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High Late fees at self storage
QUESTION:High Late fees at self storage
I was 10 days late paying a $69 per month 5' x 10' storage locker rent
and was charged $10. The notice went out on the eleventh, I received
it somewhere between the 13th and 16th (I was out of town). On the
17th I get a "Preliminary Lien Notice" and I now owe another $15 and
if they don't get it by the 31st, they terminate the contract and put
a lien on my stuff. No personal checks allowed.
Q: Isn't there some limit on how much a company can charge in the way
of late fees as a percentage?
Q: Is this legal? (It is all in the contract, true, but contracts
sometimes contain illegal clauses.)
Q: If so, what do I do next?
Q: How many others have been late fee'd to death?
Q: Class action suit anyone?
Of course, I could be totally at their mercy, and just have to live
with the usurious fees or not be late
ANSWER: The storage space business is a racket. I discovered that I could get
finished office space in an industrial district cheaper than a storage
locker, so I now store my stuff in a fairly luxurious facility. Not only
that, I can use the space for other business purposes. This is
particularly advantageous if you know several other people who need space
and can share the cost of the office.
In any event, I would consider taking stuff to the dump before ever
renting another storage locker.
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