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Committee moves to update self‑storage sale notices, sending bill to general orders for cleanup
Summary
Senate Bill 1126 would remove a newspaper advertising requirement for defaulted storage‑unit sales and allow modern notice methods; committee voted to send the bill to general orders to reconcile language that still referenced “published” notices.
Senate Bill 1126, a measure sponsored in committee by Representative John Weber, would remove a requirement that operators advertise defaulted storage‑unit sales in a printed newspaper and instead allow electronic or contract‑specified notice and posting on widely used auction platforms.
Weber told the committee the statute requiring publication in a printed newspaper dated back to the early 1990s and is out of step with modern notice options in which operators already use certified mail, text, email or online platforms. Ron Osborne, who identified himself as a storage‑facility owner with multiple properties in Idaho and other states, said operators typically follow contractual notice methods and use national auction platforms (one example named during testimony was StorageTreasures) to publicize sales; he said only a small percentage of customers still rely on newspapers.
Representative Wheeler raised a drafting concern: the bill deletes a statutory reference to newspaper publication but the sale provisions later still require a “published notice” and “conduct in conformance with the terms of the published notice.” Committee members and witnesses agreed that the language should be clarified so that “published” is not taken to mean print only, or that the word should be replaced to match the bill’s intent.
Representative Crane moved to send the bill to general orders so staff can correct that inconsistency and make the statutory language align with modern notification practices. The motion carried after a recorded voice vote; committee members agreed to the referral so the bill’s language can be amended before further floor consideration.
Witnesses said the bill would align statute with current practice—operators still send direct notices to renters and also post sale notices on online auction platforms used nationwide; they added the statutory exception protecting active‑duty military would remain.
The committee closed public testimony and referred the bill to general orders for technical fixes and clearer statutory wording.
