Jeff Hersh of Broomfield, Colorado, says he’s lost nearly everything that mattered to him — from his late wife’s ashes to decades of family memories — after the contents of his storage unit were auctioned off.
It’s a devastating loss, but not as rare as you might think. Each year, about 155,000 storage units are auctioned across the U.S., according to Simply Self Storage (1). That adds up to a $65 million industry built on unclaimed belongings and missed payments.
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For Hersh, it all started last spring when a pipe burst in his neighbor’s condo, flooding the home he’d shared with his daughter since 2001. ServPro, a professional restoration company, stepped in to pack up his belongings — wedding albums, baby books and his wife’s ashes — and moved them to an Extra Space Storage facility for safekeeping.
“They took everything that was in here," Hersh told Steve on Your Side (2). "Furniture. They boxed up all my stuff. They took my desk and they took the drawers and just dumped them into boxes."
When payments on the unit allegedly fell behind, the contents were sold at auction on September 3, 2025. Since then, Hersh says getting answers — or any chance of getting his life back — has been a nightmare.
"I’m really upset. I’m heartbroken. I’m devastated, angry," Hersh said.
When temporary storage becomes a permanent loss
Hersh spent six long months living in a hotel while his condo was repaired. When it was finally time to move home, he called ServPro to retrieve his belongings. That’s when things took an unexpected turn.
"I’m sorry, all your belongings are gone,” the manager of ServPro allegedly told Heresh.
Hersh dreaded breaking the news to his daughter — that all her childhood keepsakes and photos of her mother had vanished.
“That was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to tell my daughter since I had to tell her that her mom died,” he said.
According to Hersh, the confusion began when the storage facility changed ownership while his items were inside, switching from CubeSmart to Extra Space Storage. ServPro, he said, was never informed of the change — and that may have led to his belongings being auctioned off.
It’s common to rely on storage during a major life transition. About 33% of Americans currently rent a unit, and another 18% plan to, according to StorageCafe (3).
What is uncommon is when that safety net turns into a permanent loss. And in Hersh’s case, the story he was told about what happened to his belongings didn’t quite hold up under closer inspection.
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Something’s not adding up
When Steve On Your Side began digging deeper, the story ServPro told didn’t line up with the records. Screenshots between Hersh and the ServPro manager raised new questions about who knew what — and when.
A spokesperson for Extra Space Storage said the same ServPro employee who handled Hersh’s belongings called in late May to make a payment on the unit. The company also shared documentation showing nine attempts to reach that employee about overdue payments and the upcoming auction between late June and early September.
The unit was officially listed for auction on September 3, with bidding closing three days later. Extra Space said the ServPro employee called on September 7 to ask about the results and again on September 10, requesting contact information for the winning bidder. Due to privacy laws, the company said it couldn’t release those details.
How to safeguard your belongings
Hersh says the experience feels as gut-wrenching as watching his home burn down. He hopes his story reaches the person who bought the unit.
"All we know is that they were from Colorado Springs and that they emptied out the storage unit and went on their way," Hersh said. "All we really want is our personal stuff back that has no value to anybody else."
If a company or restoration service stores your belongings on your behalf, always verify whose name is listed on the rental contract. Request written documentation that includes the account number, payment schedule, and storage location, so you’re never left out of the loop.
Setting up automatic payments or calendar reminders can also prevent missed bills that might lead to an auction. Keep an up-to-date inventory of what’s inside your unit, take photos for your records and check whether your homeowners or renters insurance extends to items kept off-site.
Finally, stay proactive. Contact the storage company directly every so often to confirm your account is current. A quick call or email can go a long way toward protecting your most irreplaceable memories.
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Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
Governing (1); 9 News (2); Storage Cafe (3); Dove Storage (4).
This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com under the title: Colorado man loses late wife’s ashes and family treasures after reno company fails to pay storage bill
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.