[ca] Former Employer Threatened Legal Action And Is Now Claiming A Laptop And Tailored Suit Are “company Property” Over A Year After My Employment Ended

Location: California .

I previously worked as a personal assistant for someone who was also a friend. There was no written employment contract or equipment agreement. My regular assistant work appears to have ended around late July/early August 2025, when he said he needed to let me go to “cut down on costs”. After that, we remained friends and I occasionally provided separate paid bodywork services and helped him with miscellaneous things.

During the period I worked for him, he purchased a MacBook for me and also paid for a Hugo Boss suit that was tailored specifically to me. I retained both after the assistant relationship ended. For more than a year afterward, we remained in regular friendly contact, and as far as I can find in our extensive text history, he never asked me to return either item or referred to them as company property.

A few days ago he had a problem with his phone and asked me for help. I went to his home and spent time trying to resolve it without expecting payment. When I couldn’t fix the situation immediately, he became extremely angry. I told him I needed space and ultimately ended our working/personal relationship.
He then began demanding that I return “company property.” His messages included statements such as “You wanted to play hardball with me when we were friends. Now things are gonna get done the harder way” and that I had “started a war that you will not win.” At another point during the dispute, however, he wrote “Enjoy your suit, laptop, etc.”

I have now received a demand letter from an attorney claiming the MacBook and suit are company property and demanding $3,233.72 within 10 business days, representing their alleged present value and unspecified related losses/damages. The letter threatens a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court if the matter isn’t resolved.
I have preserved the complete text history, payment records, receipt of the suit (don’t have the laptop receipt) and the demand letter. I have not sold, disposed of, wiped, or altered either disputed item.
My questions are:

What generally determines whether items purchased by an employer in circumstances like these are gifts/compensation versus company property that must be returned?

How significant is the fact that more than a year apparently passed after my regular assistant work ended without a request to return either item?
Should I respond to the demand letter myself, have an attorney respond, or say nothing unless a lawsuit is actually filed?

Is there anything I should specifically avoid doing with the laptop while ownership is disputed?
Given the repeated unwanted contact and threatening language after I asked for space, at what point would this potentially become a separate civil-harassment issue rather than simply communications concerning a legal dispute?

I’m planning to consult a California attorney, but I’m trying to understand the issues and what type of attorney I should be looking for.

Thank you!