Why do people abandoned storage lockers?

Often, abandonment results from the owner not being able to afford the unit’s rental payments. Once an owner falls behind on paying rent, it can be difficult for them to recover. Therefore, they give up the unit. If this happens, it is up to the facility’s owners to decide what to do with the storage unit.

What is the most valuable item found in a storage locker?

1. $7.5 Million of Cold Hard Cash. The most valuable find on Storage Wars was a cache of cash: $7.5 million dollars hidden inside a locked safe. The winning buyer of the locker found the safe inside after the auction and took it to a locksmith.

What happens to stuff left in a storage unit?

When a storage rental owner has not paid their bills multiple times, the storage facility now has the power to go into the unit. The belongings will be confiscated and will belong to the rental company. Most storage facilities will hold auctions for the belongings, or donate the items.

What should you not leave in a storage unit?

9 Items Not Allowed in a Storage Unit

• Flammable or Combustible Items.
• Toxic Materials.
• Non-Operating, Unregistered, and Uninsured Vehicles.
• Stolen Goods and Illegal Drugs.
• Weapons, Ammunition, and Bombs.
• Perishables.
• Live Plants.
• Wet Items.

How do I get an abandoned storage locker?

Since sorting and selling the items in an abandoned unit is time-intensive, storage facilities simply auction the units off to random buyers. You can find live auctions in your area and attend them in person, or bid online through one of the popular auction sites.

Are storage lockers a good idea?

Having extra storage allows you to buy more stuff. People find it necessary to rent storage lockers because they don’t have enough room at home to store their belongings. If you truly need extra storage space, take all that money you’re spending on storage, and invest it in a bigger house!

Are Storage Wars staged?

A&E screencap “Storage Wars” fans, get ready for a dose of reality. According to star David Hester, A&E’s top-rated program is a fake. If you’ve never seen an episode of the series, the show follows a group of professional buyers who bid on unpaid storage units to, hopefully, find something worth selling for a profit.

What was the biggest profit on Storage Wars?

In the season 3 finale, Darrell bought a locker for $3,600, which was discovered to have contained many pieces of original artwork by Frank Gutierrez. The artwork wound up being appraised for approximately $300,000, resulting in the biggest profit in the show’s history.

What happens if you abandon a storage locker?

Once the unit is considered abandoned, the contents become the facility’s property. Usually, an auction will be held, open to the public, to compensate for the unpaid rent. Sometimes the facility will auction the entire unit at once, and others they will auction one item at a time.

Do candles melt in storage units?

If you need to store your candles for an extended period of time during your move, make sure you choose a storage facility that has climate-controlled storage. This will allow you to store your candles at a proper temperature without worrying that they will melt.

Does ‘Storage Wars’ take liberties with the nature of auction business?

As the network’s response to Hester’s lawsuit clearly stated, they have no problem admitting that the show takes liberties with the true nature of the storage unit auction business.

Why did Hester have suspicions about the auction house?

Hester’s suspicions arose because whenever he won a bid, producers would draw his attention to certain boxes, or unload the storage unit so he would “discover” certain items. Like the time he found a pile of old newspapers…which announced Elvis Presley’s death.

How do storage unit auctions work?

Storage unit auctions differ from most auctions because storage unit auction bidders can only bid on the entire contents of the unit rather than a single item. There’s no set time frame: It could be right away, or it could be whenever the storage facility gets around to it. Read your contract carefully—it should be in the fine print.

Why is A&E suing over ‘Storage Wars’?

In fact, in A&E’s motion to strike the suit, they allow that the show “has captured the public’s interest by combining elements of competition and business strategy with the mystery of discovering what surprises may be found in an abandoned storage unit.” In simpler terms, “We’re doing a TV show here, people.”