Storage Master Illegally auctioned property without giving proper notice per California law Santa Rosa, California

THE CONSUMER WAS A GOOD PAYING CUSTOMER FOR 2 YEARS.

THE STORAGE FACILITY COMMITTED BAIT AND SWITCH

TELLING HIM HE COULD PAY RENT TWO MONTHS LATE.

THEY THEN SOLD HIS PROPERTY WITHOUT TELLING HIM.

I am an expert on self storage operations and the California Business and Professions Code section 21700-21716.  There is no law requiring self storage facilities to provide two forms of notification to a liened party.  The B & P Code does require the mailing of two notices to the last known address.  As for email addresses, the facility is not obligated to mail to email addresses, only written addresses provided in the latest rental agreement or a subsequent written address change. 

I suspect there is more to the story here.  Bottom line: self storage facilities can sell your property in just a few months.  It is incumbent on the tenant to keep them informed of address changes, credit card expiration dates, etc. 

is fun.

PER CALIFORNIA LAW, A PERSON WHO IS A CUSTOMER AT A STORAGE FACILITY MUST BE INFORMED IN TWO WAYS, THAT THERE WILL BE AN AUCTION OF THEIR PROPERTY. THE STORAGE FACILITY KNEW THE CUSTOMER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THE FIRST NOTIFICATION VIA MAIL, TO HIS MAIL IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, AS HE HAD JUST TOLD THE MANAGER THAT HE JUST MOVED BACK TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. THE ONLY WAY HE WAS REACHABLE, WAS THRU HIS EMAIL ADDRESS, WHICH THE BUSINESS HAD. THE BUSINESS DECIDED INSTEAD TO TRY TO REACH HIM AT A NEVER BEFORE USED EMAIL ADDRESS, THEN THEY MISSPELLED IT. EMAIL IS NOT US MAIL. IF IT IS MISSPELLED IT WILL NEVER BE RECEIVED. THE COMPANY HAD HIS EMAIL ADDRESS, BUT DECEPTIVELY DIDN'T SEND IT TO HIM.

CUSTOMER RECEIVED AN ORAL AGREEMENT THAT HE COULD PAY RENT AT A LATER TIME; THEN FACILITY RENEGED AND SOLD HIS PROPERTY.

CUSTOMER WENT INTO STORAGE FACILITY IN NOVEMBER AND RECEIVED AN ORAL AGREEMENT FROM THE MANAGER PATTY SHURTLEFF, (WITH ANOTHER PERSON THERE AS WITNESS- BELIEVED TO BE HER HUSBAND), THAT HE COULD PAY HIS LATE RENT IN DECEMBER SOMETIME. CUSTOMER WAS A GOOD CUSTOMER WHO CONTINUED TO PAY THEIR FEES OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY CONTINUOUSLY GOUGED AND INCREASED THE RENT.

CUSTOMER SHOWED UP WITH CASH IN DECEMBER, BUT STORAGE FACILITY HAD ALREADY SOLD HIS PROPERTY WITHOUT HIS KNOWING.

No rip off here.



You have a copy of the rental agreement, right?

You do know how to read it, right?

You did know your rent was not paid, right?

You knew the consequences for non-payment of rent, right?



So what is your problem other than stupidity?



You failed to pay your rent, and you failed to remove your belongings when you should have.



I have never seen any law that requires someone to be emailed.



They advertise the default and notice of auction in the newspaper, and send you a certified mail notice.



In the future, just pay your obligations as agreed and you will have no problems like this.



The reason your rent was not paid makes no difference, but you did fail to tell us how many months you were behind. Most storage units will not auction your belongings until you were 3 months late.



You are a deadbeat with an entitlement attitude.

I think they only auction your stuff off if you are way behind in your rental payments. I expect your rental contract told you how far behind you could be before they auctioned it. I don't think they do it randomly.

You certainly knew you were behind didn't you?  Were you in contact with them about it?

Why was this a surprise? Is there more to this story?