Legal Question in Real Estate Law in California
Does a storage and moving company have the legal right to relocate your personal property without notification or authorization of the owner of the personal property?
1 Answer from Attorneys
I can think of circumstances where it would be legal and proper to do so, and other circumstances where it would be improper, and possibly illegal. By improper, I'm thinking it could be a breach of contract or something of that ilk. In an extreme case, the storage and moving company might be chargeable with the tort called "conversion". You would have to start by reading the Bill of Lading or other contract between the storage and moving company and yourself. Unless it obliges them to hold your things at a specific location, the company may have the right to select the place of storage and to change their selection from time to time. Your grounds for complaining, if you have any, would arise if their choice of a storage location caused any delay, difficulty, damage, etc. in your getting delivery of your property when the storage or moving operation is completed and you request delivery.