My friend is a Storage Facility Manager and he says

They love the tv shows. Before lrks would go cheap and rent due was not always paid. Well now rent is paid 100% from bidders and times have never been better for his and other Storage Facilitys. He tells me they go into see what is in them so they have a general idea whats in there. Then they post in newspaper,online,etc to let the general public know. As f0r what they find and take for themselves is not something I can tell you! Have to figure that one out for yourselfs. And yes because show is hot right now and people looking to make $$$$$$$ to slove all there problems (LOL) there are lots of scams Storage Facilitys are doing due to the new people not having a clue. All they are taught is what the tv show teachs them as per what my friend told me. What storage company owner filled six lockers from stuff he had in his garage and sold them as abanoned units . Well he was caught when a bidders who bought a locker full of books saw the inscibed messages to the owner. The owner gave him his money back. Ya gotto be careful. If its too good to be true it usually is! Well unless you the highest bidder.

Yes, the shows are disruptive to business. That's a given.

Some facility managers taking advantage, yes.

All the regular buyers having to put up with this crap until SOMEDAY it settles down ? Yes.

As f0r what they find and take for themselves is not something I can tell you! Have to figure that one out for yourselfs.

Am I reading this correctly that your friend readily admits to going through the unit and keeping items for himself?  Seems like one wouldnt admit to that, especially to someone who is a storage buyer and then have it get posted on the net.  What facility in what state does your friend manage?

Am I reading this correctly that your friend readily admits to going through the unit and keeping items for himself?  Seems like one wouldnt admit to that, especially to someone who is a storage buyer and then have it get posted on the net.  What facility in what state does your friend manage?

You can be sure he wouldn't buy from the facility where his friend works.

Do you REALLY think he is going to tell you the state, city and name of the facility where the crooked prop mgr works ?

this brings the term "managers special" to a whole new light.  Whats the term for the unit the manager puts together of things left on the lot??   I forget....

You can be sure he wouldn't buy from the facility where his friend works.

Do you REALLY think he is going to tell you the state, city and name of the facility where the crooked prop mgr works ?

No, I do not think he would tell me/us where his buddy is the manager.  But, it never hurts to ask the question since he was pretty open to the fact of telling all of us how his manager friend goes through units and whatnot...

this brings the term "managers special" to a whole new light.  Whats the term for the unit the manager puts together of things left on the lot??   I forget....

Well, could be any of the following:

Manager's locker
Setup
abandoned

But I like YOUR'S the best:  Manager's Special !

Nice perk for the job.

I see this as a double edged sword this will also back fire as storage unites get built all over the U.S. just to scam people. also there will be new auctioneers coming out of the wood work. So I would say the whole damn industrie stands to get diluted from every angel. it's the next houseing boom lookout below when the bubble pops the industrie will be so raped, pillaged, and left so miss trusted that the winners will be those that build the new alternative to lockers or a new type of lkr that is more secure I'm sure lkr break ins and crime rate is at an all time high right now.

  I think " Manager Specials " happen more often then people think .
A few years ago , We were selling in Old Orchard Beach , Maine at a seven day a week Summer Flea market  and a customer asked where We were from ,as She wanted to buy some more of our items . When I told Her , She asked me if I knew where  ( Insert name here ) Storage was ? as Her Sister in law and Her husband managed it .
  She wished they could manage one too , for all the great benefits , like they are all ways giving family members stuff ,and had just given her  sister a big screen tv that was abandoned in a locker .                                                                                            In fact , They have so much stuff ,  they have a yard sale every weekend at there summer home in Maine .
   Did I mention that facility was where We were storing Our stuff and had for 3 yrs..
When I had My two pinched nerves and a Herniated disc , we were a week late paying the rent and He had all ready cut off the lock and gone through the locker      ( for inventory purposes )  .                                                                                                                When We were moving out , I sold  My Myers snow plow to a friend , and the very well hidden electric plow motor/pump  was not in the locker .
  Bandit

wow.  There has to be some laws broken somewhere in that process.
The few auctions that I have been to the locks were already cut and were laying inside of the locker when the auctioneer opened the house locks.  Is this common or are most lockers having the owners lock cut off for the first time???

wow.  There has to be some laws broken somewhere in that process.
The few auctions that I have been to the locks were already cut and were laying inside of the locker when the auctioneer opened the house locks.  Is this common or are most lockers having the owners lock cut off for the first time???

IN MY EXPERIENCE the locks are MOST OFTEN cut some weeks prior to the auction. This is the sequence AS I UNDERSTAND IT.

Scenario 1: (most common IMHO)

1) Lkr contents owner doesn't pay bill for several months (may vary by state).
2) Prop mgr cuts lock (or has auctioneer co. cut locks) and puts on their lock and seal. Contents owner lk dropped inside lkr.

3) Legal notice runs in paper.
4) Contents owner is notified by certified mail.
5) If contents owner comes and pays up, prop mgr lock taken off and contents owner lk put on by contents owner.
5a) This is when the contents owner has chance to take stuff out.
5b) If contents owner defaults again process repeats...now there are two contents owner locks on floor. A bad sign.

Scenario 2:

(first 4 steps of scenario #1...legal process)

5) (variation on scenario #1) If prop mgr is 99% sure the deadbeat will NEVER COME BACK, here is
    opportunity for prop mgr to MIS-APPROPRIATE goods in the lkr. Sometimes this is evidenced by tumbled down
    boxes and/or patterns in the dust from a removed objects (also handprints in dust and opened tool boxes).

6) Lkr sealed back up by prop mgr and sale goes on (minus some goodies).

There are other variations of this, but these are the two most likely IMHO.

It happens, and has to be watched for, but is not super common. You learn the bad places and avoid them or take the risk.  A PACKED lkr is only susceptible to this in the first "x" feet. The boxes at bottom of back wall aren't going to be gone through by mgr.

Side note:

Just because an auctioneer cuts lks off is no guarantee that prop mgr theft doesn't happen. Prop mgr could still cut off the new locks and get in lkr, OR might have done so BEFORE auctioneer lks were put on. Theft is possible no matter what sequence happens.

THE ONLY TIME YOU SEE AN EMPTY LOCKER COME UP.....is when locks are cut at time of auction. AND, who's to say that lkr wasn't previously opened by mgr and competely emptied and resealed ?

Get the picture ?

Am I reading this correctly that your friend readily admits to going through the unit and keeping items for himself?  Seems like one wouldnt admit to that, especially to someone who is a storage buyer and then have it get posted on the net.  What facility in what state does your friend manage?

I didnt say he takes anything, I said use your best judgement on this. Its the Storage companys stuff to do with what they want! They can give it away if they want. They auction to recoup losses. If the owner wants the stuff for himself he can do with what he pleases. Just like a pawn shop you dont pay its there stuff to do as they please.

IN MY EXPERIENCE the locks are MOST OFTEN cut some weeks prior to the auction. This is the sequence AS I UNDERSTAND IT.

Scenario 1: (most common IMHO)

1) Lkr contents owner doesn't pay bill for several months (may vary by state).
2) Prop mgr cuts lock (or has auctioneer co. cut locks) and puts on their lock and seal. Contents owner lk dropped inside lkr.

3) Legal notice runs in paper.
4) Contents owner is notified by certified mail.
5) If contents owner comes and pays up, prop mgr lock taken off and contents owner lk put on by contents owner.
5a) This is when the contents owner has chance to take stuff out.
5b) If contents owner defaults again process repeats...now there are two contents owner locks on floor. A bad sign.

Scenario 2:

(first 4 steps of scenario #1...legal process)

5) (variation on scenario #1) If prop mgr is 99% sure the deadbeat will NEVER COME BACK, here is
    opportunity for prop mgr to MIS-APPROPRIATE goods in the lkr. Sometimes this is evidenced by tumbled down
    boxes and/or patterns in the dust from a removed objects (also handprints in dust and opened tool boxes).

6) Lkr sealed back up by prop mgr and sale goes on (minus some goodies).

There are other variations of this, but these are the two most likely IMHO.

It happens, and has to be watched for, but is not super common. You learn the bad places and avoid them or take the risk.  A PACKED lkr is only susceptible to this in the first "x" feet. The boxes at bottom of back wall aren't going to be gone through by mgr.

Side note:

Just because an auctioneer cuts lks off is no guarantee that prop mgr theft doesn't happen. Prop mgr could still cut off the new locks and get in lkr, OR might have done so BEFORE auctioneer lks were put on. Theft is possible no matter what sequence happens.

THE ONLY TIME YOU SEE AN EMPTY LOCKER COME UP.....is when locks are cut at time of auction. AND, who's to say that lkr wasn't previously opened by mgr and competely emptied and resealed ?

Get the picture ?

This is 100% correct. This is bascically the process. Then when unit sells the oringal owner receives a check in the mail after rent is paid in full from auction process.

^ well said.  Thanks for the information.