Woman says storage companies stole belongings

CHARLESTON -- A woman is suing Inca Aztec Management Corp and East Storage VII Liminted Partnership after her personal belongings were stolen from her storage unit.

Janie Coffman rented a storage unit from the defendants beginning on Jan. 23, 2010, and paid $109 per month to have her belongings stored, according to a complaint filed Sept. 26 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Coffman claims on April 6, she discovered her storage unit had been broken into and most of her personal belongings were stolen.

Since Coffman had last visited the unit on March 23, the theft of her personal items occurred between March 23 and April 6, according to the suit.

Coffman claims when went to the defendants and requested the video surveillance for the period of time she believed her items had been stolen, she was told the video surveillance was broken.

If Coffman had been properly advised that video surveillance was not being provided as advertised, she would have terminated her contract immediately and removed her belongings and put them in a different storage facility that had video surveillance, according to the suit.

Coffman claims as a result of the defendants’ wrongful conduct, she was damaged by the theft of her personal items valued at approximately $70,000.

The defendants breached their duty by failing to operate business in a reasonably prudent manner and were otherwise negligent, according tot he suit.

Coffman claims the defendants also breached their contract with her by failing to provide video surveillance.

The defendants violated the West Virginia Consumer Protection and Credit Act by falsely advertising that video surveillance was provided when it was not being provided, according to the suit.

Coffman is seeking compensatory damages. She is being represented by Michael J. Del Giudice.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Carrie Webster.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 12-C-1945