Is it legal to keep property owned by a rental company?

Is it legal to keep furniture, appliances, electronics or equipment if it's owned by a rent to own company?

Does a storage lien supersede the rental company's ownership?

Does anyone actually call the rental company to find out if the property has been paid for?

Well, you wouldn't know.   It might have been paid for.  Why would he put it in storage if it was rented. Just return it.
Plausible deniability.

And the renter would have a collections  against him.   He'll have to pay for it.  They aren't going to report it stolen or come looking for it.

Personally I would never had thought to call nor would I now.  I'd assume it was paid for.  Next you'll be calling library's to see if books are over due or were bought at book sale! 

Wasn't there something in the news a few weeks ago about Aarons Rental tracking people through their computers...also something about them having the capability to spy on customers through their web cams?

Yeah.  But that was an extreme case.  And I think it would be easier and cheaper to send person to collections rather than track and get police involved.....which they wouldn't unless there was a police report...then someone would have to lie to police.....

Legally the items are owned by the rent to own company (or the loan underwriters) until they're fully paid for. By keeping them you are in possession of stolen property, assuming the payments are not up to date. This is no different than finding a car in a unit that still has an outstanding loan on it.

However, with rented furniture, it's impossible to KNOW that you're in possession of stolen property. Aaron's typically marks their owned property with "Aaron's" and a store number somewhere on the furniture. It may be on the back of a TV or under the tabletop. But it's not like they remove it when it's paid up. If you were to call a store and say, "Hey I've got this couch with Aaron's on it...etc." They wouldn't have any info to give you if you don't have the customer info.. and that's even if you're calling the right store.

You can't be expected to track down which Aaron's store and the customer info, etc. Aaron's will be focused on the person who bought the furniture in the first place to retrieve their money. If it comes down to Aaron's tracking it to the storage facility, I don't know if the facility would give up your info. Depends on the management I guess..

To track furniture to that level takes way too much manpower and costs way too much to even recoup their money from that piece. I wouldn't worry about it. Consider it laundered furniture.

Consider it laundered furniture.

"So what are you in for?"
"Laundering"
"Money laundering?  Man, thats heavy"
"No. Furniture laundering"
"Like, your one of those guys in the van that clean furniture?  Good money"
"No!  I take stolen furniture and make it look like its not"
"Is there money in that?"
"No......so tell me more about these vans........."

"So what are you in for?"
"Laundering"
"Money laundering?  Man, thats heavy"
"No. Furniture laundering"
"Like, your one of those guys in the van that clean furniture?  Good money"
"No!  I take stolen furniture and make it look like its not"
"Is there money in that?"
"No......so tell me more about these vans........."

What is that from? Sounds like a movie quote..

Nope.    Just my artistic genius showing thru.........   

I may have to use that if I ever write a movie script again!

Is it legal to keep furniture, appliances, electronics or equipment if it's owned by a rent to own company?

Does a storage lien supersede the rental company's ownership?

Does anyone actually call the rental company to find out if the property has been paid for?

Are you talking about the stuff that gets sent straight to the auction house? 

Oh, the irony. Is anyone else seeing Rent-A-Center ads on this page? 

What does everykone do with the dish network  and direct tv boxes?  around here you can't even donate them. 

I call the company and see if it's locked. If not, up on amazon it goes! Otherwise, to the scrap yard it goes!

What about a hand-truck from uhaul?  It had been painted, but the orange is showing.