Renters of storage units could lose belongings in pandemic squeeze

Terry McKoy said the clock is ticking on the future of his general contracting company because he's two months behind on the rent at three self-storage units in Fayetteville.

While his utility trailer is packed with tools for the job, McKoy said he has four times as much in the storage units. But with the pandemic severely curtailing his business, it's almost impossible to find the rent money, he said.

"The majority of my income is based on me being able to go out and perform jobs. Well, with this active pandemic going on, I can't – I have to be aware of taking my people, my crew, into people's homes," he said. "Trying to maintain this along with all the other necessities of life – buying [protective] gear, supporting the people around me and my crew – it's hard to juggle all this stuff during a pandemic."

Under North Carolina law, the owners of self-service storage facilities have the right to put a lien on property and auction it off when rent isn't paid.

The owners of the two storage companies have cut McKoy's locks on the units and replaced them with their red ones, meaning the contents of all three could be sold at auction in the next week or two.

"One storage would probably be right at $40,000 [of equipment] and the others probably $4,000 [each]," he said.

McKoy said he knows the storage companies have the right to sell his belongings, but he wants more time to pay the rent so he doesn't lose the tools he's accumulated over 38 years in business.

"If I'm doing a deck or if I'm putting a roof on, if I'm landscaping, if I'm dropping trees, if I'm doing a complete kitchen or remodel job, everything requires different tools," he said.

The owners of the storage companies didn't respond to requests for comment.