A wrongful-sale lawsuit has been filed in Los Angeles Superior Court against Public Storage Inc., a self-storage real estate investment trust (REIT). Case BC562265 alleges the REIT auctioned a tenant’s belongings in violation of California’s Self-Service Storage Act. The dispute also accuses the property at 3625 S. Grand Ave. of poor sanitary conditions. The suit claims there was a breach of contract, negligent infliction of emotional distress and unfair business practices by Public Storage. The plaintiff is seeking punitive damages.
An e-mail correspondence from Public Storage’s district manager Denise Aguirre and regional manager Kathleen Jarnagin was submitted to the court by the plaintiff to show the unit’s contents were sold after she submitted a Declaration in Opposition to Lien Sale. Although a hearing on the lien sale was scheduled for Dec. 30, 2014, Public Storage auctioned the plaintiff’s property ahead of schedule.
The California Self-Service Storage Facility Act outlines a timeline storage operators must follow once a declaration in opposition to the lien sale is received, according to the lawsuit.
Based in Glendale, Calif., Public Storage has interests in 2,234 self-storage facilities in 38 states, with approximately 144 million net rentable square feet. Operating under the Shurgard brand name, the company also has 188 facilities in seven European countries, with approximately 10 million net rentable square feet.
Sources:
- Webwire: Public Storage Lawsuit Filed
