Storage Auctions

The Storage Locker => General Storage Auction Talk => Topic started by: mez1931a on July 29, 2014, 08:24:22 AM

Title: Auctioneer
Post by: mez1931a on July 29, 2014, 08:24:22 AM
I was at a unit auction last night...the storage unit owner was acting as the auctioneer.   I was the the leading bidder when he decided to also start bidding on the unit.  Is this legal and ethical?   
Title: Re: Auctioneer
Post by: Travis on July 29, 2014, 09:01:26 AM
Welcome to the forum. Legal? Yes  Ethical? Not so much. Did he outbid you?
Title: Re: Auctioneer
Post by: alloro on July 29, 2014, 10:43:54 AM
he decided to alo start bidding on the unit. 

He was running the bid up to his own benefit, everyone there should've immediately walked away.
Title: Re: Auctioneer
Post by: Travis on July 29, 2014, 12:10:39 PM
He was running the bid up to his own benefit, everyone there should've immediately walked away.

Or, he could have looked through the unit before the auction and found something he was interested in.
Title: Re: Auctioneer
Post by: alloro on July 29, 2014, 12:20:01 PM
Or, he could have looked through the unit before the auction and found something he was interested in.

He would've removed it.
Title: Re: Auctioneer
Post by: dbr831 on July 30, 2014, 09:45:14 AM
I can't imagine why he would have done that unless there was a whole lot of something he wanted. Otherwise he would have just taken the desirable items and auctioned off the rest so he didn't have to clean out the locker. Did he win or just run it up a bit?
Title: Re: Auctioneer
Post by: Travis on July 30, 2014, 02:23:27 PM
He would've removed it.

Not necessarily, there is always the chance that the tenant will pay up at the last minute. Besides, there is nothing stopping a manager/owner from making the highest bid, then reducing the amount on the paperwork.
Title: Re: Auctioneer
Post by: bakerben on July 30, 2014, 09:05:59 PM
its all part of the game. especially when managers run the auction it's anything goes. I LOVE the unprofessionalism though, it keeps a  lot of people that are interested in "fairness" or that feel they are entitled away from a very lucrative auction.
Title: Re: Auctioneer
Post by: auctionguy on July 31, 2014, 07:52:36 PM
he had to have just been bidding it up.

If he was smart and wanted something in the back he could have just auctioned it off, stated it was contingent on the owner paying ... say he was giving them another hour, then go into the unit grab the stuff and then let the winner empty it out.

This would allow him to get what he wants while not risking the owner paying at the last second.