Ohio storage owners could tow abandoned cars, trailers and boats

In Ohio, a storage unit is often the place where people park the things they cannot easily replace, from furniture and tools to vehicles and watercraft. This proposal would give self-service storage facility owners a clearer way to deal with property left behind after a rental agreement expires or is terminated, while also changing the liability rules that surround those spaces.

The point is to make abandoned units easier to clear without wiping out other people’s claims in the process. Before disposal, the owner would have to notify anyone the owner knows claims an interest in the property, plus lienholders on any motor vehicle or watercraft and anyone who filed a security agreement covering the stored property. Available key vote records show the bill advanced without recorded no votes.

Who gets a warning first

The notice rules are built around the idea that one locker can hold several different legal interests at once. A renter may have left the property behind, but a lender, a vehicle lienholder or another claimant may still have money or title tied to what is inside.

The bill says notice could be delivered in person, by certified mail, by first-class mail or private delivery service with proof of mailing, and in limited cases by email if the occupant agreed to that method. It also spells out that the notice must go to people the owner knows claim an interest, not just the renter whose name is on the unit.

A narrower liability line

The other big change is about risk. Under the proposal from Representatives Adam Mathews and D.J. Swearingen, an owner who follows the new process would face a narrower liability threshold for self-service storage spaces. If the sale or disposal rules are followed, liability to people with an interest in the sold property would be limited to the balance of the sale proceeds after the owner is paid.

The bill also addresses vehicles, trailers and watercraft directly. In some cases, the owner could have those items towed from the premises, and once the towing service or storage facility takes possession, the owner would not be liable for them.