AirTags Lead Couple To Missing Belongings At Tacoma Storage Facility

A Washington couple’s cross-country move took an unexpected turn when Apple AirTags packed among their belongings led them not to Florida, but to a self-storage facility just miles from their former home, where their property was reportedly facing auction.

According to a lawsuit filed Aug. 10 in Pierce County Superior Court, the Gig Harbor couple paid $5,600 to have their belongings transported roughly 3,000 miles to their new Florida residence. On June 26, two people arrived at their home, loaded family heirlooms and other personal property into a truck, and drove away. The couple expected their belongings to arrive in Florida by July 18.

They had, however, packed four Apple AirTags among their possessions to track the shipment.

The following day, the couple noticed that the AirTags appeared to have stopped at Storage Court Tacoma in South Tacoma, only about six miles beyond the Narrows Bridge. According to the lawsuit, they contacted the moving company seeking information about their property but were unable to get satisfactory answers.

The couple also went to the storage facility themselves but could not get beyond the fence line. That’s when retired Gig Harbor Police Chief Kelly Busey entered the picture. A longtime family friend of the couple, Busey retired from the department in June 2025 after 34 years in law enforcement.

Gig Harbor Police Chief Kelly Busey courtesy Gig Harbor Police Department; the storage unit in question courtesy Pierce County Superior Court

On Aug. 5, the couple shared the AirTags’ tracking information with Busey. According to a declaration he filed in the court case, Busey went to Storage Court Tacoma and received permission from an on-site manager to walk the property and determine where the devices were transmitting from.

“After walking near the ‘N’ building, the four icons for the AirTag devices began to converge to one central location outside storage unit N1588,” Busey wrote. “This told me I was close to the actual AirTags.”

The manager initially told Busey that unit was empty. After continuing to investigate, however, he narrowed the signal to another nearby unit. Later that day, Busey said the manager contacted him and identified unit N1544 as the likely location of the couple’s property. But finding the belongings didn’t immediately solve the problem.

Storage Court, Tacoma, Wash.

According to the lawsuit, fees on the unit were overdue and its contents were scheduled to be auctioned. Bidding was set to begin at $10 and end Aug. 18. On Aug. 10, attorney Phillip Curiale filed a motion on the couple’s behalf seeking a temporary restraining order to stop the auction. The News Tribune contacted attorneys representing defendant Tacoma Investment Associates Self Storage LLC on Aug. 11, and the auction was canceled that afternoon. A hearing scheduled for Aug. 12 to determine whether a temporary restraining order should be issued was subsequently canceled.

Anna-Marie Sargent, an attorney representing Storage Court Tacoma, told The News Tribune that the unit had been withdrawn from auction while the facility worked with the couple and their attorney to resolve the situation. “We are sorry to hear about what this family has gone through — losing your belongings during a move is a terrible situation for anyone,” Sargent said. “Storage Court’s role here is limited to the storage rental agreement, and we are reviewing the situation and working with the [couple’s] attorney to return their belongings.”

Curiale declined to comment to the newspaper, but said the matter remained pending as of the morning of Aug. 12. Court records showed another motion was filed that day asking Storage Court Tacoma to show cause as to why the couple should not be entitled to immediately take possession of their property.

How Did The Belongings Get There?

The circumstances surrounding the move remain disputed. According to the lawsuit, the couple initially contacted American National Movers for a quote before Frank Garvis of Aegis Interstate Transport contacted them to finalize the move. Garvis acted as a subcontractor for American National Movers.

The couple alleges that after discovering their belongings remained in Washington, they repeatedly contacted American National Movers and Aegis Interstate Transport seeking a delivery date. “They either failed to respond or promised delivery dates within 1 or 2 business days,” the lawsuit states. “Plaintiffs knew such promises were impossible because the Property was still in Washington.”

Garvis disputed the couple’s version of events in an Aug. 12 interview with The News Tribune. He said the couple never followed up about delivery and that their belongings had been temporarily placed in storage in late June to accommodate an August delivery date.

Garvis also disputed claims that the belongings were going to be auctioned. He provided the newspaper with a screenshot of a July 29 email from Storage Court Tacoma showing a final notice for an overdue balance of $288 on the unit.

Christopher Heart, a representative for American National Movers, told The News Tribune that the company never had possession or control of the couple’s household goods. According to Heart, Garvis attributed the extended transit time to operating conditions that included slower consumer booking activity, increased fuel and transportation costs, and additional time needed to coordinate shipments and routes.

Gig Harbor Police Chief Tray Federici confirmed Aug. 12 that no police report had been filed. For now, the couple’s belongings have been located and the auction has been stopped, but the dispute over their return and how they came to be stored in Tacoma remains unresolved.