FAQ
About the service itself
For wider questions about belongings, property and a power of attorney before prison, see the question pages.
- Who is this for?
- Someone facing a long jail or prison sentence who owns things worth keeping: jewelry, watches, coins, deeds, titles, passports, family papers. Often their defense attorney suggests it. Often the family handles it.
- Can my family get into the box while I am away?
- Only people the rental agreement names can enter, such as a joint renter, and each is identified against photo ID on every visit. Whether an agent under a power of attorney is accepted: TODO_FACT: POA agent policy.
- How do I pay rent for years I will be away?
- Rent the box for a multi-year term. Terms of 3 to 5 years carry 20% off each year's rent, and terms of 5 years or more carry 25%. TODO_FACT: is a multi-year term paid in full up front?
- Is the box hidden from the court or the prosecutor?
- No. Every renter is identified, every visit is logged, and we honor warrants, subpoenas and court orders. Storage here does not protect anything from seizure, forfeiture, restitution or creditors.
- Does my attorney get anything for sending me here?
- No. We pay no referral fees, commissions or gifts to attorneys. An attorney who mentions us does it because the arrangement is on the record, not because anyone is paid.
- Are the contents insured?
- Not automatically, and not by the FDIC, which does not insure any box contents, at a bank or anywhere else. Contents insurance is arranged separately against a declared value; Lloyd's of London coverage is available.
- What can I not store?
- Firearms are not accepted. TODO_FACT: the full list of items Florida Intervault does not accept. Anything that is part of a case is the attorney's decision, not ours.
- Can I do this without coming to Fort Lauderdale?
- Documents can be mailed in from anywhere in the US: we place them in your box and mail the key back. You are identified before a box is opened in your name. Valuables by mail: TODO_FACT: accepted or not?
- What happens when I come home?
- You come in, show photo ID, and the contents are checked against the signed inventory as they come out. TODO_FACT: how a third party collects on the renter's behalf.
- What does it cost?
- Boxes run from $795 a year for the smallest to $12,500 for the largest. On a 3-year term the $795 box is $636 a year, or $1,908 for the three years.
Settle it before the date, not after.
A short call is usually enough to know whether a box is the right answer. If it is not, we will say so. Attorneys and family members are welcome to call on a client's behalf.