Requires storage warehouse operators to maintain lock boxes for storage of official documents in each rental unit; prohibits storage warehouse operators from retaining or disposing of the contents of such lock boxes in the event of non-payment of unit rental fees.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8711
IN SENATE
March 4, 2024
___________
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection
AN ACT to amend the general business law and the administrative code of
the city of New York, in relation to requiring storage warehouse oper-
ators to maintain lock boxes for storage of official documents in each
rental unit
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section
2 607-b to read as follows:
3 § 607-b. Storage of official documents. 1. In addition to any other
4 provision of this article, every warehouseman shall maintain within each
5 storage unit, at no extra charge, a separate lock box for the customer
6 renting such storage unit to store official government documents issued
7 by the United States or by another country or territory, including but
8 not limited to birth certificates, marriage certificates, passports,
9 visas and immigration documents, separately from other items in the
10 storage unit. A warehouseman shall not retain or dispose of the
11 contents of such lock box regardless of non-payment of unit rental fees.
12 No warehouseman may include documents stored in the lock box in the
13 auction of the contents of the storage unit in the event of non-payment
14 of unit rental fees.
15 2. It shall constitute an unlawful detention of goods for a ware-
16 houseman to refuse to surrender documents stored in a lock box as
17 provided in subdivision one of this section to the renter of such stor-
18 age unit.
19 § 2. Section 20-477 of the administrative code of the city of New York
20 is amended to read as follows:
21 § 20-477 Duties of warehouse operator. a. Every storage warehouse
22 operator shall comply with the provisions of this subchapter and regu-
23 lations promulgated by the commissioner setting forth requirements for
24 estimates and any other rules and regulations promulgated to implement
25 and enforce this subchapter.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00309-01-3
S. 8711 2
1 b. (1) Every storage warehouse shall maintain within each storage
2 unit, at no extra charge, a separate lock box for the customer renting
3 such storage unit to store official documents issued by the United
4 States or by another country or territory, including but not limited to
5 birth certificates, marriage certificates, passports, visas and immi-
6 gration documents, separately from other items in the storage unit. A
7 storage warehouse shall not retain or dispose of the contents of such
8 lock box regardless of non-payment of unit rental fees. No storage
9 warehouse may include documents stored in the lock box in the auction of
10 the contents of the storage unit in the event of non-payment of unit
11 rental fees.
12 (2) It shall constitute an unlawful detention of goods for a stor-
13 age warehouse to refuse to surrender documents stored in a lock box as
14 provided in paragraph one of this subdivision to the renter of such
15 storage unit.
16 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
