Can someone offer some legal advice about property damage (in VA)?

I'll try to make this as short as possible...





We (Hubby %26amp; myself) have temporarily moved in with my parents due to arrangements regarding another rental unit not working out as planned. Anyway... As a result, we have also rented a storage unit for the majority of our belongings.





Getting to the point... There was a recent down-pour here, and more than half of our household was drenched. The storage owner had the audacity to offer us $75. Then, after we declined, he said that he would consider more if we (himself, myself, %26amp; my husband) together inspected every item to see if it is defective or not.





Inspecting each item is insane: 3 DVD players, a DVD recorder, a VCR, 2 TVs, 300+ DVDs, 100+ CDs, several VHS tapes, surge protectors, cables/cords/connections, a tape recorder, a stereo, ....The list is HUGE...





And he (owner) claimed that a judge would ask the same (that everything be itemized %26amp; tested). Sounds like bull schit to me. But, while I'm familiar with many aspects of the law, property damage is something that I've never gotten into.





We have photos of wet spots, of horribly damaged boxes, of the roofers on the roof of our storage rental unit on the day after our complaint, etc...





What do you guys think? Any advice/input? Can someone offer some legal advice about property damage (in VA)?
I think the first person is right about going to court, but he's off his nutt about a judge requiring everything to be checked out. That is NOT itemizing. Damn........300 DVD's? What judge would require watching over an hour x 300 DVD's? Can someone offer some legal advice about property damage (in VA)?
The storage owner IS right in that a judge would ask that each item be itemized--after all, if 25 of your DVDs are still working, then the storage owner would not be liable for that $500 or whatever that's worth.





However, it sounds like the storage owner is NOT going to give you the fair value of all your items--so I think you should bring a lawsuit against him.





Just my 2 cents, you should probably consult an attorney.