DEAR ABBY: My best friend "Jennifer's" mom recently passed away. I was with her through the entire process.
While cleaning out her mother's home, Jennifer asked to store some things in my garage. Of course I agreed. She's unable to store her mother's things because she lives in a small apartment.
It has been three weeks now. My question to you is, what is proper etiquette when asking a friend how long she wants me to store her mother's belongings? -- STORAGE ETIQUETTE IN THE EAST
DEAR ETIQUETTE: If keeping Jennifer's belongings in your garage is creating a problem for you, this is a question you should have asked before agreeing she could move them in. Since you didn't, and I assume you will want your garage back at some point, set a deadline and tell your friend in plenty of time so she can make other arrangements for storing them. If you don't, you could find yourself holding them indefinitely.
I don't know, what is it, how much room is it taking up?
Seems like it was a quick fix in a time of need, but now maybe is the time to find a storage locker for it.
You're not getting rid of it, just moving it out of the garage.
So tell friend she has 1 week to find and move the stuff, or you will and give her the bill.
Get one of those pods things.
They seem like the most convenient.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
I don't know, what is it, how much room is it taking up?
Seems like it was a quick fix in a time of need, but now maybe is the time to find a storage locker for it.
You're not getting rid of it, just moving it out of the garage.
So tell friend she has 1 week to find and move the stuff, or you will and give her the bill.
Get one of those pods things.
They seem like the most convenient.
That is being consider it of the friends feelings.I would give it at least a week longer and then ask the friend her intentions and have her come up with a schedule for clearing it out.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
I would give my friend a LOT longer than three
weeks! Good grief - she's just in the beginning
phase of mourning her mom.
If storing the items means you can't put your car
in your garage, and winter storms are in the
forecast, LW should hire professional movers (to
make sure everything is safely packed) and move
everything to a self-storage unit, that SHE has
pre-paid for at least 3 month. Let Jennifer know
exactly where everything is, and how to access
it. Jennifer's name should be on the rental form
as having access, and give her a key. At the end
of the first month, start talking with Jennifer about
what she wants to do in the near future.
Three weeks is way too short! She should wait several months at least before she should start worrying about it. Unless, like Momala said, she can't get her car into the garage.
-- Edited by Vette on Sunday 30th of April 2017 05:38:08 PM
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Was it a bad day?
Or was it a bad five minutes that you milked all day?
3 weeks is a short time since the death, but it's a long time to store another person's things.
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
I would give my friend a LOT longer than three weeks! Good grief - she's just in the beginning phase of mourning her mom.
If storing the items means you can't put your car in your garage, and winter storms are in the forecast, LW should hire professional movers (to make sure everything is safely packed) and move everything to a self-storage unit, that SHE has pre-paid for at least 3 month. Let Jennifer know exactly where everything is, and how to access it. Jennifer's name should be on the rental form as having access, and give her a key. At the end of the first month, start talking with Jennifer about what she wants to do in the near future.
That is a pricey expense. Storage around here can run $330/month and movers will cost $1K more. LW shouldn't have to shoulder that cost.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
I would give my friend a LOT longer than three weeks! Good grief - she's just in the beginning phase of mourning her mom.
If storing the items means you can't put your car in your garage, and winter storms are in the forecast, LW should hire professional movers (to make sure everything is safely packed) and move everything to a self-storage unit, that SHE has pre-paid for at least 3 month. Let Jennifer know exactly where everything is, and how to access it. Jennifer's name should be on the rental form as having access, and give her a key. At the end of the first month, start talking with Jennifer about what she wants to do in the near future.
That is a pricey expense. Storage around here can run $330/month and movers will cost $1K more. LW shouldn't have to shoulder that cost.
Holy cow, you really do need to move. Here, the largest unit (10x30) is $125/month at the brand new place that just opened.
That's still a lot of money for something that isn't yours.
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Yes, 3 weeks and your still in shock at that point. I would give it some more time and then when things seem a bit more normal, just ask her what her plan is for the things.
You agree to let a grieving friend store things, and you are already bitching at 3 weeks? Nice. Letter writer should have asked how long to begin with, but obviously doesn't know the meaning of the word "store". That usually connotates a while.
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LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
I would give her more than 3 weeks to grieve. Probate can take 6 months to a year to close. It took my SIL months to find homes for MIL's stuff. MIL died in November and we didn't pick up things until May. SIL just wasn't at that point yet. These things take time.
