You have probably heard the stories of people losing their most valuable items because of a storage auction. On the other hand, maybe you have seen the reality shows where people score huge finds in abandoned storage units. While this can happen, it is not always the norm, but it is possible that your storage unit can be auctioned off. If you want to avoid this from happening, consider the following tips and steps.
- Know the Laws in Your State
One of the best ways you can prevent your items from going to auction is to sit down and learn the laws in your state. Typically, the storage facility needs to send you some type of notice and cannot just simply sell your items when they want to.
You may find that certain requirements need to be met before your auction can even go up for sale and it helps to know these laws as they are in place to protect you.
- Always Be on the Proactive Side
You need to always be proactive and what we mean by this is that you need to make sure you keep up with your bill, know your due date, and make your payment on time. If for some reason you are unable to pay your bill one month, talk to the storage facility manager and find out if there is a way to extend the bill or if there is a way that you can pay half now and half in a week or two. Many storage facility owners are willing to work with their tenants, but you do need to let them know there is a problem.
- Don’t Be Afraid and Try a Last Ditch Attempt
If you have not been able to keep up with your storage unit bill, you should attempt to talk to your storage unit manager and let them know you need help paying down the bill. If your auction has already been scheduled, don’t be afraid and attempt to show up with cash to pay off your bill.
Sometimes, your storage unit facility manager will accept the cash you have toward your bill, which will prevent the auction from happening.
- Attend the Storage Auction Yourself
If nothing else works and your unit does go to auction, go to the auction yourself. No one said that you cannot attend the auction and you may be able to repurchase your unit at a cheaper price than what you owed. If you do not feel comfortable heading to the auction yourself, have a friend or family member go and purchase the unit for you.
Storage auctions are not rare and they do happen quite often, especially when tenants do not pay their bills on time. You should try to be as proactive as possible about keeping up with your bill and keeping your unit from heading to auction. Remember, it never hurts to try to talk to the manager on site to see if there is a payment plan available.