thrown away, given away, sold, etc.), or he has relocated them to another place (another residence, storage, a friend's house, etc.). In the former case (disposition of possessions), the possessions are now gone - you no longer own them - and, except in very special circumstances, you have no recourse. Either or both of you have the right and obligation to manage your assets as you see fit. This is similar to one of you emptying your joint savings account to buy thousands of lottery tickets - it might not be a very smart financial planning move, but in a marriage, either of you are allowed to manage your combined assets on behalf of both of you.
.
Suppose, for example, you were both deeply in debt, and were not able to pay the bills, and the bank was about to foreclose on the mortgage. To stave off repossession of the house, your husband thought it would be best to sell off your possessions, and use the proceeds to pay the mortgage. Whether you happen agree with his course of action or not, he can argue that he acted responsibly and reasonably on behalf of both of you. Moreover, unless you can somehow buy them back, you have no means to recover the possessions - they were legally sold.

.

The circumstances need not be so altruistic. Suppose, instead, he has a gambling or drug addiction, and sold the possessions to support his needs. The possessions were still legally sold, and you have no means of retrieving them except to buy them back.
.
In the latter case (relocation of possessions), you still own the possessions, but he has asserted control over them. The situation largely depends upon his cooperation. You can demand that he return the possessions to the home, but if he refuses to cooperate, and you don't know where the possessions are, you have little power to change the outcome. If this is the case, it is probably best to write a letter to your husband, and have a third party witness your signature and witness you giving the letter to your husband. In this letter, you should state that (1) he must return the possessions to your joint control immediately; and (2) you do not agree to sell or otherwise dispose of your possessions. Make two signed copies of the letter, give one to him in front of the witness, and keep the other copy for your records.

As a last resort, you may have to seek injunctive relief, in which you petition the court to order your husband to return the possessions to your joint control. If you can prove that you had delivered the letter described above, then your success in court will improve. You may not wish to pursue injunctive relief, as it is likely a stride toward separation, however it does address the question.
.
Separation
If the act of removing the possessions from the house is part of a separation, then the outcome depends upon the understanding you have with your husband. If there is a prenuptial agreement, for example, then at the time of separation he may be entitled to keep specific items identified by the prenuptial agreement. Or if he can show that there was no marriage, common law or otherwise, then he may be entitled to take everything that is his to begin with. In a marriage without a prenuptial agreement, generally the law divides the assets and liabilities equally, meaning you each own half of the assets and owe half of the debts.
.
If a separation agreement is already in force, then it is possible that his removal of the possessions is in violation of the agreement. In this case, you may demand return your share of the possessions, or you can demand that he pay you for your share of the possessions. If you are separated, and he has removed your possessions improperly, then it is often helpful to involve the police at this point - they will not be able to return the possessions to you, but they will provided independent corroboration that he has removed the possessions. The police's input could be helpful should you seek legal recourse to return the possessions to you.