Priceless possessions ruined in storage depot leak
Jul 19 2008 by Chris Robinson, The Journal
PRICELESS love letters and photographs were destroyed when water leaked into a Newcastle storage unit.
Toni Scott was left devastated when she discovered the treasured mementos had been ruined by rain seeping into the depot in Forth Street, in the city centre.
She was also distraught to find LPs she collected as a teenager, including a record signed by the Stone Roses, were standing in up to 4in of water.
The 30-year-old marketing manager put her possessions in storage after moving house. She was planning to transport them to her mother’s home in Runcorn, Merseyside, when she discovered the damage.
Miss Scott, who works for Northumbria University’s students’ union, has been told by insurers they may be unable to pay out because the items were not of monetary value.
She said: “I could have easily shoved them in someone’s garage or a shed and I wish I had now. It was when I was about to move it to my mother’s in Runcorn that a friend noticed they were soaked.
“There were seven boxes of stuff which have been completely destroyed now.”
Items included the Stone Roses signed album, plus around 100 LPs she had collected from her teens, and letters and photographs of her ex-boyfriend.
Miss Scott, of Fenham, Newcastle, said: “I have to wait for the insurance guy but I have a feeling that it’s not going to be good news.
“I wouldn’t have cared if it was a television or something like that, but it’s things that can’t be replaced and things I will always treasure.
“My records are what I value the most. There were lots of birthday cards and letters that my ex-boyfriend sent me too and we only broke up recently, and my portfolio has also been ruined.
“In one of the boxes there was about four inches of water so it had been leaking for a while.
“I was told that the leak happened because there’s a car park on top of the building and there was a problem with the drainage, they said it had never happened before.
“But they shouldn’t have let me put my stuff in there if there was any risk of a leak and they should take responsibility.”
Miss Scott said she was refunded £360 for six months’ storage but spoke out because she wants to warn others in a similar situation who may think their items will remain safe.
A spokesman for Safestore said: “Safestore regret the damage that was caused to Ms Scott’s property while it was in storage at the company’s storage facility in Forth Street, Newcastle.
“The damage was due to a leak in the roof of the facility and was not discovered earlier due to the fact that Safestore personnel do not have access to customer units.
“In line with our own best practice procedures, we dealt with the matter swiftly. In addition to reimbursing Ms Scott for the full storage costs, Safestore processed Ms Scott’s insurance claim on a ‘reinstatement’ policy, which is superior to her original ‘indemnity’ policy, at no extra cost. The claim is currently with the insurance company.”
