Storage unit stories

So I won a 2nd storage unit auction for 80 $ . This one was insane. I somewhat knew what I was getting into, but not fully. This one was packed with disorganized nonsense. Also a total of 29 full trash bags of clothes that I donated. The story with this person is kind of interesting imo. Especially since one of the first pieces of paperwork I found was a charge from the police department for burglary. I bet you can already guess the sign. DOB 7/15/1977. Trying to piece together a story with this one was extremely difficult. Every single container was filled with the same type of clutter. Mail, randomness, kids stuff, and maybe a few things of value. Mostly junk. So there was no way I was about to look through every single piece of paperwork. Also the bags of clothes had random stuff in them, so I had to go through every one to make them passable for donation. From what it looks like they likely moved everything in a hurry. I found paperwork from a completely different storage facility telling her the unit would be going up for auction if they didn't pay their bill. Also letters warning of eviction, and late rent notices. All the bags of clothes were thrashed with holes, and mice had infested the unit. Mostly because she stored candy in some of the bags of clothes and bins. Who stores food in a storage unit? So it was extreamly difficult to deal with, especially with this heat.

I was able to figure out exactly who she was from an ID found in a purse. I looked her up on FB, and was able to confirm because there is a photo of her sitting on a bed with the exact blanket I pulled from the unit. Same exact name on the paperwork, and lives in the same location of the unit. She had 23 designer purses, some decent some trashed, and about 30 pairs of Nike shoes. Some adult, some kids. All in different condition. Thats where the value of the unit was. I could see some of the purses and a Nike box in the auction photo, which is why I gambled on it. They have pretty good resale value. I still feel kind of bad though. The idea of her losing all her stuff for 80 $ is pretty tragic. She also had 14 expired credit cards, and tons of gift cards. Its not really a surprise she lost the unit, but I wonder if she is locked up and unable to pay the bill, and lost everything. All the family photos and anything personalized I returned to the facility so she can get all those back. She also had 7 different bibles in the unit, and the one with her name on it I returned. Parts of me honestly doesn't care, but the other part is questioning if I'm adding fuel in creating a monster. Or maybe spending money she didn't have created the monster, and now that burden has been lifted giving her the ability to start new. I still have many questions, but can't help wondering what will happen to this person moving forward. There were signs of her being a school teacher, but also a nurse. I found a couple of court papers for disorderly conduct and violet threats. So she is kind of showing the energy of her sun sign. What I don't understand is how someone with so much beauty supplies, hand sanitizer, face masks, and medical stuff could be so filthy. Maybe the stuff had been sitting around since 2020. Most of the cards expired in 22, one in 25, so maybe that could accurately date the unit. I could do a full background check, but I'll probably just let this one rest. That unit overall has way more value then what I spent, but was extreamly gross, and the amount of work I spent cleaning it out wasn't worth it. I kind of knew that from the photos, but took a gamble. I guess I'll come back and try to piece together a new story on the next one.

Unit number 3 was insane. Extreamly sad also. Thats one thing with winning an abandoned storage unit. You never know exactly what you will find within. This one was in Columbus Ohio, which is the states capital. I felt it would be fun to go on a mini 4 hour road trip and explore the capital of Ohio for a bit. The unit was pretty small, and from the pictures I could tell I could easily get it all in one trip with the van. Upon opening the unit it looked exactly like the pictures. Totes, bags, and luggage bags. I moved the first bin and the first thing I see is a syringe, and a bunch of syringe caps. My first thought was "Oh fuck, this one is going to suck looking through. Which it did. I managed to not stick myself once with any of the lose syringes luckily. The entire ride home however I was pretty paranoid. Storage facilities don't let you use their dumpsters, and require you to remove all the contents in a set amount of time. I was already 4 hours from home, so I had little time to figure anything out. I just loaded it up and left. If I would have got pulled over it would be the first time someone could legitimately say "I have no idea whats in my vehicle, and none of it is mine." Though technically by the contract I signed, everything is mine, so I'm not 100% sure how that would go in court.

Once at my own storage unit where I sort things too risky to take to my own house, I started slowly and carefully sorting through everything. I found lots of court papers for possession of opiates, and prostitution. Also for drug paraphernalia. I knew the unit belonged to a woman from the name on the mail, and from the clothes and shoes. She actually had a decent amount of rare jackets, and some designer shoes and hand bags. Though all the shoes and bags were beat to death, and the hand bags were full of random syringes. Some capped, some not. I also found a red medical disposal bin full of used syringes. Going deeper into her stuff I found notebooks and diaries. All I could think was "Do I invade this person's privacy?" Look I wont pretend to be a saint. 0% chance my Scorpio moon could resist. The diary was extreamly sad. The first page was nicely written, and seems like a person trying to be a better person. Something I relate with deeply from my own addiction recovery. As I read through the days the hand writing got worse and worse and her drug addiction amplified. Still, she was trying to be positive and move forward. From her writing I started to realize all the luggage bags were from different trips to rehab clinics. In her diary she writes about trying to fine true love and safety, but scared of getting attached to a good man because of how fucked up she was. She eventually would write about selling her body to get money for heroine. Towards the end of the book she was desperately looking for a ride from somewhere on the streets, and a man picked her up. He offered her food, a place to sleep, and would take her to the rehab clinics. She writes about how amazing he is, and how scared she was to get attached to him in fear she would mess everything up. There are a few turbulent pages, and the last one seemed chaotic again. I could tell just by her writing if she was using again or not. Then the diary randomly ends.

I instantly started to look her up on Facebook. I found old profiles with the same name and location, but all were private. I then found another one, and could tell it was the same person from the other profiles. This profile was a creator profile, so its public. Quickly scrolling through her posts I was looking for something specific. Posts about sobriety. With that I could pretty much be 99% sure she is the person who owned the unit. I found enough posts about sobrity, and was able to piece together enough information from her profile to confirm this was the owner of that unit. She didn't have her birthday, and I couldn't find it in her posts, but she posts a bunch of horoscope stuff about Capricorn, and with that I was able to confirm her sun sign. Anyone still reading this will be happy to know she is still with the same man from the diary, and 100% healthy and sober. I can tell because all her clothes were extreamly small, and her diary describes how thin and anorexic she was getting from using. All her current photos she is healthy, and happy with that man that got her off the streets. She also has a normal job, which is something she describes deeply wanting in her writing. All the contents of that unit was the living hell that woman went through. I cleaned it up and disposed of all of it, yet she will never know that. Its for the best, and I'm extreamly happy she made it through all that.

man you should write a book or something

Wow, so for storage unit 3, it just took a good decent man willing to help her to turn her life around. I wonder what sign he is… that’s great news for that one.

I'm enjoying these stories. Thank you for sharing.

Posted by FknHell
You’re going to get bed bugs from all of this.

!!!!!

Posted by FknHell
You’re going to get bed bugs from all of this.

So you mean I probably shouldn't use the shampoo and conditioners I've been finding?

Jokes aside bed bugs are a possibility. For the most part a unit goes to auction when a person doesn't pay their bill for 3 months, then the unit is up for auction up to another month. So that's 4 months of no activity in the unit. Bed bugs could possibly survive, but that's why I don't sort stuff in my own house. I actually have my own storage unit locally where I sort stuff. With that said there is truly only one dangerous creature that can contaminate a unit. That would be mice. There isn't much to worry about when it comes to anything the people had besides stuff potentially living bathroom stuff or anything liquid. Mice however could be actively living within, and some people for whatever reason keep food in their unit. For mice its a 5 star hotel to live. If those mice had some type of virus however, someone stirring everything up could make it go airborne. Especially since at the very end the buyer has to sweep the floor of the unit to get their 100 $ cleaning deposit back. So I don't really worry about the people's stuff as much as signs of mice.

Things like lice can only survive 24-48 hours without a host. Fleas 1 to 2 weeks. Bed bugs 2-18 months. The unfortunate news is lice and fleas can also live on mice. So those things truly suck imo.

People who get storage units long term are a bit nutty. A wire is crossed. She spent infinitely more to store her crap then it was ever worth.

Its sad how we become so attached to things that are only destined for a landfill.

Posted by LadyNeptune
People who get storage units long term are a bit nutty. A wire is crossed. She spent infinitely more to store her crap then it was ever worth.

Its sad how we become so attached to things that are only destined for a landfill.

I donate and recycle as much as possible. I'd say about 70% is for the dump, 20% can reasonably be donated, and 10% I can sell online/ marketplace. Even with that said I have my own lose wires because I actually enjoy going through a unit, sorting everything, and piecing the story together about the people who owned it.