Storage company seems to have gone out of business

SueDebt

I'm wondering whether anybody could give me some advice please.

Two months ago I stored virtually all the contents of my flat with a local storage company which was recommended to me and has been in business for 20 years.

A fortnight ago I wanted to retrieve some boxes but I've been unable to contact them. My emails went unanswered and I've left four phone messages and not received any reply so today I went to their office/storage place and was told by a nearby company that they moved out a couple of weeks ago.

I've looked on Companies House website and their official address was changed  on 25th July from there to a different address which, according to a photo on Google maps, appears to be a private house.

I've only recently moved to the area and I'm a woman on my own so should I knock on his door and ask about my property? Or how should I handle it?

user1977

It would be more likely that they have new storage premises and just haven't contacted you about it. Try asking around locally? Are they advertising anywhere online?

Penguin_

Have they got a Facebook page? 

SueDebt

Thanks for your reply but no they aren't advertising at all (as far as I can see).

Their website has been removed and they've even deleted (or at least hidden) their Facebook page.

Section62

SueDebt said:

I'm wondering whether anybody could give me some advice please.

Two months ago I stored virtually all the contents of my flat with a local storage company which was recommended to me and has been in business for 20 years.

A fortnight ago I wanted to retrieve some boxes but I've been unable to contact them. My emails went unanswered and I've left four phone messages and not received any reply so today I went to their office/storage place and was told by a nearby company that they moved out a couple of weeks ago.

I've looked on Companies House website and their official address was changed  on 25th July from there to a different address which, according to a photo on Google maps, appears to be a private house.

I've only recently moved to the area and I'm a woman on my own so should I knock on his door and ask about my property? Or how should I handle it?

The registered address doesn't have to be the place where the company operates from, and it is quite common to have the registered address as someone's home.  That in itself isn't a major issue.

Was there anything on the Companies House site about the company being wound up or struck off?

One possibility could be the owners have sold the business operation to a different company, keeping the limited company themselves for another purpose, or to wind down over a period of time.

If you have no other contact information then rather that visiting the property I would initially write to the person(s) named as directors and post it to the address given, asking for information about what has happened to your stuff, and who to contact to reclaim it.

p00hsticks

SueDebt said:

A fortnight ago I wanted to retrieve some boxes but I've been unable to contact them. My emails went unanswered and I've left four phone messages and not received any reply so today I went to their office/storage place and was told by a nearby company that they moved out a couple of weeks ago.

Are you saying that you need someone from the company to be there in order to gain access to your stuff  ?

Ours storage presumably works in a different way - we have access codes to open the gates to the storage area and then our own padlock on our individual unit. When you went to the actual storage place what was actually there ?

If our storage company went out of business I imagine that the external gates might no longer work but I'd be pretty confident that all our stuff would still be in situe....

SueDebt

p00hsticks said:

SueDebt said:

A fortnight ago I wanted to retrieve some boxes but I've been unable to contact them. My emails went unanswered and I've left four phone messages and not received any reply so today I went to their office/storage place and was told by a nearby company that they moved out a couple of weeks ago.

Are you saying that you need someone from the company to be there in order to gain access to your stuff  ?

Ours storage presumably works in a different way - we have access codes to open the gates to the storage area and then our own padlock on our individual unit. When you went to the actual storage place what was actually there ?

If our storage company went out of business I imagine that the external gates might no longer work but I'd be pretty confident that all our stuff would still be in situe....

Yes, my property was stored within their premises.

10 minutes ago I received a call from the freehold owner of those premises (who I'd managed to contact via one of the other businesses in that industrial area) to tell me that they owed £4K in back rent so he evicted them and they have emptied the unit (including all of my property I assume).

I'm going to take the advice of Section62 and send a letter to them (which I'll chase so I'll know they receive it) asking where my belongings are and how I can reclaim them.

youth_leader

I'm very sorry to see this, I've just had to put my possessions into storage too.  Wishing you the best of luck finding your belongings.

NameUnavailable

SueDebt said:

p00hsticks said:

SueDebt said:

A fortnight ago I wanted to retrieve some boxes but I've been unable to contact them. My emails went unanswered and I've left four phone messages and not received any reply so today I went to their office/storage place and was told by a nearby company that they moved out a couple of weeks ago.

Are you saying that you need someone from the company to be there in order to gain access to your stuff  ?

Ours storage presumably works in a different way - we have access codes to open the gates to the storage area and then our own padlock on our individual unit. When you went to the actual storage place what was actually there ?

If our storage company went out of business I imagine that the external gates might no longer work but I'd be pretty confident that all our stuff would still be in situe....

Yes, my property was stored within their premises.

10 minutes ago I received a call from the freehold owner of those premises (who I'd managed to contact via one of the other businesses in that industrial area) to tell me that they owed £4K in back rent so he evicted them and they have emptied the unit (including all of my property I assume).

I'm going to take the advice of Section62 and send a letter to them (which I'll chase so I'll know they receive it) asking where my belongings are and how I can reclaim them.

If the freeholder has done this what did they say they've done with the goods? I don't think they can just dispose of them. You may have a claim against the freeholder as well as the storage company! I would contact the police and report a theft.

NameUnavailable

Also, storeage co's unsually insist on customers having insurance of the goods - have you reported this to yours?

user1977

NameUnavailable said:

SueDebt said:

p00hsticks said:

SueDebt said:

A fortnight ago I wanted to retrieve some boxes but I've been unable to contact them. My emails went unanswered and I've left four phone messages and not received any reply so today I went to their office/storage place and was told by a nearby company that they moved out a couple of weeks ago.

Are you saying that you need someone from the company to be there in order to gain access to your stuff  ?

Ours storage presumably works in a different way - we have access codes to open the gates to the storage area and then our own padlock on our individual unit. When you went to the actual storage place what was actually there ?

If our storage company went out of business I imagine that the external gates might no longer work but I'd be pretty confident that all our stuff would still be in situe....

Yes, my property was stored within their premises.

10 minutes ago I received a call from the freehold owner of those premises (who I'd managed to contact via one of the other businesses in that industrial area) to tell me that they owed £4K in back rent so he evicted them and they have emptied the unit (including all of my property I assume).

I'm going to take the advice of Section62 and send a letter to them (which I'll chase so I'll know they receive it) asking where my belongings are and how I can reclaim them.

If the freeholder has done this what did they say they've done with the goods? I don't think they can just dispose of them. You may have a claim against the freeholder as well as the storage company! I would contact the police and report a theft.

Please don't waste the police's time, there's no suggestion here of a crime having been committed.