Jeffrey J. Greenberger is a partner in the law firm of Greenberger & Brewer LLP, where he concentrates his practice in the areas of Commercial Real Estate, with a particular concentration on the representation of owners and operators of self-storage facilities, to design and implement legal procedures and policies, and address operational issues with a focus on litigation and liability reduction and/or avoidance.
With decades of experience in the storage industry, Jeff is highly sought for his expertise. He is commonly found centerstage at conferences, where he leads entrepreneurs through a wide variety of self-storage topics. While emphasizing the need for smart contracts, Jeff shares a wide breadth of engaging examples illustrating the need to cover all potential legal issues involving your business, and offers best practices for staying on the right side of the law.
Toy Storage Nation is delighted that Jeff Greenberger will be presenting a legal session at our upcoming workshop, Friday, April 14, in Las Vegas. Although Jeff is tough to pin down because he is typically coming and going to conventions countrywide, we were lucky to sideline him recently to answer a few questions about RV and boat storage–just enough to whet the appetite for his upcoming session. (Scroll to the bottom for a link to register!)
TSN: With RV and boat storage in such high demand, couldn’t just about any existing storage operator expand into toy storage, especially if they have an undeveloped parcel contiguous with their property?
Jeff Greenberger: An operator should not just jump into vehicle storage just because there is extra land. There are many considerations that go into deciding if vehicle storage is a good use for that land including understanding the differences in the law for vehicle storage vs. “true” self-storage, especially if your state does not offer vehicle towing as a remedy.
What other liability issues should they consider?
Jeff Greenberger: You will need different or additional insurance to cover this type of business. Specifically, you need to discuss with your agent any notice you have to give to the carrier that you have entered into this business to obtain different coverage. Think about it, your rental agreement says you do not want hazardous substances stored at the facility yet now you are in the business of inviting vehicles full of these substances to store with you.
Toy Storage Nation promotes Class A development for RV and because the added security and convenience features validate higher rents, but also attract an “executive” level tenant–someone who’ll pay more to know their prized possessions are in safe-keeping. Questions arise about the legal differences between outdoor/indoor parking, as well as offering tenants valet parking for added convenience. Does this lead to more insurance and liability issues though?
Jeff Greenberger: Especially for outdoor storage of vehicles or indoor valet style parking, you need a separate rental agreement because this is much more of a bailment than traditional self-storage. These differences must be addressed in order to protect yourself.
Learn more at Jeff’s legal session at Toy Storage Nation’s Executive Workshop at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Friday, April 14, where he’ll roll out details for the following:
- What are the legal issues with vehicle/vessel storage?
- Why “borrowing” a self-storage agreement is not a good idea.
- How vehicle/vessel storage is a completely different business from self-storage.
For more information about the TSN Executive Workshop and to register, visit: https://toystoragenation.com/events/
