Locked Out Of My Own Storage Unit After A Billing Error: What Are My Rights In This Situation

location: oregon

Two weeks ago I went to my storage unit to grab some winter clothing and found a bright red lock on the door that was not mine. I had paid my bill earlier that same morning after receiving a notice that I was a few days late. The payment went through, my bank shows it was processed, and the storage company’s online portal immediately reflected a zero balance. Because everything looked resolved, I drove over expecting to go in without a problem.

When I got there the manager told me their system still showed my account as delinquent and said the lock would stay on until the following month’s cycle processed. He insisted there was nothing he could do and that the payment wouldn’t officially count until their internal audit ran, even though the website and my bank both show that the payment cleared. He refused to let me access anything in the unit, including items I need for work, and said if their system updated wrong they would not be responsible for any delay. He also mentioned that if it still shows past due by next week they could begin preparing for auction procedures.

I called their corporate office and they told me the local manager has full discretion and they cannot override the lock remotely. I am now stuck in a strange loop where the digital records show I am paid in full but the site manager is treating me as if I have not paid at all.

My question is whether a storage facility in Oregon is legally allowed to deny me access to my own belongings when I have proof that I paid and when their own customer portal shows that I have a zero balance. I want to understand whether this counts as a wrongful lockout and what the law actually requires the facility to do once the account is paid.