Marijuana Break-In, Lawsuit Sparks Chatter in Self-Storage Community

A bizarre break-in to a California self-storage unit containing $35,000 worth of marijuana has the self-storage community puzzled, and engaged in spirited discussion.

A member of Self-Storage Talk, the official online community of Inside Self-Storage, shared a news story from Murrietta, Calif., in which a tenant who grows medicinal marijuana reported the theft of 35 pot plants, valued at $1,000 a piece, from his unit. The tenant said the facility operator neglected to fix a broken door on an adjacent unit, from which thieves tunneled through two layers of drywall to accomplish the deed.

The tenant, who claims the property manager was aware of the broken door on the neighboring unit, filed a lawsuit against the self-storage facility, Hunco Way, in Riverside County Superior Court. The facility has not furnished its insurance information, according to the complaint.

On Self-Storage Talk, thread respondents are glad theyre not in this facility operators shoes. One suggests the "limit of liability" clause of the rental agreement will be important in this instance. Another goes so far to suggest the tenant set up the break-in, that the plants weren't stolen at all, especially since it appears the plaintiff's unit was the only one hit.

Even though medicinal marijuana is more or less legal in California, another commenter has called into question the integrity of a facility that allows marijuana of any kind in a unit. The tenant was somehow drawing electricity in the unit to power growing lamps, but it's not clear whether he had permission from the facility operator to do so.

If you're interested in joining in the discussion, log in to Self-Storage Talk. You must be a registered user to post, but registration is free and takes only a few minutes.