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New Jersey Storage Company Served Injunction Stopping Them From Tossing Customer's Storm-Damaged Belongings Without Her OK

SCOTCH PLAINS, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Following Tuesday's report about hundreds of people in Union County who have been locked out of their storage units since Hurricane Ida, CBS2's Meg Baker was there as the company, Public Storage, was served an injunction.

Public Storage on Route 22 in Scotch Plains will be served an injunction from a judge stopping the company from throwing out Mary Jean Murphy's belongings -- but for now, only hers.

"We're hoping that by him granting our injunction, that others too will be granted the same," Murphy said.

The injunction will also allow Murphy to hire a remediation company to go through her belongings, or what she calls 35 years of memories.

Unfortunately, it may be too late for other customers. Men in hazmat suits were seen throwing bags of items in dumpsters this week.

READ MORE: New Jersey Residents Upset They Have Not Been Able To Access Public Storage Unit In Scotch Plains Since Ida Struck Area

In an email to customers, Public Storage informed them that a third-party vendor was hired to assist in the evaluation and remediation of the units saying, "We had originally hoped to provide customers access to salvageable items, but unfortunately, our vendor has determined that any items stored in units on the lower level are unsalvageable, hazardous, and must be declared a total loss."

"I would love to just be able to go through my stuff and make a decision myself, have some closure, decide whether things can be saved or can't be saved as opposed to someone making that decision for us," Scotch Plains resident Bridget McGowan said.

McGowan's entire life was stored at the facility as she closed on a house.

"We just had a baby two months ago, and we have a 3-year-old," she said. "We lost everything. All of our furniture, all of my clothes, all of our sentimental items."

Baker emailed, called and left another message for Public Storage, as well as the consultant vendor, but no one has gotten back.

As Baker reports, even a distance away from the building, you can smell the mold and mildew.

"We're 40 days out. It's terrible what they've done, really it is. They made matters much worse because things are much more damaged than they would have been weeks ago," Murphy said.

"So now we're being told that there's mold and bacteria on everything when if we had been able to get in immediately, maybe some of those items would have been salvageable," McGowan said.

Others say they are now hiring lawyers and hoping for the same success Murphy found and praying their items still exist.

CBS2's Meg Baker contributed to this report.

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