Our storage unit was sold at auction, and nobody let us know
“I’ve kept my whole life in that storage unit, we are just absolutely gutted.”
Family Life
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A family has been left stunned after a storage shed full of their belongings was unexpectedly sold during an online auction.
The Elias family, based in Sydney’s western suburbs, had 30 boxes of “sentimental belongings” in a storage facility.
However, the Daily Mail reports the family fell behind in their rental payments for the storage locker due to a stolen credit card.
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The missing payments resulted in all the items inside the facility being sold off in an online auction without the family’s knowledge in June.
“It was completely devastating,” mum Sarah Elias told Sunrise.
“I think we were just in shock. We cried and we screamed, and we were just calling out, ‘that’s all our stuff’.
“It just didn’t feel real.”
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"We are just absolutely gutted"
The mum-of-three told The Daily Telegraph she was less than $1000 in arrears when her storage locker was sold.
“We don’t want to do this person any ill will, we would be willing to pay them so much more … it breaks my heart to think what has even happened to our stuff,” she said
“I’ve kept my whole life in that storage unit, we are just absolutely gutted.”
The sale of all the family’s possessions was for just $1300, but included several priceless heirlooms and gifts.
The Daily Telegraph reports the items included gifts from loved ones who have passed away, birth certificates, passports, her children’s school books, her children’s first dresses and hospital bracelets.
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"Childhood memories" taken away
Alita, one of the daughters, told Sunrise she and her siblings were “devastated” after finding out their belongings were gone.
She said it was “childhood memories” being taken away.
“When mum read it had been auctioned off, all our hearts just shattered into a million pieces,” she told the programme.
Sarah said she believed the bidders for the family’s possessions were not aware of the value to the family, or the backstory as to why they were being sold.
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"Please bring us back our precious things"
The Daily Mail reports the family is now calling on the public for help to get their possessions back.
Sarah told Sunrise she was willing to pay “double or triple” to get their stuff back.
“If you need anything, we are good people and generous people, and we don’t want to take anything from you, just please bring us back our precious things,” she said.
“Just give our memories back, please.”
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