‘Storage Wars’ Star Dan Dotson Reveals $7.5 Million Storage Locker Bounty

ByGeorgia Makitalo
Dan and Laura Dotson from Storage Wars https://twitter.com/auctionguydan/status/1066137194866270208

Storage Wars stars Dan Dotson recently revealed that sometime before November he sold the storage locker of a lifetime! According to The Desert Sun, Dotson revealed he auctioned a storage locker with a safe that had $7.5 million inside. Turns out, the buyer only paid $500 for this bargain. What is the story of this unbelievable bounty?

Storage Wars Star Dan Dotson Reveals Story of Storage Locker With Cash

On YouTube, Dan Dotson explained that he was recently working the Cars, Stars and Rock ‘N Roll charity auction in Indio, California. At the event, a woman approached him. She needed to tell him something big. Despite the distraction inside the noisy venue, she revealed that he had sold a storage locker with a safe.

“I just gotta tell you this story, my husband works for a guy that bought a unit from you and it had a safe in it.”

She explained that the auction winner had to hire two different locksmiths to unlock the safe. Inside was $7.5 million, in cold, hard “cash.” Due to privacy and security concerns, Dotson did not share any information on the woman that told him the story. He also did not share information on the lucky storage locker winner that became a millionaire with a simple $500 bid.

Dan, who runs American Auctioneers with his wife Laura Dotson, has always contended that storage locker auctions are the modern day treasure hunt. This $7.5 million story was the ultimate tale.

Let’s Make A Storage Wars Deal

The story doesn’t end here. The attorney for the original owner contacted the new owner to negotiate a deal. The initial offer was $600,000. Eventually, they agreed to $1.2 million for the new owner. This means the original owner got $6.3 million dollars. Clearly, the new owner was advised to make a deal with the original owner. This much money in a locker hints at a bigger story and best to return to the original owner.

How did the original storage unit owner lose their locker? California law deems that if the fee is not paid three months in a row, it then goes into an auction. The Dotsons explained that non-payment could be as simple as a declined credit card, or perhaps the owner moved. Sometimes the bill is not paid because the owner is dead or even in jail. No matter what the reason, it is safe to say, anyone who has a storage locker that includes a safe with a lot of money is double checking to make sure they don’t have an expensive loss like this.

Was This Filmed For Storage Wars?

Unfortunately, this exciting treasure hunt was not filmed for Storage Wars. It would have been fun to watch the whole experience and follow each stage. Questions like whether the safe in the locker was in clear view of the bidders may never be answered. Fans of Storage Wars know the rules. Bidders have to remain outside of the storage locker after Dan or Laura cut the lock and open the door to the locker. Did the winner know a safe was inside?

If Storage Wars co-star Jarrod Schulz had spotted a storage unit with a safe, there would surely have been a bidding war. Regular viewers of the A&E show know that the fan favorite partner of Brandi Passante is always on the lookout for safes. He has frequently shared that his dream is to find a safe filled with money. This would have been some spectacular television! However, it is an entertaining story told by a master storytelling auctioneer.

What do you think about this $7.5 million dollar story? Would you have taken the deal or kept all of the money because you bought the unit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and don’t miss watching the new episodes of Storage Wars Season 12 on Wednesdays on A&E.

Georgia Makitalo
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