SEATTLE - Storage units go up on the auction block after their renters stop paying the bill. And there are plenty of people ready to take advantage of their misfortune.
The owners of Hansen Bros. Moving and Storage put the contents of 17 storage units on the auction block Wednesday night. It's part gambling and part treasure hunt.
"It says fragile, fragile is good," says potential bidder Shirley Guilfoyle, as she examines the contents of one unit. The event can be quite cutthroat and the bidders don’t always have a lot of compassion. "A lot of crap in that one," says one man, as he passed by an open unit.
The owners of the belongings stopped paying their rent long ago for whatever reason. "Some of them fall of the face of the earth," says salesperson Alan Holm. "We go way out of our way to track them down."
Holm says some of the units are part of an estate. Surviving relatives are often out of state and give permission to auction off the items.
There are lots of rules including no moving or touching of the items, which is why many bidders come with flashlights. And the highest bidder must take the contents of the entire unit.
Dan Allen of Lake Stevens won a storage unit with a highest bid of $900. "Kinda more nerve-wracking then exciting," says Allen. "Like oh my goodness what did i just do?"
In all this treasure hunting there is also heartbreak, family photos and heirlooms that will now likely end up in the trash.
The storage company says they hold these auctions at least once a month and the crowds keep growing.
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