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  • Report:  #165042

Complaint Review: Public Storage - Glendale California

Reported By:
- Ventura, California,
Submitted:
Updated:

Public Storage
701 Western Ave. Glendale, 91201-2349 California, U.S.A.
Phone:
818-244-8080
Web:
N/A
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November 17, 2005

I am another victim of unlawful negligence and breach of contract by PUBLIC STORAGE, INC..

On March 25, 2005 my unit was one of 55 storage spaces devastated by a preventable, or a least better contained, fire at a PUBLIC STORAGE, INC. facility at 1515 Walker St. in Ventura, Calif., one of two PUBLIC STORAGE, INC. storage facilties in Ventura, California. This fire resulted from the failure of PUBLIC STORAGE, INC. to exercise due diligence as required by State law.

Other spaces at the Walker St. facility had suffered water damage in the recent preceding months due to negligent maintenance. Just a few days later more than 80 units were seriously water damaged at the second facility about a mile away on Ventura Blvd.. Resulting from a broken water pipe, the damage presumably also resulted from negligence. In the recent past other large fires had occurred at PUBLIC STORAGE facilities in Santa Monica and Eagle Rock Calif..

Fire Dept. and police investigators determined that the fire started in a space recently rented to a woman with a history of law-breaking. Other tenants had warned the site manager about her suspicious and reckless behavior.

The fire raged out of control until a concerned citizen on the neighboring Ventura Freeway reported the emergency. There was no one at the facility to see the fire or to report it. To make matters worse the locale was negligently supervised in the aftermath of the fire, and this resulted in unnecessary loss of salvageable things due to mingling of the ruins from different spaces.

Deceitfully, in breach of implied contract, and without notifying the hundreds of tenants, PUBLIC STORAGE, INC. had stopped providing resident managers at both the Walker St. and Ventura Blvd. facilities in February 2005, the month before the fire. Both facilities were, without our knowledge, unattended for most of each day in the month preceding the fire. But these facilities had always had resident mangers! And all other PS INC. facilities with which I was familiar; namely, in the San Francisco Bay area, had always had resident managers. This arrangement had been held out as an inducement for renting spaces from them.

By not informing me and the other tenants of their change in operation and the attendant dangers PUBLIC STORAGE, INC. denied us the information we needed in order to take appropriate actions to protect our belongings. PUBLIC STORAGE, INC. has never offered an apology for the consequences of their negligence and wrongful actions.

By their deceit and negligence PUBLIC STORAGE caused me great material loss, including the loss of things arduously and expensively replaced, the loss of hundreds of hours of my time laboring to recover, and grievous loss of irreplaceable family pictures, papers and heirlooms.

My experience has taught me that PUBLIC STORAGE, INC. is more an irresponsibly run, money-making racket than a service worthy of respect. Beware of entrapment; do not be deluded by false appearances, and implied or explicit warranties.

To add insult to injury ARTHUR J. GALLAGHER and Co., the insurance provider, has not acknowledged my claim submitted more than four months ago. Nor has it chosen to acknowledge a reminder sent more than one month ago. Both were sent by certified mail and were actually received by the agent of ARTHUR J. GALLAGHER and Co. The insurance coverage was sold to me through the agency of PUBLIC STORAGE, INC..

I have paid more than $1400 dollars in premiums for $4000 dollars of coverage against losses due to fire, water, malicious mischief, and other causes. In view of the circumstances of the fire and its consequences it is difficult to believe that ARTHUR J. GALLAGHER and Co. and PUBLIC STORAGE, INC. could really hope to cheat me out of a fair settlement.

Sigurd

Ventura, California
U.S.A.

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3 Updates & Rebuttals

Gary

Washington DC Suburbs,
District of Columbia,
U.S.A.
Public Storage sucks, but you are wrong too!

#2Consumer Comment

Fri, November 18, 2005

I am a former customer of Public Storage and I have no love for them at all. I know their contract and policies well because I had a dispute that was eventually settled. Your report is flawed in many ways. There is no policy or requirement to have a resident manager on duty at all times, regardless if there was one from the beginning or not. The contract states that you agree not to store priceless sentimental objects, furs, jewelery, etc. It is your own stupidity for storing irreplaceable objects in a facility like that. Storage facilities are famous for attracting shady and down-on-their-luck people. Since you can move in and out at any time without a lengthy oontract, there is a wide range of people that store items for various reasons. You can win a claim for the fire damage, but be prepared to show proof of damages. Forget the argument about resident managers, the shady renter that you mentioned, the loss of your sentimental papers, etc. You are s**t-out-of-luck. My unit was broken in by someone cutting the lock. Several units in my section were hit at the same time. I filed a police report and Gallagher eventually paid my claim. It took time and persistance but I got it done to my satisfaction. Next time, read your contract word for word. File a valid claim for the fire damage and don't be foolish to store things that you can't replace.


Gary

Washington DC Suburbs,
District of Columbia,
U.S.A.
Public Storage sucks, but you are wrong too!

#3Consumer Comment

Fri, November 18, 2005

I am a former customer of Public Storage and I have no love for them at all. I know their contract and policies well because I had a dispute that was eventually settled. Your report is flawed in many ways. There is no policy or requirement to have a resident manager on duty at all times, regardless if there was one from the beginning or not. The contract states that you agree not to store priceless sentimental objects, furs, jewelery, etc. It is your own stupidity for storing irreplaceable objects in a facility like that. Storage facilities are famous for attracting shady and down-on-their-luck people. Since you can move in and out at any time without a lengthy oontract, there is a wide range of people that store items for various reasons. You can win a claim for the fire damage, but be prepared to show proof of damages. Forget the argument about resident managers, the shady renter that you mentioned, the loss of your sentimental papers, etc. You are s**t-out-of-luck. My unit was broken in by someone cutting the lock. Several units in my section were hit at the same time. I filed a police report and Gallagher eventually paid my claim. It took time and persistance but I got it done to my satisfaction. Next time, read your contract word for word. File a valid claim for the fire damage and don't be foolish to store things that you can't replace.


Gary

Washington DC Suburbs,
District of Columbia,
U.S.A.
Public Storage sucks, but you are wrong too!

#4Consumer Comment

Fri, November 18, 2005

I am a former customer of Public Storage and I have no love for them at all. I know their contract and policies well because I had a dispute that was eventually settled. Your report is flawed in many ways. There is no policy or requirement to have a resident manager on duty at all times, regardless if there was one from the beginning or not. The contract states that you agree not to store priceless sentimental objects, furs, jewelery, etc. It is your own stupidity for storing irreplaceable objects in a facility like that. Storage facilities are famous for attracting shady and down-on-their-luck people. Since you can move in and out at any time without a lengthy oontract, there is a wide range of people that store items for various reasons. You can win a claim for the fire damage, but be prepared to show proof of damages. Forget the argument about resident managers, the shady renter that you mentioned, the loss of your sentimental papers, etc. You are s**t-out-of-luck. My unit was broken in by someone cutting the lock. Several units in my section were hit at the same time. I filed a police report and Gallagher eventually paid my claim. It took time and persistance but I got it done to my satisfaction. Next time, read your contract word for word. File a valid claim for the fire damage and don't be foolish to store things that you can't replace.

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