Childhood photo albums, heirloom vintage instruments, and woodworking tools were all lost, allegedly because of a Texas storage business’s hiccup. Fremen_Sietch, the owner of the storage unit’s property, said that all of his things were valued at $14,000 but were sold off at an auction for $420. “I never received a phone call, a voicemail, an email, or a certified letter,” he added.
The reason for this absolute disaster? The facility manager claimed they didn’t receive Fremen’s automatic credit card payments because they switched to a new system back in March. The manager also admitted a glitch on the system’s end that kept OP from receiving any delinquency notices. The real sting is the compensation for this mistake: a measly “$200 Visa gift card,” since the paper lease caps their liability for lost property at $200.
OP Didn’t Feel a $200 Gift Card Was Going to Clear Away the Texas Storage Facility’s Accountability
A $200 gift card as recompense for not only a $14,000 mistake, but the loss of someone’s precious photos and heirlooms, made Fremen’s blood boil. “I walked out without signing anything. I should of checked the bank statements every month, but this feels like an ABSOLUTE criminal disaster,” he exclaimed. Reddit was on board in condemning the storage facility as well.
“Their $200 ‘cap’ does not apply to ‘we did not follow state law and acted in a grossly negligent manner’,” pointed out a commenter. “It’s not ‘lost’; they [expletive]-ing stole it,” another crudely remarked. “Your property was not lost. The owner converted it for his own use,” agreed a third. “That clause does not apply.”
Countless other Redditors urged Fremen to lawyer up, as $14,000 worth of property is worth suing over, not to mention the alleged blatant lack of communication until the property had been auctioned off.
Of course, it’s not a simple predetermined winning case either. Both sides have to show evidence of how things were communicated. As one person pointed out, “The fact that they stopped the autopay and you didn’t notice is still partially your responsibility, especially over such a long period of time.” Justice might seem to be on Fremen’s side here, but careful preparation and a solid lawyer are what will carry him to victory against this alleged “criminal” storage business.
