Q: If someone put my car at a self storage facility without my permission & didn't pay the bill, can I go take my car back?
I was out of town for a while and my sister took my car and put it at a self storage facility without my permission. I got a call a couple weeks ago telling me that I owed $300 to the storage facility and I told them that they didn't have my permission to store my car. They told me that they would call me back on Monday after they talked to manager but they didn't call me back. Apparently my sister added me to her account so they put me on her account without my permission and without talking to me or seeing my identification. And now they're trying to get money from me to go pick up my car that I never gave them permission to store nor did they ask to see proof of ownership, which I have.
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I'm adding to this. My husband was killed I don't have the $$. But since they have no contract with me, I have no obligation to pay them & they have no right to have my car. My sis doesnt have the authority to sign me or my car up for anything. Isn't it a civil matter between them?
A:
Your sister has created a mess of problems for you. The simplest and most direct course of action is to pay the $300, get your car back and then request for your sister to pay you back your costs. Make sure that the storage facility cancels all accounts with you and puts you on a watch list. Alternatively, pay the $ and sue the storage company in small claims court for the money back, since they opened an account for you without your permission.
The reason that I advise this course of action is that the law requires you to minimize your damages (mitigation) and if you just let the storage facility keep the car and increase the amount for rent, you are not minimizing your damages. Also, they could assert a storage lien and sell the car.
A: Your beef is with your sister, who caused all this mess. The storage place is innocent.
A: Attorney Mandel have you great advice. I will only add that you should file an identity theft report with the police and on ftc.gov so that you have take. Steps to dispute whatever your sister signed you up for (now known and also things you are yet to discover). Also if you did not give your sister permission to drive/ use/ move your car then you could file a theft police report against her as well.
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A: Under California law, if your car was stored at a self storage facility without your permission, you may have grounds to claim that the storage of your car was unauthorized. It is advisable to consult with a legal professional to understand your rights and options. While self storage facilities have certain legal obligations, such as verifying ownership, reporting the car as stolen and providing evidence of ownership may be appropriate steps to explore, as well as seeking legal advice to ensure you navigate the situation properly within the bounds of the law.
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