Motorcycles willed to wife but my assistant put the storage unit in husbands name

superior_storage

Can anyone tell me the rules about married couples and whose name should be on the lease? As the discussion title explains, a couple came in with 2 motorcycles to store. My assistant put the unit in the husbands name but the mc's were willed to the wife. Do I need to put her name on the lease instead? I'm only concerned if there was a divorce or a death. 

AZStorageGuy

@superior_storage, check with your self-storage association and also your state's laws/statutes.

If the husband dies, state law governs what happens to the stuff inside his unit.  Especially if he's got a last will and testament or some other estate-planning docs.  (If you're in a community property state like I am, that can affect the outcome.)  You'd want a copy of the death certificate before doing anything.

Divorce, well, that's for the lawyers to sort out.

I'd be more concerned about an auction!

ThriftyStorage

you can put the lease in the husbands name. you are only interested in renting a unit. Also, the bikes do have to be properly registered and insured.

Ron

superior_storage said:

Can anyone tell me the rules about married couples and whose name should be on the lease? As the discussion title explains, a couple came in with 2 motorcycles to store. My assistant put the unit in the husbands name but the mc's were willed to the wife. Do I need to put her name on the lease instead? I'm only concerned if there was a divorce or a death. 

The name on the lease is the person who rented the unit and filled out the lease.

It should match the registration on the motorcycles or you are opening up your self for serious risk.

A facility should not be the concerned about what is willed or divorce. We are given directions by the courts. If we try to facilitate the way we think it should be, the courts may come down hard. Just look at some of the crazy judgements out there.