Auctioned Units

websterb

How do any of you handle the online auction procedure if the winner wants to rent his winning unit/units?

AnitaJohnson1269

I would say for legal standing, complete the entire auction process.  Have the winner pay what is due on the auction invoice.  Complete the auction in the system to clear the unit, then rent the winner the unit as if it were starting from scratch.  The winning bid was not to take over payments, it was for the items in the unit.  Just my thoughts. 

CVSSSTORAGE

We make them rent a full month. They are paying for the items in the unit and to have them out in 48 hours. If they cannot do that they need to pay a full month, no exceptions. 

MMSMANAGER

After completing the lien process, we allow our buyer to rent the unit contractually at regular price. Same rules apply to everyone.

websterb

@AnitaJohnson1269 Thanks, that's exactly what we did. I still like to get different opinions and options. Thanks everyone!

Clyde_Lord_Jr

I think the purpose of the auction is to clean out that unit and rent it again at your regular rates. We don't rent units to bidders under any circumstances. Win the auction, pay for it and get everything out in 72 hours. In the past, I've had people pay for the unit and still just take what they want. They leave the junk and are never heard from again. They left the junk for us to auction 2 months later. I say it's one less thing to deal with if they get it and go. 

Orkocean

I've turned regular auction buyers into renters. If you notice who the regulars are strike up conversations with them. Typically they're storing the stuff somewhere already if they do this for a living. As an example I had one customer years ago who came to every auction and would buy 1-2 units only as he didn't have enough time to move more than that to his current storage location. He really wanted some other units that were being auctioned so I threw it out there that why doesn't he just rent the unit so he can take a whole month to work on it as the hook, sure enough he bit down and I reeled him. By the time I left that facility he had 3 of our largest units rented out and was buying 4-5 units an auction and just moving the stuff over to those units to go thru later.

CVSSSTORAGE

@Clyde_Lord_Jr those people who leave stuff after an auction get reported to the auction company here and he will not allow them to buy units in any of his auctions

Clyde_Lord_Jr

True, but if they are able to get around that by having others sign up and stuff. We just don't take that chance. 

websterb

We recently had this situation, rented the unit to the buyer with the explanation that if any items were left in unit after they "moved out" they would be reported to the auction company, recharged the $100.00 cleaning fee, placed on a do not rent list, which we give to neighboring facilities upon request. He let the unit empty and clean.....One gentleman was late coming after his "second" load after auction purchase and inquired if we could dispose of it?. Stated the $100.00 cleaning fee I was holding would certainly pay for disposal. He came back, retrieved the items, cleaned unit and got his $100.00 back.