Anyone have this tenant before?

i43storage

I just found a tenant unloading a car full of newspapers into his unit.  Looks like he comes twice a day and unloads them (we have an unmanned facility and I just happened to catch him while I was doing my rounds).  The unit is about 1/2 full with papers.  I looked the guy up in our local court happenings.  Let's just say over the years he has not been the most law-abiding person.  He paid in cash for 6 months in advance.  We all know where this is heading.

Options:

1.  Business as usual - the guy paid.  Stop being so nosy and judgemental.  Maybe he is going to donate the paper to the next Boy Scout paper drive;

2.  Cancel the guy's lease and donate the paper to the local bird shelter;

3.  Call the local newspaper and tell them I know where all the newspapers are of the customers complaining that they haven't been getting their papers; or

4.  Meet the guy at his unit tomorrow (with a friend) and say, "Dude.  Really?"

Any other thoughts? 

BusyProperties

#4 all the way lol why are people so weird?!?!

helenatim

Send a letter to the tenant that you want to inspect the contents of his unit. Probably need to give him 24 hr Notice.  If you are suspicious that a crime is being committed, i.e, theft, then contact the cops and the local newspaper. Then send him a termination notice due to criminal activities. You will probably end up hauling papers to the recycling facility.

helenatim

I had a guy doing this with used car tires.  What a nightmare.  The good news is that your guy has paid for the unit.

GlenMark

Do you know for sure that he is just dropping papers off in his unit? Maybe he is contracted by the newspaper to do deliveries? If it is a case where he is just dropping papers off, then contact your local newspaper to see if they've been missing papers out of their racks in your area. If so, contact PD.

And, I've had much worse tenants, unfortunately.

PerryStorage

I have a tenant that has a unit full of newspapers wrapped in baler twine and stacked in the unit like bales of hay.  They don't always pay on time, but always pay and it has been that way for 15 years.  I wish all my renters were like this one - no joke.  You just never know.

Nazpastortony

I see lots of weird stuff.  He's paid. Nothing obviously illegal. I just shake my head.  When I see tenants, I try to make small talk whenever possible.  They know I'm a constant presence as I am residential. Almost all our renters know that security is a very high priority here and that there is a zero tolerance policy for "Shenanigans".  I usually get a pretty good relationship with most tenants and could casually and maybe jokingly question what the heck is going on.  A benefit of my unique circumstance I guess.  Small (about 130 units, resident management, limited gate access hours, and high security.  Pro's and con's everywhere but I enjoy my gig right now. 

teamcapitola

Have guy with a 10x15 filled to the brim with .... Accordions...Broken accordions.

He pays on time every month always mentioning how valuable they will be once somebody restores them. He just can't understand why nobody will restore them for free?!? 

Been with us since 2012, never been late.

teamcapitola

helenatim said:

I had a guy doing this with used car tires.  What a nightmare.  The good news is that your guy has paid for the unit.

I've actually heard of a scam like this!  A few facilities in San Jose had units rented with cash using fake ID's. They were loaded up with used tires and the tenants were never heard from again. Apparently, these groups get paid to dispose of used tires (which cost a lot to dump) they take the clients' money, then avoid the disposal costs by dumping them into a storage facility... who then eventually gets stuck with a HUGE bill to get rid of them!

If I saw anyone loading tires into a unit, I would (hopefully) stop them saying its Hazardous Materials and against the Rules & Lease to store.

helenatim

teamcapitola said:

helenatim said:

I had a guy doing this with used car tires.  What a nightmare.  The good news is that your guy has paid for the unit.

I've actually heard of a scam like this!  A few facilities in San Jose had units rented with cash using fake ID's. They were loaded up with used tires and the tenants were never heard from again. Apparently, these groups get paid to dispose of used tires (which cost a lot to dump) they take the clients' money, then avoid the disposal costs by dumping them into a storage facility... who then eventually gets stuck with a HUGE bill to get rid of them!

If I saw anyone loading tires into a unit, I would (hopefully) stop them saying its Hazardous Materials and against the Rules & Lease to store.

This situation was terrible. A 10x15 and a 10x20 filled with tires. It cost $1100 to have a moving company haul the tires to the landfill.  And maxed out all my tonnage for the year.  And this was after I had to run an auction in order to foreclose on the delinquent tenant.  I hope my collections guy catches up to him one day!

helenatim

And since I am ranting...I opened a delinquent unit to find it full to the ceiling with stolen catalytic converters.  The tenant actually paid and emptied the unit, after which I turned him in to the police. He was then taken from our local jail to another state and arrested there for murder! 

BusyProperties

helenatim said:

And since I am ranting...I opened a delinquent unit to find it full to the ceiling with stolen catalytic converters.  The tenant actually paid and emptied the unit, after which I turned him in to the police. He was then taken from our local jail to another state and arrested there for murder! 

oh my :0 

MamaDuke7

helenatim said:

And since I am ranting...I opened a delinquent unit to find it full to the ceiling with stolen catalytic converters.  The tenant actually paid and emptied the unit, after which I turned him in to the police. He was then taken from our local jail to another state and arrested there for murder! 

I bet you've never been so happy to be rid of a tenant!  That's crazy!

i43storage

Guys - Thank you all so much for your insights.  I need to talk to this guy as my curiosity is killing me.  Our local paper is only 6 pages total.