Small claims filing against negligent security, false advertising, breach of contract against Public Storage
Exhibit 1
March of 2016 I rented a space from Public Storage after
called PS I signed up for AIG Perfect Solutions insurance. I was not told
Perfect Solutions was a Public Storage company. I have auto-paid my bill on
time for years. PS increased my rent many times. PS ran targeted advertising on
Facebook that they were the safest, most secure, storage facility on the
planet. They ran television ads about space exploration and how they were hyper
secure in 2016. PS owns the building at 23572 Moulton Pkwy, Laguna Woods as well as
operates there. The lobby exhibits a camera watching entrants, signs and
advertisements say that PS offers secure, climate controlled, fancy storage.
Public Storage owns the
building where I had storage. They advertised it as climate controlled, with
security alarms and video camera surveillance 24/7. P S never told me they cancelled
their alarm and cut the alarm cables. P S has the worst security. I did not
know there was rear stairs and rear door entrance. P S has clients enter the
elevator with this fancy security codes. The rear of the building is not secure
I now know. They use bathroom style door locks, the downstairs door pin does
not go into any secure plate, Steve Strohom claims he left his crowbar by the
rear door which is suspect, and Steve left the building unlocked. P S has
procedures for their employees to keep logs of inspections another employee
showed me the log book and Steve failed to enter any inspections for the four
days before the event. Two days later he back dated the inspections, the other
employee showed me.
P S advertises in their
office that they have 24 hour security. P S refused to give camera feed to the
Sheriff.
The Sheriffs said P S
has a greater number of these events than any other facility.
October 10th at 12:45 afternoon Steve Strohbom
called to inform the building had a burglary.
I asked him: “Have you called the police?”
He answered, “I was told by management not to inform the OC
Sheriff.”
I told him this was negligent and that I would be there in
fifteen minutes. I called the OC Sheriff while driving to the building. They
informed me no one had reported any burglary.
Upon arrival I went upstairs to my unit. Fourteen or more
units had been smashed into. The contents of my storage unit was all over the
hallway. Boxes opened, broken antique glass Christmas ornaments all over the
hallway, and the metal door closed. Another employee a man with dark hair not
Steve came upstairs and he told me that “they” had put some of my items back
into the storage and would change the lock. The bars from the doors were
totally bent so opening the door was accomplished without using a lock. I went
downstairs to meet the Sheriff who made a report and promised to send an
officer to do fingerprints. I went around the back of the building to find
paintings, bubble wrap, and other person’s storage items near the road in the
rear of the building that dead ends up to the 23552 storage building for the
golf course. The rear door was propped open. Upon close look I found that the security
alarm which was once wired to the door had been cut. I asked Steve and the two
other employees separately as to what happened to the rear door alarm. All
three employees of PS confirmed the alarm system was cancelled and cut off some
time in 2018. PS has elaborate video cameras in the entryway, they also have
what are dummy cameras that were turned off years ago. There is a system to use
a personal code to enter the elevator but there are rear stairs that are easy
to access all the units. I did not know there was zero security.
Next to the rear door inside was a crowbar, probably used by
the burglars. This rear door remained unlocked and propped open for three days
and nights allowing all the strange people in the neighborhood access to 14 + units
which the doors were wide open to steal more items. Employees of PS did not
take care to lock the doors.
Employees failed to follow company security procedures and
neglected to even call some of the tenants. Steve Strombom lied to me on 10/10
saying the locksmith was on his way. I was taking loads of my remaining storage
in trips in my car to secure as quickly as I could. It took me seven trips. At 5PM
Steve left without telling anyone. I called PS again and they said the
locksmith was on his way but the had a flat tire. I was told the facility would
close at 9 PM and I was on my second load of moving my storage.
Thirty to forty strange people wandered the hallways that
day. Only two other persons who were victims were on site. Employees of PS put
people’s personal effects away. The dark-haired guy was putting items back into
my ripped boxes and I told him to stop. I left to purchase wrapping materials
to re box my items remaining.
I returned after 9 PM
and the back door was still propped open but I could not get into the elevator
and moving boxes down the hall and stairs then walking far with heavy items was
impossible. Scary men were smoking around the rear door.
I went back the next morning 10/11 at 6:00 AM and other rough
looking persons were at the rear door. That day I took loads home and met with
the police investigator late in the day, but she said she could not get
fingerprints from corrugated doors. That day I spoke again with the young man
who replaced Steve Strombom. The young man and the Sherriff Department
Investigator both thought it strange that only lockers that were paying and
were full were smashed and robbed. Both suggested it was an employee who
planned the burglary. Day two the locksmith NEVER fixed the 14 doors and never
repaired the rear door. Day three I went back again to see the rear door still
open day and night.
PS allowed access to any public person to wander the hallways
and take more personal items from the victims for three days. PS employees went
into our units. PS employee moved items and repacked boxes.
Police report #21-024495 Deputy Kim did not recover
anything.
I made a claim with PS but they denied saying the AIG
insurance I had no longer existed. AIG was a subsidiary of PS and now PS owns
Starr or Orange Door.
I lost all my life’s personal jewelry, wedding rings,
grandmother’s jewelry, sterling, paintings and the majority of my antique glass
ornaments were smashed into nothing.
I now know more about PS. PS owns the building on Moulton
and they had damages but did not want to get the police involved as it might
alert media. PS has a policy of never paying insurance claims. PS took 51 days
to deny my claim when the law says they had to notify in 30 days. About 95% of
claims are denied. PS never informed me that my insurance cancelled, they just
kept increasing my bill every month and taking autopay from my account. PS
moved employees from another branch to avoid tenants rage for a couple weeks.
PS knows this building location has problems with burglaries, robberies and
vagrants. PS removed the alarms on the doors to cut costs without advising
tenants. PS has fake security to lure customers. PS employees allowed many
people to steal from us by leaving everything open for days. PS employees are
supposed to inspect property twice a day and log it in. Steve did not inspect
the building for a day or two and only makes his log entries when he escorts a
new tenant upstairs. PS is a billion dollar REIT that runs a nationwide scam.
PS paints everything orange to hide who they are: people who do not care.
My loss is $xxx,xxx.00 Plus the nightmares, worry and sadness about losing everything of value.
Should I have put valuables in there? I didn't know that their security is all fake lies.
Things that got stolen or smashed to ruin:
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PUBLIC STORAGE sells insurance which is a scam. They self insure. I paid for insurance and auto paid my account for seven years and they claim the insurance ended.
98% of Public Storage insurance claims are denied. They blame the tenant for any and all problems
Rental Agreement
Thank you
for becoming our customer. You want and agree to rent a self-storage unit from
Public Storage on these terms:
Parties and Rented Space
Public
Storage and or PSCC, Inc. and or its affiliates, authorized representatives,
employees, or other agents, as owner’s agent (Public Storage, “we,” “us,” our “our.”
And
xxxxxxxxxu , as customer (“you,” or “your)
100 Spectrum
Center Drive Suite 500, Irvine CA 92618
You are an
individual _X__ or a business
________________
Rental Date:
5/11/2016
Facility: 007009
23572
Moulton Parkway, Laguna Woods, CA 92637-1977
Enclosed
space # 2180 approximately 5X5
Alternate
Contact: xxxxx xxxxx telephone: (949)
372-9000
FEES AND
CHARGES
$ 62.00 Monthly
rent due on or before 1st of month
$ 24.00 New
Administrative Fee (non-refundable)
$ 15.00 Insurance
$ 25.00
Dishonored Check Charge
$ 15.00 Late
Charge after 10th of the month
$ 7.50 Lien Fee 2 After 40 Days (Whether or not
sale occurs)
$ 130.00 Lien
Sale Fee
Occupant
acknowledges that the above information is correct, that unless Occupant is
identified as a business, Occupant is an individual, that all payments are due before
the close of business day on the first day of the month, and that all payments
are to be applied to the oldest rent charge first, and then fees and other
charges that become due. Occupant also understands and agrees to pay all the
charges, fees and rents as noted above and that the owner reserves the right to
require that rent, fees, and charges be paid in cash, certified check, or money
order.
It is agreed
by and between Owner and Occupant:
1. PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION OF PREMISES.
The parties have entered into this lease/rental agreement for the purpose of
renting the above noted storage space (The Premises) and agree to examine the Premises
and Property and acknowledges that the space is estimated per Building Office
Management Association standards and does not refer to a useable space, that
the size of the Premises, and any referenced sizes are approximate, given for
illustration only and may vary materially, that the Occupant has an opportunity
to measure the Premises prior to moving in, and that the Premises and common
areas of the Property are satisfactory for all purposes for which Occupant
shall use the Property including the size and capacity of the Premises. This
Property being leased has not undergone inspection by a Certified Access
Specialist (CA.SP). Occupant shall have access to leased Property only during the
Property’s posted hours of operation. Loitering on the Property or Premises is prohibited.
2. TERM AND RENT. The term of this Lease
Rental Agreement shall commence as of the day written above and shall continue
on a month-to-month basis from the first day of the month immediately following
until terminated. Occupant shall pay Owner as a monthly rent, without deduction,
prior notice, demand or billing statement, the sum noted above (plus any
applicable tax imposed by any taxing authority) in advance on the first of the
month and shall owe a pro rata
Pu
