Napa Self Storage tenants outraged by letter after quake

NAPA, Calif. (KGO) -- There's outrage over a letter and questionnaire sent to Napa Self Storage tenants. As we first reported last month, the tenants have not been allowed into their units because of earthquake damage. Now, many say they've received letters that amount to a slap in the face.

"I consider this to be extortion. It's like ransom for our stuff."

Tempers flared at an impromptu meeting in Napa Saturday night, as tenants of Napa Self Storage sounded off about a letter from management. In the letter they were told: "... that means that to get stored property out of the building, or tenants will have to help foot the bill."

"Pretty shocked they're gonna try to make us pay for this," said tenant Seanna Villareal.

What's being suggested isn't cheap. It amounts to 12 times a person's monthly rent.

Building 900 was red-tagged after the earthquake in August. Tenants have no idea what condition their possessions are in since they haven't had access.

Storage owners insist the building needs to be demolished, but a specialized crew can safely help tenants go in and recover what they can.

"The fact that their building did not stand up is their problem," said tenant Sara Henry. "We need to have access to our belongings."

"Bad planning on their part shouldn't constitute an emergency on ours," said tenant Allen McDonald.

Most can't afford to pay anywhere from $700 to $2,000 for access, which is outlined in the questionnaire.

Mayor Jill Techel attended Saturday night's meeting and has agreed to check if the city's earthquake relief fund can help pay for this.

"We can spend a lot of time arguing over who should pay for this," said the mayor. "I'd rather have our focus be on how quickly can we get their stuff out of there."