In September 2014, I moved all my belongings into two A-1 Mini Storage units as that is what was available. Dan, the owner, was congenial upon move-in. I fortunately was able to downsize to just one unit within a year. Due to the location of the facility and how my 10x15 backed up to an embankment, I chose to palletize it to avoid any potential water damage from snowmelt and also as I no longer lived in Northern California and couldn't visit as often. A dead mouse had been found in my glass 5 gallon water bottle upon moveout of the smaller unit, so I opted to then put traps in the 10x15. I gifted the bottle to Dan, A-1's Owner, upon move-out inspection of the small unit and thought nothing of it, as it was one small mouse and I figured it was looking to hydrate and I'd left the cap off.
That said, I was not prepared for what was to come the second year. I moved twice and although addresses were provided, wrong addresses were billed. Not only that, addresses weren't recorded from my checks nor correctly noted by the company so misdirected mail and delayed notification was common. Additionally, as an out-of-town tenant I was specifically required to pay by check in the mail or onsite unless I made special arrangements with my financial institution to write them a autocheck monthly. A-1 does not offer auto-debit or any conveniences other than paying in advance (which is not always an option for everyone.) I understand this might recently have changed as they move into the technological advances of this century with the advent of the daughters now managing billing.
Due to the stress of their old-fashioned system and the frustration of discovering personal items (furniture, clothes and luggage) damaged by rodent infestation, I opted to move. (That one dead mouse was a warning sign I ought to have heeded to move all from this site. I stored no food- only household items- and furniture yet many mice defecated and urinated over possessions that needed to be taken to the dump.) I provided notice in February 2017 and made a lumpsum payment for three months in advance advising that I'd vacate the unit by the end May.
The third week of May I arrived again in Shasta, hired a cleaning and moving crew, rented a moving truck and vacated the unit.
After unanswered correspondence and calls, today August 15, I phoned the owner. I was informed his daughter, Lisa, is now handling the books and she could look into why I'd not received a check for prorated May and my deposit. Upon calling Lisa, I was informed by her that I gave "no notice" of my intent to vacate and that the "unit was left dirty."
It's incredibly unprofessional to cheat former tenants who clean out their units (and not only that but hire a crew to help them do so.) We removed all pallets, dead mice, swept the unit multiple times, made a dump run and cleaned cobwebs in between the cracks and crevices. WHAT MORE WAS THIS WOMAN LOOKING TO SEE? Clean isn't exactly subjective. The unit was properly cleaned and seen as such by many different eyes. It was left in good shape ready for the next tenant.
I learned my lesson with this family-owned and managed facility. Should you choose to rent from them, make sure you do the final walkthrough together with them. It was a big mistake to leave that unit on a weekend, merely advising the staff who helps them nearby (Matt&Reese/ Sarti's-UHaul) that all was cleaned and done.
I strongly suggest storing elsewhere if you require storage in Mount Shasta, CA. It may seem like a good spot yet it comes with hassle and a sincere lack of professionalism. read more
