A storage facility owner near London, Ont., recently stumbled upon something surprising – two stolen vehicles tucked away inside rented units.
“This was a new one for me, and I learned a lesson too,” said Marcus Kingo, who runs Belmont Storage, a family-owned self-storage business that’s been around for 12 years, about 25 kilometers outside of London, Ont.
Kingo found the vehicles while getting three outdoor storage lockers ready for auction after payments on those units were overdue. At Belmont Storage, if customers fall behind on their payments, they’re contacted using the details from their rental agreements and through social media. If there’s still no reply after about 60 days, the contents of that unit go up for auction.
Kingo mentioned that it’s not unusual for clients to rent outdoor containers to keep vehicles safe, especially during winter months.
“It’s quite a common thing that we offer,” he said. “People want to get their vehicles out of the elements and have them stored dry and safe.”
The vehicles might have remained hidden for months if not for a series of events leading up to their discovery this week.
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Marcus Kingo of Belmont Storage discovered two vehicles inside rented storage lockers that later turned up as stolen when he searched the vehicle identification numbers. (Submitted by Marcus Kingo)
The auction process kicks off when Kingo films a brief video showing the lock being cut off the storage units and the door swinging open. This video provides potential online bidders with a quick look at what could be inside. The contents aren’t taken out or photographed in detail or cataloged.
This “locker opening” video is then uploaded to an external auction website where people place bids based on what they can see from that initial glimpse.
“It’s a bit of a gamble for bidders, but sometimes they find treasures,” said Kingo.
On the popular TV show Storage Wars, folks gather in person at storage lockers to bid on what’s inside during an open auction. They base their offers solely on what they can see from afar with the locker door open.
The big reveal happens when successful bidders learn whether they’ve bought something valuable – like a collection of vintage coins – or something useless like old bed linen full of moth holes.
Belmont Storage conducts all its auctions online.
“It’s not like on TV,” said Kingo. “It’s all done online by a third-party vendor.”
This week when Kingo filmed the “cut open” video for three outdoor storage lockers, he discovered vehicles in two of them.
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The OPP came to collect two vehicles which had been reported stolen and were found this week inside a pair of outdoor storage containers.(Belmont Storage/Facebook)
Police notified to remove vehicles
Kingo reached out to law enforcement, and both vehicles – a 2018 Volvo SUV and a 2020 Hyundai – were removed by the OPP. “So it wasn’t anything exciting like a Ferrari,” said Kingo. Elgin OPP confirmed that they were called to Belmont Storage on Tuesday and retrieved two stolen vehicles. Police stated both cars had been reported stolen in the Toronto area. The owners haven’t yet received their vehicles back, and no charges have been filed so far since investigations are ongoing. Kingo’s Facebook post sharing news about finding these two cars garnered significant attention. Some commenters criticized him for not checking vehicle identification numbers (VINs) or obtaining driver’s license information when renting out lockers.Kingo explained recording VINs when customers store cars is common practice at larger self-storage facilities; however most clients at his location are locals from Belmont whom he often knows personally.
It wasn’t clear during rental if these lockers would be used specifically for storing cars,
Kingo noted customers have access around-the-clock to their units so what gets stored or removed isn’t always watched closely.
“That’s something we’re going to do with every customer from now on,” he said. “I’ve learned my lesson here.”
