TAMPA, Fla. — Relief is coming for some families whose belongings were stuck in moving containers in a north Tampa warehouse for more than a month because a wall on the other side of the building collapsed.
The collapse happened on April 28, 2025, at a part of the building rented by the U.S. Postal Service. The other side of the building is leased by 1-800-Pack-Rat.
Watch full report from Susan El Khoury
A day after an ABC Action News Investigation into the wall collapse and moving container delay, the two families interviewed learned their containers were no longer stuck.
“I’m so excited I can’t believe it. It’s like a pinch me moment.”
Abbey and Garrett Steele didn’t hide their excitement as their moving container was dropped off at their new home.
The couple sold their Riverview townhouse and bought a new construction home a few miles away. While they waited to close on the house, they packed their belongings into a 1-800-Pack-Rat container, expecting to have it delivered in a matter of days. Days turned into weeks after the wall collapsed, and the couple said they had to learn to live without or pay for things they needed.
“We had to buy a couch to sleep on, we’ve had to buy so many things, we’ve had to eat out a lot, we are down financially because of this,” Abbey Steele added.
The Chief Operating Officer of 1-800-Pack-Rat Kevin Barbour said workers are still not allowed in the building full-time, but inspectors were at the warehouse this week and requested specific containers be moved so they could check the building.
Barbour claimed that of the containers moved, four were for waiting customers, and one of those was for the Steele family.
“After the news story came out, about an hour later, they called my wife Abbey,” Garrett Steele said.
“I genuinely don’t think it would have been here today if you all hadn’t called."
Another one of the containers that got moved belonged to Emily Prior. She was the first customer who reached out to ABC Action News after her family moved from Pinellas County to Ohio thinking their containers would be there within days.
“Nobody’s called us, nobody’s called to apologize, nobody’s called to give a reasoning, it’s always been me calling in advocating for my family,” Prior said when she talked to ABC Action News last week.
Barbour explained that 1-800-Pack-Rat rents the space, and the building owner has not given them the all clear that the building is structurally safe. Barbour said he is pushing expanded access to the warehouse so they can get containers delivered.
“On our side of the building, there is no apparent damage, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t structural compromise there,” Barbour explained during a recent interview with ABC Action News.
Recently, ABC Action News spotted multiple 1-800-Pack-Rat employees crossing yellow caution tape to go in and out of the building, and an employee on a forklift moving containers inside the warehouse
“We do get supervised access to our printer and to our restroom,” Barbour said. He also explained that any container moved inside has been because an inspector requested it in order to check the building.
According to 1-800-Pack-Rat, the warehouse holds close to 1,000 containers and upwards of 100 of those are for customers affected by the delay.
Barbour said the company is working on compensating customers on a case-by-case basis.
The building is owned by Prologis, Inc., a real estate company based in Denver. A spokesperson sent the following statement:
“Safety is our top priority, and we are working hard to make sure the building is safe for full access. We will continue to be in regular communication with our customer, 1-800 Pack Rat, and the county as the situation develops. Regarding the causation, since the investigation is ongoing, we cannot comment at this time.”
"We don't come home until they do."
Thousands of people are trapped in a growing war zone as conflict escalates in the Middle East. Grey Bull Rescue, a Tampa-based nonprofit, has launched an operation to help evacuate Americans who are unable to leave on their own.