Storage Units question

[mw81]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California

Hello,
I own one unit in Condominium complex and together with the apartment I also own 3 parking spaces and 7 storage units.
Yesterday when I was double checking the storage area I found that two of them has someone else's lock on it (i haven't locked it myself). I don't know who might have used that.

What can I do to have the person who is using my storage to remove their items?
How do i communicate with them if i don't know who he/she is? Should I post a letter in the storage door?
Am I allowed to break the lock and remove the items and re-lock the storage units?

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California

Hello,
I own one unit in Condominium complex and together with the apartment I also own 3 parking spaces and 7 storage units.
Yesterday when I was double checking the storage area I found that two of them has someone else's lock on it (i haven't locked it myself). I don't know who might have used that.

What can I do to have the person who is using my storage to remove their items?
How do i communicate with them if i don't know who he/she is? Should I post a letter in the storage door?
Am I allowed to break the lock and remove the items and re-lock the storage units?

Have you tried making a formal complaint to the homeowner's association?

 

[mw81]

Have you tried making a formal complaint to the homeowner's association?

Not yet. I'm actually recently elected in the Board of Directors of the HOA. I'm still learning how we work things here.
The HOA Board hired a property management to take care of the billing and other things.

Is there anything that i can post in the storage unit door to ask the person to remove their items?

More context: The storage units are assigned to me by deed.

 

[tranquility]

I agree with LdiJ, it would be better to try to resolve this without self-help. I'd try to find out who is violating your possession of the property and notify them to pick up their stuff. If you are sure you own possession of the unit, you can cut the lock and put your own on. But, you will be assuming the duty of an involuntary bailment. (Sackett v. Public Storage Management (1990) 222 Cal. App. 3d 1088 [272 Cal. Rptr. 284]) Then, you'd have to take some level of care to see the property gets returned to the owner.