Splitting a storage unit up

Can the contents of an original 10x30 rented out, be moved and split into 2 different units then sold at auction? Or does all the contents need to stay together?

I would think it could not be moved until after the auction is complete.

I'm not aware of any law which prevents the tenant's property from being sold separately. Some auctioneers & storage facilities notify buyers that they reserve the right to sell the merchandise piece by piece, in lots or as a whole.

Sometimes it's in the best interest of the storage facility to sell items seperately. For example, if a unit contained an expensive piece of machinery and a lot of household items. The person who's interested in the household items might not want to deal with moving/selling the machinery and vice versa.   

The law is that the contents are the property of the tenant until the auction occurs. Removing the contents beforehand is legally theft.

The law is that the contents are the property of the tenant until the auction occurs.

Yes, you're correct.

Removing the contents beforehand is legally theft.

That depends on the reason for the removal. Some state lien laws have provisions which allow the operator to move the tenant's property after a period of 30 days. I think they included these clauses because operators might have a demand for a certain size unit e.g. 10X20, 10X30, and the unit's contents might fit in a 10X10, thus allowing them to re-rent the unit and minimize their loss. Also, some state lien laws say that the sale must be held at the storage facility or a reasonably near public place, which implies that an operator has the authority to move the unit's contents off the premises.

Also, some state lien laws say that the sale must be held at the storage facility or a reasonably near public place, which implies that an operator has the authority to move the unit's contents off the premises.

Yes, the AUCTION/SALE has to be held... But that does not imply that the contents can be moved. There can be a time to view the contents, followed by the auction being held off site, or as you well know Travis (think online auctions), photos can be taken for people to view off site at the time of the auction.