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Update on Storage Facility Fire

Update on Storage Facility Fire

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by: Angie1002 Active Indicator LED Icon 1 OP 
~ 10 years ago   Oct 30, '13 4:32pm  
Storage facility tenants outraged over demolitionWednesday, October 30, 2013Scott Engle - Montgomery County Police Reporter More than 20 tenants hoping to salvage their belongings at an Atascocita storage facility that was set on fire over the weekend were not allowed passed the gates Tuesday while demolition crews tore down the structure.Metro Mini Storage located at 20535 West Lake Houston Parkway near near Upper Lake was allegedly destroyed early Sunday morning by a 19-year-old former Special Ed student from Atascocita North, according to the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office.Owners of property stored in the large complex had been waiting patiently to enter the complex since Sunday to recover damaged property or determine if anything of theirs was damaged. Almost 20 tenants of the storage facility arrived Tuesday afternoon to find crews using backhoes to load debris into large Dumpsters on the property. The owner of the storage facility would not allow anyone to enter. A few business owners were able to convince him to check their units and recover a few items to run their business. A few others sent cameras in with one of the workers to photograph their property. But yet others stood and watched as the demolition continued.Tenants also wondered how the arsonist, Benjamin James Patrick La Chappelle, was able to access the property when the fire was set.One woman had all her belongings in a climate-controlled unit. Books from the 1800’s, antiques and other items she stored when she was forced to move back to Houston to care for her ailing mother. Another person who found her insurance covered her property was told her adjuster would not be able to enter the property.Being visible from the road and surrounded by a 6-foot wrought iron fence on the sides, most tenants said they felt the facility was secure. However, behind the facility on a power line easement, only a wooden fence with visibly patched holes protects it.Deputies with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the scene several times because the owner felt threatened and to remove trespassers on the outside of the gated facility.La Chappelle is currently in the Harris County Jail on $10,000 bond.http://www.ourtribune.com/article.php?id=16046 4951
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QueenB Active Indicator LED Icon 16
~ 10 years ago   Oct 30, '13 4:44pm  
Good grief, what is wrong with that owner?!  He should be doing everything in his power to help his customers! They are the ones who need to decide what is salvageable, not the storage company owner.  Digging his own grave, that one.  4951
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Angie1002 Active Indicator LED Icon 1 OP 
~ 10 years ago   Oct 30, '13 4:46pm  
I agree. I would be **** if my items were there and was not allowed to view what was salvageable. I feel that the owner may be doing what he believes is right but I don't agree. 4951
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TXSG Active Indicator LED Icon 1
~ 10 years ago   Oct 30, '13 8:51pm  
We had two units, 5x10 and 5x5 in the D building. I was told by the man in charge of the clean up crew, that both units are totally destroyed. I was there at 9"30 AM and 12:30 PM and they were not letting us in to see our units. They have a website, www.metrokingwood.com where they post info. Latest is they will contact us to make an appointment to view our units, or what is left of them. In the mean time the clean up crew is determining what is salvageable and what gets thrown away. This is what has my wife in tears since 40+ years of Christmas decorations and other Christmas items were in one of the units. We feel we are the best person to determine what is salvageable. I heard several people talking "lawyer". I believe the owner is creating a PR nightmare for himself and undo stress on the rest of us.  4951
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QueenB Active Indicator LED Icon 16
~ 10 years ago   Oct 30, '13 9:08pm  
We had two units, 5x10 and 5x5 in the D building
 
@TXSG: I am so sorry to hear this. I know your wife must be so distraught. You store these things because they are important to you and, suddenly, they are gone. With the way the owner is treating y'all I believe I would retain an attorney for the group. At least to get y'all in to your units before he puts everything in his dumpster and has it all hauled away. 4951
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mgw300e Active Indicator LED Icon 11
~ 10 years ago   Oct 30, '13 9:16pm  
They're probably trying to limit their liability. If they can get rid of enough stuff, it's harder to prove losses. 4951
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choclab Active Indicator LED Icon 3
~ 10 years ago   Oct 30, '13 9:34pm  
The owner sounds like a crook 4951
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notfromhere Active Indicator LED Icon 12
~ 10 years ago   Oct 30, '13 9:39pm  
They're probably trying to limit their liability. If they can get rid of enough stuff, it's harder to prove losses.
 
@mgw300e: they have no liability over the property of the tenants. Ibd
 
4951
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notfromhere Active Indicator LED Icon 12
~ 10 years ago   Oct 30, '13 9:42pm  
They're probably trying to limit their liability. If they can get rid of enough stuff, it's harder to prove losses.
 
@mgw300e: they have no liability over the property of the tenants. They do have to make sure that the structure is safe for people to be there and that is why they have to remove the damaged structure. I can't imagine the frustration of the tenants, but the owner seems to be protecting himself.
 
4951
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choclab Active Indicator LED Icon 3
~ 10 years ago   Oct 30, '13 9:45pm  
Those poor people have every reason to determine whether their s#$t is salvageable or not. 4951
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fcabanski Active Indicator LED Icon 16
~ 10 years ago   Oct 30, '13 11:53pm  
Maybe the lesson is don't own so much stuff that you can't store it where you live.Looks like a lot of people have a law suit against the storage facility owner. 4951
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yarddogs5k Active Indicator LED Icon
~ 10 years ago   Oct 31, '13 7:27am  
@fcabanski  A lot of the people who lost belongings lost most of everything they own.  Their items were placed there temporarily between moves while houses sold/bought, family members passed away, etc. 4951
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DLL Active Indicator LED Icon 4
~ 10 years ago   Oct 31, '13 7:32am  
My son and his family's whole household was in storage due to selling their home and waiting for the completion of their new home. They too are very upset they can't check their property. He did say that he is thankful he has his wife, child, and a job and that they would start over again. He has the right attitude. One of those times a parent wishes they could do something to help their kids. 4951
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cheesecakejunkie Active Indicator LED Icon  New Member
~ 10 years ago   Oct 31, '13 9:27am  
My family also had everything we own in there while our house in Oakhurst is not due to be completed until first week of December and our house sold on October 11th. We only brought about a weeks worth or so of clothes to the in-laws. What is most upsetting is how the owner is handling this and being on this emotional rollercoaster: after being told by a FF that Sunday evening and her walking back there and saying our whole unit is gone, the RUDE owner saying it was gone, the lady who works there and lives on site saying it's fine, the metro site saying some fire/smoke/water damage but some things will be salvageable and then seeing a pic yesterday on their site of a ton of our stuff (the 3rd pic on top row) to then an updated pic on another site and being told some of that stuff was hauled into a dumpster. (which I can make our my purple suitcase and one of my husbands first paintings and my carpet cleaner which all look fine!) UGH such a nightmare for all involved. 4951
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notfromhere Active Indicator LED Icon 12
~ 10 years ago   Oct 31, '13 9:29am  
Wow. Removing stuff that belongs to the tenants is waaaay wrong. I thought the cleaning crew was just there to remove the building strcuture that was damaged. It looks like the owner is in a heap of trouble.  4951
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cheesecakejunkie Active Indicator LED Icon  New Member
~ 10 years ago   Oct 31, '13 9:35am  
That is what he said on Monday morning when I asked if we could just see our stuff. Said he would have his insurance adjusters out the next day and they would deem what is salvageable and what is not and trashing what is not so that he can bulldoze it. I asked him how can he make that decision on other peoples stuff! He looks at me and says "Well what did you have in there?" I said I had everything from our family of 4's life up until this point due to us moving!!!! Again just a nightmare this whole thing. He is such a jerk. 4951
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