A South Tampa family, displaced by Hurricane Helene’s severe, unprecedented flooding, stored their salvaged belongings at a Public Storage facility while repairing their home.
When Laura Gattis visited the South Dale Mabry Highway location last week, she was shocked to find her storage unit emptied. The front desk informed her that all her belongings had been auctioned off that morning.
Gattis insists she was never notified.
“When I pulled up to the unit, the door was wide open, and there was nothing left except for three boxes,” she said. “They had some albums and pictures, and I just lost my mind.”
She pleaded with a storage facility employee, only to be told that her autopay had stopped working, resulting in missed payments. The facility claimed it was her responsibility to track payments.
“We didn’t receive any letters,” Gattis said. “We don’t have any email records.”
She isn’t concerned about replaceable items but is devastated over losing irreplaceable memories.
“I just want the things you can’t replace—letters, awards, milestones from my children’s lives. These are the threads of who we are.”
A Public Storage representative told WFLA that an email notice was sent, as required by Florida law. Under state regulations, a mailed letter is necessary only if an email fails to go through. The company insists its emails weren’t bounced back.
Gattis requested proof of these emails but has yet to receive any. She also questioned why the facility previously mailed a notice about a rate change but didn’t do the same for such a critical issue.
After media inquiries, Gattis received a call from the company stating they had contacted the winning bidder and passed along her phone number.
She hopes to recover her sentimental items, even if it means buying them back.
“I don’t even care about the expensive items,” she said. “They can sell those. I just want my personal belongings.”
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