The operators and owners of self-storage units must understand the scams related to lien sales. A famous fraud is related to cheap units. A person gets a self-storage unit that offers one free month. The person moves in with some garbage and intentionally fails to pay rent on its due date. He doesn’t use the storage facility as a dumpster and wait for the operator to sell the unit’s contents. He hopes to find out a wrong move of an operator during the process of lien-sale. If he is successful in finding a glitch, he immediately sues for illegal sale.
These cases are prevailing in specific states like Nevada and California where lien-sale decrees are complicated. The scammers don’t want to recover the value of junk in the unit. They are interested in suing operator for a wrongly performed sale. These people can claim a loss of thousands of dollars in their property. Some scammers are interested in statutory damages.Some states award these damages regardless of the value of a property.
Avoid Frauds of Lien Sales
You can avoid this fraud by performing your lien sales accurately. Carefully read the technical requirements of your state for lien sales. Operators often make simple mistakes while conducting sales.
These mistakes can increase their troubles. For instance, the statute needs a comprehensive inventory, but operators start selling without cutting a lock. They describe the content of the unit as “household goods.”
Several statutes need a breakdown of your entitlement in a default notice. It requires you to list the contents of a storage unit by amount and date. Several operators put late fees, rent due and several other charges without itemization. You have to follow the requirements of your state to avoid any trouble. Operators may ignore periods of sale mentioned in their advertisement and notice. They often sell on different dates.
Sometimes, a tenant moves in during first free month and filed bankruptcy after the due date of rent for the second month. This situation can upset an operator, and he may not be able to conduct lien sales. The tenant can take advantage of your mistakes, so if you are not ready for lien sales, don’t start this process.
Tips for Renters to Avoid Scams
For your antique items or valuable possessions, you have to choose a reliable service provider like self storagenew york. Keep it in mind that untrustworthy operators can trap you in their frauds. Here are some tips for renters to avoid scams:
Additional or Hidden Charges
It is a common fraud because the owner knows that you are moving everything in the unit for a long duration. They may ask you to pay extra charges for insurance, lock rental, utilities, security, and late fees.
Lack of Security
Each business advertises that they are clean and secure, but several companies can’t prove it. They can damage your valuable items because of poor security, unmanned entrances, broken surveillance system, leaking roofs, and bug infestations. Sometimes, operators are directly involved in the robbery of items from storage units.
To avoid these situations, you should carefully investigate the background of the owner of a self-storage unit. Physically check a storage-unit for mold, infestation and leaking roofs before moving your valuable content in it.
