GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — A renter at My Place Storage Units in Lowell says her unit was burglarized after firefighters forced open doors to prevent an early August fire from spreading.
Facility management did not notify affected renters about the broken locks until five weeks after the incident.
Fire department personnel cracked the locks on several units during the response to a fire in a neighboring unit.
Management later notified renters by email and offered access to remaining property only if they signed an agreement waiving the facility’s liability.
Patricia Frye, a renter at the facility, said she had no knowledge of the fire until management contacted her five weeks after the incident.
“Just complete utter shock,” Frye said. “No one reached out to me to tell me there was even a fire there.”
When Frye arrived at her unit, she discovered that thieves had gone through her belongings. “People were rummaging through my life, taking whatever they wanted,” Frye said.
Missing items included irreplaceable personal property and sensitive financial documents. “How do I know, like, what paperwork is gone? Like my Social Security numbers,” Frye said.
Another renter stated that his unit was also targeted by thieves, indicating several renters experienced similar break-ins after the fire.
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Frye questioned why managers failed to put locks on doors that had been forced open. “They did not do the one job that I’m paying them to do,” Frye said. She refused to sign the liability waiver.
Management required renters to maintain an insurance policy covering up to $2,000 in losses. Frye estimated her total losses exceed that policy limit by more than $10,000.
Facility management initially charged her rent for August and September. They waived those charges after she submitted a written complaint to the state Attorney General’s office. Management has not yet returned phone calls requesting comment.
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