Concerns Regarding Treatment of Tenants and Handling of Rodent Infestation
Life Storage - Tarpon Springs Ownership, Upon arriving at my son's storage unit Thursday, April 18th, I was greeted by the unit owners on the left. I was questioned if I am new or already established. I stated, Today I am moving out my son as he has bought a house, and we are here to clean the storage unit out. She was devastated to tell me of the news there had been a rat infestation and was confused why we were not informed as they had reported this infestation to the front office more than 30 days ago letting the front office know they had seen live rats running into our unit!! Why were we never informed of this situation? Why was there never a phone picked up or an email sent? Why am I just finding out this information the day that we were to move my sons whole house out of this unit. Our unit neighbor stated they told the front office but whomever was at the front desk at the time mentioned "that unit is military". Please note that sharing his unit is military personnel to another customer is invading privacy, protection, and personal security. IF we were informed more then 30 days ago, we would have had all his valuables, brand new furniture and sentimental items that were held in this unit. I am making a Standard of Level of Care Claim and reporting this matter to you as this is a result of gross negligence. By Law - Gross negligence is a lack of care that demonstrates reckless disregard for the safety or lives of others, which is so great it appears to be a conscious violation of other people's rights to safety. You were informed of this situation for an ample amount of time, and nothing was done. You have violated the safety of our wellbeing by walking into this atmosphere. Gross negligence is a heightened degree of negligence representing an extreme departure from the ordinary standard of care. Falling between intent to do wrongful harm and ordinary negligence, gross negligence is defined as willful, wanton, and reckless conduct affecting the life or property or another. You have affected more than just the property held within your units; you have created a catastrophic event on how much value is lost with this kind of damage. You were reported to, and no action was undertaken. Ownership is conducting business with such conscious disregard and knowledge of existing circumstances and conditions. Four Months ago, you had more who submit claims about this, you have reviews explaining rodent infestation, and much more others are sharing the news of this matter. Upon my son and fiancé arriving to take what they thought would be their whole house of furniture and valuables, we had to instead clean up fecal matter, dead rodents, and document this case. Being exposed to this scene was unbearable. Per the CDC - "Rats and mice are associated with a number of health risks. In fact, rats and mice are known to spread more than 35 diseases. These diseases can be spread to humans directly through handling of live or dead rodents, contact with rodent feces, urine, or saliva. The smell of a dead rat can be harmful to a person's health due to the toxic gases and microscopic compounds of the dead animal that are constantly being released into the indoor air. These gases permeate into the respiratory tract and can potentially cause illness." Documentation and Reporting: Thursday, April 18th 2024 The excitement and moment for my child on buying a house and moving in was ripped away. That Thursday should not have been the day we found out about this infestation. That Thursday should not have been hours and hours spent cleaning up a mess that you and your team should have never let get to this extent. Friday, April 19th 2024 I drove back to Life Storage - Tarpon Springs . I then received contact information of your staff District Manager David Ticich, Stuart Sanders Senior District Manager David Stafford, I urge you to take immediate action to address the disrespectful treatment of tenants by your management tear. As the owner of Life Storage, it is your responsibility to ensure that your business operates with integrity and compassion towards its customers. I trust that you will take the necessary steps to address these concerns and restore the trust and confidence of your tenants. One aspect of fulfilling this duty is maintaining open lines of communication with tenants. Your previous communications have included the statement, "If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our office at 727-428-6556 or visit us in-store." This statement serves as a reminder of the accessibility of your office for addressing tenant inquiries and issues. However, recent experiences have highlighted a discrepancy between this stated commitment and the actual responsiveness of Life Storage to tenant concerns. It is crucial to uphold this commitment