$100K worth of tenant belongings stolen from public storage

A Public Storage facility located 13610 E. 42nd Terrace Street in Independence, Missouri was burglarized last week, with the thieves making off with one tenant's belongings, estimated to be worth more than $100K.

The victim, Kendra Lynn, spoke with local news reporters about the theft. She says she was in the process of moving so she rented a unit to temporarily house her designer clothes, shoes, hats, and purses, including a custom Alaskan fur coat worth tens of thousands of dollars.

“It's heartbreaking," said Lynn. "Some things can just never be replaced. We’re talking about $100K worth of items, it was very valuable things.”

The thieves apparently had cut the lock on an adjoining unit, and then cut through the back wall to access Lynn's unit. 

The wall that was cut through to access Lynn's unit

Lynn believes Public Storage should be held accountable for the cost of the stolen goods. "“I feel like they should be responsible for the whole claim," she told reporters.

Toby Struewing with Cowan Insurance Group, who MSM interviewed for an upcoming issue of Self-Storage Candada, says more than ever it's important for storage companies to offer tenant insurance. "A lot of owners are making it mandatory,” he says. “They won’t rent a unit to someone unless they take out insurance or show proof of insurance from another provider.”

Following their interview with Lynn, reporters also learned that this was not the only Public Storage facility in the area to be burglarized; a location in Raytown, about 15 minutes away, was also targeted by thieves. 

Both thefts remain under investigation.

Further Reading:

Combatting Criminals: Owners & Tenants Fight Self-Storage Theft