Commerce Committee hears storage‑law modernization to reduce reliance on newspaper notices

Representative Dane Deel presented House Bill 2717 to modernize Missouri's self‑storage statutes, in part by changing how owners notify tenants and the public of liens and impending sales so the law reflects current online practices.

Deel said the bill removes an antiquated dependence on newspaper publication and updates notice rules to account for industry practices such as electronic notices, email and software‑recorded communications. He highlighted provisions aimed at clarifying rental‑agreement delivery, rules when storage is used for occupancy, and language changes to address mergers or changes in ownership/operator status.

Owners and association representatives testified in support. Alex Erbs, a storage operator and president of the Missouri Self Storage Owners Association, told the committee that operators already rely on multiple contact methods (calls, emails, texts) and that in some communities classified ads are no longer available; he described practical problems where statutory newspaper‑publication requirements force owners to place ads in distant papers. Chris Holloway and Randy Shearer, speaking for owner/operators and the national association respectively, said software systems commonly record notifications and alternate contacts, and that online auction platforms have become the industry's marketplace for resale. Shearer provided industry numbers on auction volume and sale prices and noted many units sell for less than the balance owed, underscoring the economic effect on owners.

Members questioned industry witnesses about recordkeeping and the mechanics of alternate‑notice methods; operators said they maintain audit trails of calls, emails and texts through property-management software and that statutes already require documentation of contact attempts. The committee did not vote on the bill during the hearing.