Storage Rip off

[gwendy]

I live in Huntington WV We rented a storage for our things, we were aware that the facility did not have insurance in case of theft,BUT 2 weeks into the rental we were robbed, we just figured our loss ya know? since we were aware of the no insurance. We found out a week later accidentally that the door to our storage was defective, even with the lock in place the door could be opened with one hand, all you had to do was raise it up,
We immediately called the owner and was told they were sorry and would have someone out there Monday, Monday came and went and it was Wednesday before they called for me to meet them out there to get the problem fixed. The maintenace man that met me looked at it and said that it apparently had been defective all along since there was no visible damage to the bldg . The problem is now fixed but we are out approx $1200 to $1500 everything from leather coats to shampooers, My question is does it mean I cant recoop my loss in small claims, It was the facilities fault the things were stolen, (their solution was to give me a free months rental)I am on disability and cant afford 50 to 100 dollars if I dont think I have a chace of recooping my losses,, TY Gwen

 

[LillianX]

You can always sue someone and hope for the best. Did you take photos of your belongings in the unit? Photos of the damage to the unit that prevented it from locking properly? If you have proof that the unit was not in proper condition, you have a good chance.

By giving you a months free rental, a judge MAY take that as evidence that they admitted fault.

At the end of the day, suing for your losses can't really hurt. You might be out the filing fees, but that's it.

Edit: I'll note that your contract with the company may very well contain language that absolves them from responsibility, or at least makes ensuring that the unit is in good, working order a joint responsibility. Read over it carefully to make sure they didn't disclaim liability.

 

[justalayman]

do you have anything to show they were aware of the defective latch prior to the theft?

If you were oblivious to the defect, and you are the one that actually utilized the unit, you will likely not be able to hold them responsible for a defect they were not aware of.

, It was the facilities fault the things were stolen

No, it was the person that stole the property who is at fault. '