The proposed revision to Florida's self-storage lien statute, Senate Bill 646 (SB 646), passed unanimously in the Senate last week and awaits Gov. Rick Scott's signature to become law. The bill's companion legislation, House Bill 715 (HB 715), was read on Feb. 23 and also passed unanimously.
The Florida Self Storage Association (FSSA) and the Self Storage Association (SSA), who combined to draft and lobby for the revision, expect the governor to sign the bill within the coming weeks. The new law would go into effect July 1.
If the proposed legislation is signed into law, it will accomplish the following:
- Allow a tenant to provide a change of address to the facility using First Class Mail or e-mail. Currently, a tenant must hand deliver his address-change notice or send it via Certified Mail.
- Allow a Notification of Default to a tenant to be sent using First Class Mail with a Certificate of Mailing or e-mail, provided receipt of the e-mail by the tenant is verified. Currently, these notices must be hand delivered or sent via Certified Mail.
- Require that self-storage rental contracts or applications ask whether a person is in the military. By knowing which tenants serve in the military, a facility operator can extend to them protections against lien-sale proceedings according to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.
The bill's history and progress can be tracked at www.flsenate.gov.
The FSSA is a non-profit organization of businesspeople involved in the self-storage industry in Florida. Its members include facility owners, operators, vendors, developers, investors, property managers and suppliers. More information can be found at FloridaSSA.org.