Public Storage To Pay $140,000 In Case

PS Orangeco Inc., an affiliate name of self-storage real estate investment trust (REIT) and third-party management firm Public Storage, Inc., has agreed to pay $140,000 in penalties and costs for violating California’s price-gouging restrictions in the aftermath of the October 2017 Northern California wildfires. The judgment ordered by Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Patrick Broderick included an injunction to prohibit future violations.

The complaint filed against PS Orangeco was a joint action between the district attorneys’ offices in Napa, Solano, and Sonoma Counties. The ruling determined the self-storage operator raised prices by more than 10 percent during a declared state of emergency. Public Storage agreed to the judgment and cooperated in the investigation, issuing full refunds, along with a $10 courtesy credit, to all customers affected in the three counties.