How far will you go to return a tenant's personal or sentimental items?

How far will you go to return a tenant's personal or sentimental items?

For me, there is a convenience factor involved. If I'm sorting the merchandise at the facility, it doesn't require much additional effort to put these items aside. However, if I'm in a hurry or have to sort through the items at my home, chances are I won't go out of my way to take the items back to the facility.

What's your MO? 

Very few facilities in Long Island want the personal stuff back anymore.  They used to have a room set aside for it but now they say to toss it all.

I had a room a month ago that had every baby photo, wedding album, urns ..etc. and asked the facility to take it and they said the best we'll do is let you use our dumpster to throw it out.

Turns out the guy was in the hospital and came back 3 weeks later for it and it was all long gone.

I felt bad on that one.

     I do nt retuarn any personal items unless SPECIFICALLY asked by the auctioneer/manager.

If I find a box or boxes that are obviously personal stuff while at the facility I will quickly look through it so see if anything of interest is included and then give the stuff to the facility to return. If I find stuff after returning home I will return it if/when I am in the area of the facility but will not make a special trip (unless it's really close). Also my desire to return stuff is very dependent on how it was packed. If the owners treated it like trash, so will I. Pretty much if the owners just randomly tossed photos in a box mixed up with junk mail, old vhs tapes and arrest records it goes to the dump.

There was an interesting thread over at SelfStorageTalk.com where a facility manager said one of her buyers charged a fee for the return of people's personal/sentimental items. To me, that's extortion. Don't get me wrong, I realize this is a business, and it would be totally different if these items had value to anyone other than the tenant, but they don't.

As buyers, we have a responsibility to make a reasonable effort to return the tenant's personal and sentimental items...especially photos which may be irreplaceable. We have to keep in mind that not all of these tenants are deadbeats, some are going through a legitimate hardship.

Well according to Washington state law personals are supposed to be returned. At one time some managers were saying you could not even take them from the facility. Now reason has returned and they are saying return them in 30 days. I make an effort to return personals. I am told by facility managers fewer then 10% are picked up and they do not like dealing with them but if they refuse them they could be sued.  I once returned the personals from a locker that included Cremains. Like 3 months later I got a call from the facility asking where the personals were, so I suspect they are not holding them 6 months like the law requires. Once I showed up with the personals and they said the person moved to Texas please toss them in our dumpster, it was a lot of albums of the kid hurt me to toss them but I did . Working a locker now with huge piles of photos all are going back most likely will be tossed by the facility but at least I do not have to pay to dump them.

I'm learning so much being on this thread and seems like their are some folks on here that have a heart and some that don't...but I understand business is business...the almighty buck really is a powerful thing when it comes to one's moral compass....but I always feel that there is this thing called karma in this world.  I'm no angel but whenever an opportunity to do the right thing presents itself I try to do just that...the right thing!  Every situation is unique and should be treated as such. If these were your things or a relatives what would you want that person to do??

the almighty buck really is a powerful thing when it comes to one's moral compass

Which is probably why you take the money you earn and buy things for yourself instead of donating all of your time and money to the poor.

Which is probably why you take the money you earn and buy things for yourself instead of donating all of your time and money to the poor.

Funny you say this love not knowing a thing about me personally....offline if you would like to google me and see the work I do for those less fortunate....holla at ya girl!