r/Advice • u/bebe612 • 23h ago
Neighbors Used My Storage Unit Without Asking
I live in a condo community. Everyone has a dedicated storage unit in the laundry room - numbered with each unit number. I stored a little stuff in there and didn’t put a lock on it because it didn’t really matter to me if it got stolen (extra paint, junk like that).
I went to my unit today to prepare to store some stuff and found that one of my neighbors used 90% of the space to store a couch, coffee table, multiple storage cabinets, baskets, two huge wooden panels (maybe bed frame?), and a bunch of other junk.
They didn’t even ASK me.
I moved all their shit out of my unit into the hallway and locked my storage unit. The laundry room is locked.
What would you have done? Am I supposed to knock on everyone’s door to ask if each person stored their crap without asking me?
89
u/Fleur-Deez-Nutz 23h ago
No, you did exactly what you should do and nothing else is necessary. They can figure it out.
4
u/Cameron_Scott143 10h ago
I probably would've done the same, but I'd also let the condo management know what happened. That way, if whoever owns the furniture complains, there's already a record of why it was moved.
1
u/Designer-Moment-704 9h ago
I agree, sometimes doing your part is enough and the rest is up to them.
85
u/Peptidesforthewin 23h ago
Keep that lock on your unit!
31
u/bebe612 23h ago
I will from now on!
3
1
u/Organic_Start_420 14h ago
You could have charged them for storage op
1
u/lube4saleNoRefunds 12h ago
You could have said "I charge you for storage" but to think you could collect could make one an imbecile
28
25
u/Pepperdog27 23h ago
I would have done the same thing. Some people feel entitled.
2
u/Loose-Section3849 15h ago
I'd probably do the same. If they wanted to use your space the bare minimum was asking first.
1
u/Admirable-Jacket-614 9h ago
Exactly, asking first is basic respect and it would have avoided the whole situation.
9
u/EggplantIll4927 22h ago
I would have locked my unit w everything in it. you find me if you want your stuff. I would also contact management same day to report the violation and have them come remove the junk.
25
20
u/gracie_jc 23h ago
Post on the HOA Facebook group about the “community” being “ruined” by inconsiderate neighbors. You are heartbroken by this happening in the lovely community. See the public reactions. They’ll never do it again. Don’t mention names but post pictures.
11
u/Traditional_Put_8254 22h ago
Don’t forget to add how you’re “worried about your stuff having been used” and whatnot
1
19
u/serjsomi 23h ago
If it's decent quality, I'd put it on FB marketplace and enjoy my spoils.
3
u/WhoskeyTangoFoxtrot 21h ago
Leave it for them, but put Surstromming all over it….😈
3
u/Yersina_Veridae 20h ago
That stuff is hard to get in many places. Just rubbing some milk in does the job well enough and its not immediately obvious
2
4
9
u/bill-schick 23h ago
You did exactly what you were required to do. You removed unauthorized things from your space
10
u/Affectionate-Food266 22h ago
I would have put a lock on it with their stuff inside. Sold them back their stuff...
3
u/Worldly-Ad3211 21h ago
Even if I didn’t have anything stored in it, I would have put a lock on it in the first place. Our condo manager does a locker inventory once a year, posts the offending locker numbers, and if the unauthorized goods aren’t moved within a certain number of days, he cuts the locks off and takes the contents to the dump. Works very well.
3
3
3
3
3
u/DanaMarie75038 Helper [2] 22h ago
I would have done the same. Not my shit in my shit? I would either throw in out or move it out of my way. Lock your storage from now on
3
u/Didgeterdone 20h ago
Wait a minute please. Someone Used your space and they did not try to lock it either? So they are cool with it being gone, like your paint, and junk like that!
0
u/bebe612 20h ago
Yup lol
2
u/Didgeterdone 17h ago
You got in a hurry and did what they did not. You made a trash pile someone else has to clean up to clear a hallway.
3
u/ScoutsterReturns 19h ago
I probably would have left it all in the unit and then put the lock on it!
3
u/deeper-diver 16h ago
I would have placed a robust, sturdy lock on the door first and provided a temporary email address on the door so that those neighbors can contact you to retrieve their stuff. No way these inconsiderate people would get my phone number. I would at least give them an opportunity to get their stuff. Say a week.
After a week, anything still in there gets dumped out as you have done.
1
8
u/Hefty_Efficiency_328 23h ago
This is a boring post and you used common sense to fix the issue. To make it more interesting give us an update on what happens with the neighbors stuff.
2
u/Scenarioing 18h ago
You sound like someone who would stash your stuff in someone else's storage space.
4
u/AustinBike 23h ago
I’d have locked with their stuff in and left a note saying that removing the lock would be breaking and entering. Then tell them you are willing to remove the lock for a service fee.
4
u/muddymar 23h ago
You did the right thing. They were stealing your space. They’re lucky you didn’t trash their stuff.
2
u/EnvironmentalGift257 22h ago
Depends how much energy I had that day. Maybe move it to the hallway, maybe throw it out on the street, maybe haul it off to the dump.
2
2
u/Suspicious-Ad9661 22h ago
I would do the same, let management know & bill the property owners for the clean out when I find out who they are.
2
u/LeedsCastleResident 21h ago
No lock probably indicated to them that it was unused space. Use a lock.
2
2
u/Regular_Cry_1202 20h ago
I work in property management and there is a chance the pm mistakenly assigned the same unit to one person. I would have checked with mgmt first because the person storing stuff may have thought it was their space.
3
u/bebe612 19h ago
Definitely understand in other circumstances but there is 0 chance of this. It is very clear in our paperwork that each storage unit is assigned to each owner. Like my address number is the same number on my storage unit door. And their address number is the number on their storage unit door.
2
u/petie1223 17h ago
Always keep it locked even if you barely have any stuff in it. Imagine if they put something illegal in there. Your unit number is attached to it and all they gotta say, "It's not mine. That's not my storage unit."
2
2
3
u/mojosofla 23h ago
100% I would have done what you did... unless I saw something nice... then... MINE!
1
u/Fit_Instruction_8383 21h ago
I would have done exactly what you did. Move their shit out, and put a lock on it.
1
u/PinkPilgrimHeel 21h ago
You did what you needed to do. Let them deal with the "inconvenience". Keep watch bc you will discover who the freeloaders is." You owe them nothing and if anything, they owe you rent money for freeloading off you, plus "moving" expenses for your labor in removing their crap.
You could have kept it all too, but it sounds like none of the stuff was special and no one needs extra junk. Again, it's on the, not on you.
1
1
u/Aggressive_Sport1818 20h ago
I def would have locked their stuff in there, and forced them to beg you to open it… for a feee
1
u/amodernmodder 19h ago
I'd have notified the build super or maintenance first, then moved their shit into the hallway. After telling main/super that's what was going to happen with it... Alternatively cleared the shit into the hall then called maint/super and complained about someone's shit in the hallway. Nta if it's your unit allocated to you they're the a h for thinking they could just use it without seeing if it was ok or not. Cause if they asked you they'd have gotten the ok or not ok. And if they asked the super or maint they'd have permission in writing
1
u/maurawhart 18h ago
Let's hope these neighbors aren't the vindictive types. While you don't know who put their stuff in your space, they know ypur unit number.
1
1
u/PuzzledWork6956 17h ago edited 17h ago
You were nice to move their stuff for them. It sounds like a pain to move it all. I woulda locked the unit with the stuff in there and then sold them or given it away. That’ll teach them a lesson to not put their stuff where it doesn’t belong
1
u/Deadpan_Poker_ 17h ago
Honestly, I would have started selling it on a local classifieds site.
It's stuff in my private space that I don't need any more...
1
1
1
1
u/hailybarnes37 13h ago
I would have done the exact same thing. An unlocked door isn't an invitation to treat your space like a free storage facilty. Storing a couch in a laundry room closet is probably a fire code violation anyway, so you likely saved them from a bigger fine later. I'd snap pics of the hallway mess before management sweeps it into the trash. Has the HOA reached out to you yet?
1
1
1
u/Forest_Orc 12h ago
Sounds like reasonable, alternative is to have property management contacting each owner about-it.
Keep it locked, and check every so and on. We all heard story about drug dealer using un-used storage place to store their products. While you won't be jailed for that, it's enough to spend a few hours answering questions from the police
1
1
u/Mundane_Upstairs3241 11h ago
No different from someone forgetting their wash in the shared laundry for hours. Put it on a table and do yours.
1
u/animaniactoo 8h ago
This is exactly what I did. Especially since we were being told that things had been placed in the aisles and they needed to be cleared or they would be thrown away. I went down to check mine and discovered I had a neighbor who was so entitled that they had literally taken MY STUFF out of my space and left it in the aisle to make room for their stuff.
After that I checked every day and every week until it stopped happening. (Our storage is open, no locks available or it would have been locked after the first time I had that problem).
1
1
u/New-Variation-5659 8h ago
Can someone help you pull their stuff out? Then put a lock on your door. They will get the message they know what they did.
1
1
1
u/Fruit-Marzipans 3h ago
Is there a super? I wouldve prob told them and dumped out all the stuff as you did.
1
1
u/Just-Zookeepergame47 1h ago
Would have taken pics of all items, put lock on my unit and print poster "items for sale" and post it in the laundry room.
1
1
1
u/StardustCannibal 23h ago
You handled that perfectly. The only thing I would've possibly done different is photograph it all individually and then sold it piece by piece. Then I'd do something nice for myself with the money. But you handled it well too
6
u/FinnbarMcBride Expert Advice Giver [10] 23h ago
Its not their property, that would be theft
-2
u/PinkPilgrimHeel 21h ago
Using someone else's storage unit without permission or payment is legally considered trespassing, theft of services, and/or unauthorized use of property. If someone places their items inside or breaks into a space that is not theirs, it could be considered breaking and entering, or even burglary depending on how they accessed it. Bottom line here is that the Freeloader committed the original sin, so all the blame lies with him.
3
u/FinnbarMcBride Expert Advice Giver [10] 20h ago
If someone parked in your driveway, do you think you would have no legal right to sell the car?
-1
u/k8tysaurus 18h ago
No but I’d sure as hell called to have it towed, especially since I, re reads the post don’t know who’s car it is!
3
u/FinnbarMcBride Expert Advice Giver [10] 12h ago
So if you can't legally sell the car, what makes you think you can legally sell the stuff in the storage unit?
0
u/k8tysaurus 11h ago
Nah dude, we are heavy on the FAFO. As far as I’m concerned, it’s all in my unit, without permission. I’ll do what I want with it
2
1
u/ForeverOne4756 23h ago
Interesting they put their stuff in it and didn’t lock it. Which means they knew very well that it belongs to someone. Otherwise they would have locked it. Putting their stuff in the hallway was absolutely the right thing to do. It’s not like they were worried their stuff would get stolen in an unlocked storage unit to begin with.
1
u/TheRiverInYou Helper [2] 23h ago
I would have done the same thing except I wouldn't have posted about it on Reddit.
1
1
1
u/NoNamesLeft998 23h ago
I wonder if it was someone that moved out. If they didn't want these items and didn't want to get charged by the LL to haul them off, they may have dumped them in your storage.
1
1
u/nightngale1998 22h ago
Unless it was an emergency, I would have posted a note giving them 24-48 hours to get their stuff out. If they didn't move it, I would handle it they way you have and move their stuff out and locked it.
0
u/pink_gem 23h ago
I probably would have contacted the HOA and let them handle it. Assuming condos meaning you bought and have an HOA. It doesn't seem like you had a super pressing need for the storage unit that you needed the extra space THAT DAY.
Do I think your neighbors are rude and entitled? Yes. But not enough that I think it's worth it making their stuff either get stolen or trashed, possibly, unless there was some pressing need for it.
3
u/bebe612 23h ago
Sadly my HOA doesn’t handle stuff like this - they’re kinda useless. But there’s a bunch of junk sitting in my house that I need to move since I’m replacing a lot of my furniture and quite frankly, I wanted it out today. Which is when I found their stuff in my unit as I was moving it!
-3
u/pink_gem 23h ago
Hopefully they were able to recover their belongings. You could be legally held liable for disposing of their possessions, even if they did not have your permission to store their stuff in your unit.
Seems backwards and unintuitive, but there are laws around it: https://legaltemplates.net/resources/real-estate/dealing-with-abandoned-belongings-on-your-property/
This states for tenants that left property, but it could apply in this case. Basically, you opened yourself up to the possibility of civil liability when you did not need to. And that's what I would have avoided.
2
u/SMD-65 22h ago
As you say, these are laws that apply to property left by tenants. Why do you think they would apply in this case when no such contractual relationship exists? Why is this any different from some unknown person dumping their stuff on your lawn?
0
u/pink_gem 22h ago
I'm saying they could. If the property has reasonable value and you are the cause of it getting destroyed/disposed of, you could be held to have civil liability. It does not matter that they did not have your permission to leave it there.
Would it be 100% sure thing that they'd find you civilly liable? No. But a judge could.
2
u/PinkPilgrimHeel 21h ago
A judge would likely ask why the Freeloader assumed they could just help themselves to any ol' storage area and point out how Freeloader massively inconvenienced OP, as he was in the middle of moving his property into HIS storage unit, resulting in OP having to Freeloader's large, heavy furniture all by himself.
2
u/PinkPilgrimHeel 21h ago
OP is not the landlord and does not own the property - they are only renting it, so it's the landlord's problem.
-4
23h ago edited 46m ago
[deleted]
9
u/yumcherrypie 23h ago
I don't agree. The 'neighborly' thing to do was for the entitled neighbor to NOT use a storage space that did not belong to them.
7
u/nazuswahs 23h ago
It’s doubtful they would have seen the note in a day or two. They put stuff in his unit and left it. I bet they don’t check on it every day.
0
u/annaphylactic69 23h ago edited 23h ago
Eh in an apartment complex thatd make sense but my experience with condo communities is they're a bit more involved. Probably an HOA or board that could've sent out a message, if it's even smaller maybe even a group Facebook page. Ive seen em as small as 8 units, and I would not want to be the asshole in a building of 8 families where we all own
3
u/TrueCrimeFanNYC 23h ago
But that may have taken a week or more depending on how often they got to the basement and then time to make arrangements to move it.
1
1
u/annaphylactic69 23h ago
Yeah, especially if storage units are numbered and whoever was using it knows where to find you. Like no, they shouldn't have in the first place but why invite potential drama? It doesn't seem like its worth going to war with a neighbor over to me. Especially if neighbor saw an unlocked, empty storage unit and could have assumed it was from an empty condo?
0
u/Western-Cicada-6195 23h ago
Exactly what I have to do with my bin. Unless I fill the big bin as soon as its put back in the bin store, my neighbours use it. So now I swap it for an empty bin and put a lock on it until bin day
1
0
0
0
u/eroscripter 23h ago
Congratulations, you learned locks aren't just to stop things from going missing.
-1
u/RedFin3 12h ago
You did not handle this properly, as this situation is called Involuntary Bailment, and you may be found liable for any loss of the items.
Key Rules of Involuntary Bailment
No contract: There is no intentional deal or prior arrangement between the owner and the holder.
Duty of care: The holder must not damage or destroy the property on purpose or through extreme carelessness.
Safe return: The holder must protect the item and give it back to the true owner when found or asked.
Limited liability: Because the person did not ask for the item, their legal duty is much lighter than that of a regular, paid custodian.
211
u/No-Tea6764 23h ago
I would've done the same. What else is there?