3 years ago
A soldier who served a year in Iraq came home to find all his belongings had been auctioned off. The storage company which held the property and the soldier have since settled the dispute.
Patrick Rogalin moved everything he had in his dorm room to a storage facility near St. Louis when he went on active duty. When the automatic payment he set up failed, the storage company said it waited a few months and then auctioned off everything he had.
"I had no idea this was going to be such a big deal for people," says Rogalin.
Every time he logs on to his MySpace.com page, Rogalin is reminded that his story struck a nerve. Strangers from around the country have been posting messages.
"That is just so wrong. What are they doing after all you've done for this country," asks one poster.
Rogalin asks the same question. He says the storage company, Public Storage, knew he was serving in Iraq. He admits there were problems with his electronic banking but thinks it should have held on to his belongings.
"They said it was abandoned; I didn't leave good enough records. It's trying to push everything on me," he said.
The storage company gave Rogalin a cash settlement, but he says it won't come close to replacing what he lost. He's had amazing offers of help but he doesn't want gifts, he wants justice.
"As you can see I'm not starving here; I have a job. Public Storage is the one that's responsible for recouping my losses, not everyone else," says Roagalin.
Rogalin says all the attention is embarrassing. He earned an award for his service in Iraq and plans to become an officer. He knows people are criticizing the storage company for treating a soldier this way but he isn't one of them.
"That's making a judgment; as I soldier I don't feel comfortable calling someone unpatriotic," he said.
Lawyers have been contacting Rogalin, saying Public Storage violated federal law and offering to represent him free of charge, but he says he has no plans for legal action.
NBC
