The Latest Industry News

Attention: If you own a self storage facility in the Los Angeles area, you are being targeted to pay a parcel tax on your facility! 

To all self storage owners: Help us defeat this measure to prevent it from growing beyond LA School District. If this passes, it is likely that many school districts will attempt to duplicate this effort and tax YOUR facility. You can help by donating to the cause.

Background - On Feb. 28, 2019, the LAUSD’s Board unanimously voted to place on a June 4, 2019 Special Election ballot a new $500 million property tax on homes, apartments and business properties throughout the City of Los Angeles and within the vast boundaries of the school district (see attached map).

The LAUSD’s proposed property tax would assess a tax of 16 cents per square foot on all properties, which is in addition to an existing 12 cent per square foot property tax levied by the district, and statewide tax increases dedicated to schools passed by voters in 2012 and 2016.

CSSA has joined this coalition of organizations representing all property owners in the Los Angeles area to fight Measure EE.

We encourage not only self storage owners in the LA area to get involved, but ALL self storage owners to donate to help defeat this measure!

Please read accompanying attachments:

• Background - No on EE Info Kit - 3-27-19.pdf
• LAUSD map - LAUSD map.pdf
• Donation form - Remit Form--Measure EE_.pdf
• LAUSD Parcel Tax (resolution language) - Parcel tax measure June 4 2019.pdf

For additional information contact: Tracy Austin (tracy@tracyaustininc.com) or 310.435.8474

SELF STORAGE FAVORABLE COURT RULING

In a recent case (Halliburton v. Stadium Properties) the self storage industry received a very favorable CA Court of Appeal opinion dealing with several sections of the Self-service Storage Facility Act. At every turn, the court rejects the plaintiff's arguments that the jury verdict should be reversed. It clarifies many issues of lien law - however, it is to be an unpublished opinion. (per attorney Carlos Kaslow)

California does have a procedure for requisition publication of unpublished cases. Given the importance and positive nature of this opinion, SSA and CSSA sent a letter April 5, 2019 to the Court of Appeal asking the court to publish this opinion. 

See letter here: HalliburtonRequestToPublish - FINAL.pdf  

We will keep you posted on our progress to get this positive ruling published.

In an exclusive arrangement with CSSA, Inside Self Storage (ISS) is offering one year FREE trial subscription to their ISS Magazine. ISS will automatically add new CSSA members to their database to receive this FREE trail.

If you are a new member and have not yet received your FREE subscription to ISS Magazine, please contact ISS at: https://informa.omeda.com/iss/main.do
iss@omeda.com

CSSA is on the Move

December 21, 2018

The California Self Storage Association (CSSA), your professional trade organization for the self storage industry, is on the move and is launching a number of new changes to benefit you:

• New location for the office – Because we represent the entire state and to help keep an eye on legislation and regulation, we have moved our office to Sacramento. Please note our new address: 5325 Elkhorn Blvd., #283, Sacramento, CA 95842.
• New toll-free phone number – To help service you, we have a new phone toll-free phone number: 888-CSSA207 or 888-277-2207.
• New CSSA team to assist you – In addition to four-month new Executive Director Ross Hutchings, CSSA has new Administrative Assistant (and Membership Coordinator) Rochelle Morales. “We are here to help” so please give us a call if you need assistance!
• New website and database – We have also launched our new website and integrated database. You will be able to update your own records, renew your membership, register for events, view all CSSA activities (and some national events) in one location, pose questions and get answers on our community forum, and for vendors – view and sign-up for sponsorships.
• To view/update your membership record (and renew membership) you will need to do the following when entering your record for the first time on our new website:

1.   Clear your cache (need to open website by typing in and not letting your computer pre-populate the link)

2.   Be sure you are in the NEW CSSA website (hint: home page has a photo of a Southern California beach)

3.   Click the login link in the upper right corner of the home page (once you are logged in, that will change to a blue box with a half person icon

4.   A drop-down menu will appear for you to enter the email that is associated with your account and a password. THE INITIAL PASSWORD YOU NEED TO USE ON THE NEW WEBSITE IS: storage1.

5.   Once in your membership record, you will be to change your password to whatever password you choose. You can also  make changes/updates to your information as well as view your membership status. PLEASE RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP ASAP, if it has lapsed. You will be unable to register as member or receive other member-only benefits unless your membership is Active and current. If you are not a member, we invite you to review the benefits and sign up today (you can do so online).

6.     Finally, you can identify anyone in your company/business to be a member as well. To do that you need to create a “bundle,” identifying yourself as the administrator for your bundle (or other members of your organization). Follow the prompts – or call the CSSA office - 888-CSSA207 (888-277-2207) for assistance.

• Events registration open – Don’t forget to look on the new website for information regarding our two events: Napa Self Storage Owner’s Conference (May 8 & 9 – Silverado Resort & Spa, Napa) and our 15^th Annual Self Storage Owners Summit (July 18 – Balboa Bay Resort, Newport Beach). Both registrations are now open!

Although changes sometimes bring some adjustments and a few challenges, once we get everything implemented and everyone used to the new systems, we know that 2019 will be an extraordinary year for CSSA and our members.

CSSA Members receive $30 discount to ISS World Expo

CSSA members will receive $30 off the Seminar-Track Package OR All-Access Pass when registering through this link: ISS World Expo - CSSA Member Discount

Registration for the 2019 Self Storage Napa Owner's Conference is now open. Early Bird registration rates are good until January 15, 2019. Reservations for rooms at the Silverado Resort & Spa, site of the conference is now available as well. Attendees are encouraged to make reservations early as the room block tends to fill fast. 

Some baseball players are just better at hitting clutch homeruns than others. Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays had a knack for coming up with the long ball when their team needed it the most. The California Self Storage Association and event sponsor Talonvest Capital have just knocked one out of the park with Peter Ueberroth slated to be the keynote speaker at the 11th annual Owner’s Summit on July 23 at the Balboa Bay Club & Resort in Newport Beach.

Ueberroth has slammed quite a few career homers of his own. He is nationally acclaimed for having headed-up one of the most successful summer Olympic Games ever (1984 Los Angeles Games), and he was the Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1984-89. He was Time magazine’s Man of the Year in 1984 and also Chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee from 2001-2008. Ueberroth is now the managing director of Contrarian Group, an investment and management company.

“The Owner’s Summit has become one of the top national conferences in self storage and now it has gotten even better!” said Erin King, Executive Director of the CSSA. “I can’t say enough words of thanks to Jim Davies and Talonvest Capital Inc. for helping organize this event and bringing in such a terrific keynote speaker like Peter Ueberroth.”

Davies, a principal at Talonvest and founder of the Owner’s Summit, is excited about the upcoming gathering.

“My partners at Talonvest, the CSSA Summit committee and I have been passionate about featuring industry leaders like Ron Havner as Keynote Speakers,” Davies said. “We also like presenting attendees national and regional business and political leaders such as former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury and California Republican gubernatorial candidate, Neel Kashkari (our 2014 Keynote Speaker) and, of course, Peter Ueberroth.”

The usual top notch lineup of speakers and panels will once again demonstrate why the CSSA Owner’s Summit is one of the most highly anticipated self storage events of the year in California. This year’s panels will feature a Financial Leadership Forum, headed by Wayne Brandt, Managing Director, US Loan Originations, Wells Fargo Capital Markets, as well as a Self Storage Investment Trends presentation that will include industry experts like Chris Sonne (valuation expert for Cushman & Wakefield) and Ryan Burke (Green Street Advisors).

“Due in part to people’s excitement to hear Peter V. Ueberroth, the current registration number has eclipsed the best previous registration number almost two months prior to the July 23rd 11th Annual Self Storage Owners Summit that has been a sellout most every year,” added Davies.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Owner’s Summit without great networking opportunities. The Summit Networking Cocktail Party will take place from 4:15 – 6 p.m. Then there will be a special boat outing in support of Kure It Cancer following the cocktail party.

Given that the event has been a sellout in recent years, those interested in attending may want to act quickly. The registration rate is $275. The rate for vendors is $550. For those wishing to stay at the Balboa Bay Club and Resort, there is an exclusive discounted rate of $220 per night. The phone number for Balboa Bay is 888-894-2788 or you can book online at the Balboa Bay website, which is balboabayresort.com.

For more information about the 11th annual Owner’s Summit, please visit the CSSA website at californiaselfstorage.org or call the CSSA office at 949-783-4130.

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When a company tells you that it has a great product to make your life better, the first thing to cross your mind is probably “What’s the catch?” But when it is the California Self Storage Association (CSSA) offering up a great new service to its members for free, there is no catch. It is all part and parcel to what the CSSA does. Being a member most definitely has its benefits.

The CSSA is pairing with the California Employers Association (CEA) to provide members with a free Human Resource Hotline. CEA is a Human Resource consulting company that has been providing HR support to business owners in California for over 75 years. CSSA members will now be able to speak to a human resource expert who can provide California HR information and support by phone from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. CSSA members can reach the HR Hotline by calling or via email at ceainfo@employers.org.

CSSA members also will receive a monthly newsletter (The California Employers Report) as well as the “CEA Weekly Update” – a weekly bulleting sent via email that highlights current HR issues and provides timely information on employment law developments in California.

“The human resource realm has changed dramatically over the last 10 years and we feel that by adding this free accessibility to the vast wealth of California Employers Association information and services, we will help our CSSA members in a substantial way,” said Erin King, Executive Director of the CSSA. “We are constantly looking at ways to improve self storage in our state and this human resource addition will hopefully be used by all our members. It is free, after all!”

CSSA members will have a login to use for the site’s benefits. The CSSA will get monthly reports from the CAE about the types of calls received from CSSA members and the CSSA, in turn, will use that information to structure future classes and membership benefits. The CEA also will contribute to a revamping of the CSSA employee manual for members for 2015. Members who previously purchased the manual will get the update for free – the updated template will remain priced as it was in 2014, only $299.00. 

The CSSA’s new benefit is set to kick off on June 1 and the CSSA also expects the manual template to be available on the same date. King hopes that members will make good use of the offering to answer any and all human resource questions and needs.

Visit - http://www.californiaselfstorage.org/?page=2015HRProgram to learn more! 

Remember you must be logged in to view Member only content!

For Immediate Release
April 6, 2015 

Technology Expert Mike Parks To Deliver Napa Keynote Speech

Anyone who doesn’t think technology is rapidly changing needs only to think back to the 1990’s when the only thing a cell phone could do was make or take a call. And anyone who doesn’t think data matters isn’t keeping up with its roll in setting the future of the self storage industry. The good news for those attending the California Self Storage Association’s 3rd Annual West Coast Self Storage Owner’s Conference May 13-15 in Napa is that the event’s keynote speaker, Mike Parks, is an expert in both technology and data.

Parks, the Chief Deliver Officer of Systems in Motion, will be delivering a presentation titled “How Technology and Data Will Change the Storage Industry Over the Next Five Years” on Thursday, May 14 at the Westin Verasa Hotel, site of the CSSA gathering. Parks will provide valuable insight into strategic role data will play in the self storage business as the industry shifts to a digital customer acquisition model.

Today and tomorrow’s technology will be very data driven and will likely rely on standards that are not yet available in the industry.  Parks will explain how important these standards are and who should be creating them.  He will touch upon the importance of data ownership and access, as well as the importance of sharing data among different systems.

“I am excited to get the opportunity to learn from Mike Parks at the CSSA Napa workshop,” said Robert Chiti, President and CEO of OpenTech Alliance, Inc. “His insight into data ownership and access will be very valuable to self storage operators and vendors alike. Renting self storage units online is the next big shift to hit the self storage industry, but experts like Mike have seen this same shift in other industries years ago.  I greatly look forward to his speech.”

Previous to his role with Systems in Motion, Inc., Parks served as the Chief Information Officer of NorthPoint Communications Group, Inc. He also has worked as the Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo Bank where he headed the bank-wide integration efforts for the merger of Norwest and Wells Fargo. Parks previously served as Senior Vice President with SABRE Decision Technologies, a unit of AMR Corporation. And he also held a number of senior management positions with American Airlines, most recently as Vice President of Information Systems.

Not only is the West Coast Self Storage Owner’s Conference one of the most popular events on the CSSA calendar thanks to its locale (Napa is hard to beat) but also because of the top-notch quality of its speakers.

“We love putting this event together because we know our members enjoy coming to Napa,” said Erin King, Executive Director of the CSSA. “But we also know they want interesting and informative presentations, so bringing in speakers like Mike Parks is crucial to achieving that goal. We feel sure attendees will come away from Mr. Parks’ speech enlightened and more prepared for the future.”

To attend the 3rd Annual CSSA West Coast Self Storage Owner’s Conference get your registration forms from the CSSA on its website (www.californiaselfstorage.org) or call 909-912-1962. Please make sure that you book through the CSSA room block by contacting the hotel directly at 1-888-627-7169. Registration cost: $200 for Owner members / $650 Vendor Member. Non-members pay the price of admission plus appropriate membership costs.

 

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Westwood, KS, April 7, 2015 — storEDGE, the leading provider of technology solutions for the self storage industry, introduced the storEDGE Rental Center, enabling operators to provide 24-hour renting services and ultimately secure more rentals, improve operating efficiencies, and increase operating income.

The storEDGE Rental Center is an add-on to the storEDGE Management Suite. It allows renters to view and rent available units, manage account settings, schedule move-outs, and enter into legally binding rental agreements — all without the need for staff involvement. Dirk Wakeham, CEO of storEDGE, commented, “The storEDGE Rental Center is a natural extension of our platform, which combines the marketing and management functions necessary to operate storage facilities through a single solution from a single vendor.” This service is designed to meet the rising need for a platform that allows storage operators to manage all aspects of their facilities, from lead generation to rent collection.

As a browser-based, cloud-hosted solution, the storEDGE Rental Center can run on any device, including an iPad. “Customers can use their computer, smart phone, or tablet to secure their rental, which is a feature increasingly in demand for millennials,” said Wakeham. This capability improves lead conversion rates, enhances the accuracy and completeness of rental agreements, and increases operational efficiency. More information about the storEDGE Rental Center can be found at www.storEDGE.com/rental-center and at booth #617 at the ISS World Expo.

About storEDGE

The storEDGE platform, by Red Nova, is a comprehensive suite of web-based solutions designed specifically for the self storage industry. With the tools provided by storEDGE, storage operators now have a competitive edge in boosting rentals, tracking leads, managing operations, and maximizing ROI. Together, our experience in online marketing and our knowledge of the industry is what makes our technologies — and your storage facility — succeed.