parking garage dented my fender.. what can i do to receive compensation??
03-31-2001, 07:11 PM
#1
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parking garage dented my fender.. what can i do to receive compensation??
valet parked my car.. i know i know, never valet park your car, but here in nyc, its impossible to find parking.
left the valet parking garage and came all the way home and noticed a dent in my fender right above the wheel well.
ive been trying to call them all night long, but it seems like theyre not too keen on answering phones there.
what can i do? i called the police department and they told me to file a complaint in small claims court.. what are my chances on winning?
i shouldve never have left the garage w/o checking the car.. am i going to have to eat the damages???
argh!!!!
brian
left the valet parking garage and came all the way home and noticed a dent in my fender right above the wheel well.
ive been trying to call them all night long, but it seems like theyre not too keen on answering phones there.
what can i do? i called the police department and they told me to file a complaint in small claims court.. what are my chances on winning?
i shouldve never have left the garage w/o checking the car.. am i going to have to eat the damages???
argh!!!!
brian
03-31-2001, 08:21 PM
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Haven't you noticed...
...nobody on AudiWorld ever has an accident that is their own fault? I knew Quattro was good, but not that good. ;-) I'm guessing that there's a bit of ego some of the accident reports we see here, and they're probably "revised" to suit those egos.
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03-31-2001, 10:31 PM
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legal info for the future - have them inspect the car when you first park the car (more)
most garages in NYC are owned by a large corp,
almost every garage in NYC has a policy that
most employees don't know about. Here's the
thing, just cause they don't know about it doesn't
mean they aren't responsible for knowing about it.
if you ask for an inspection before the valet
gets in the car, they come around with a sheet
that has a diagram of a car on it, and note any
dents or scratches. This way, if there is a
dent or scratch when you pick up the car, they
are responsible. Luckily, none of the valets
have dented or scratched my car yet, and I have
to park in the city a lot. If the valet acts
like he doesn't know about this policy, try to get
him to sign something (the ticket?) and make sure
it says there are no visable dents or scratches.
Even if he says he won't do an inspection, you
have asked, and if there are other people with
you, then you have witnesses. I'm guessing these
guys would be very responsive if you had a good
case against them, even if it is small claims, b/c
in small claims you can sue them for any rental
charges, bodyshop work, and inconviences - that
adds up to a lot more than if they just settled
with you out of court.
almost every garage in NYC has a policy that
most employees don't know about. Here's the
thing, just cause they don't know about it doesn't
mean they aren't responsible for knowing about it.
if you ask for an inspection before the valet
gets in the car, they come around with a sheet
that has a diagram of a car on it, and note any
dents or scratches. This way, if there is a
dent or scratch when you pick up the car, they
are responsible. Luckily, none of the valets
have dented or scratched my car yet, and I have
to park in the city a lot. If the valet acts
like he doesn't know about this policy, try to get
him to sign something (the ticket?) and make sure
it says there are no visable dents or scratches.
Even if he says he won't do an inspection, you
have asked, and if there are other people with
you, then you have witnesses. I'm guessing these
guys would be very responsive if you had a good
case against them, even if it is small claims, b/c
in small claims you can sue them for any rental
charges, bodyshop work, and inconviences - that
adds up to a lot more than if they just settled
with you out of court.
03-31-2001, 10:56 PM
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Not you in particular... It's just something I've noticed, and...
I couldn't tell you which ones are revised, and which ones are not. It just seems statistically implausible that none of us ever has an at fault accident.
Certainly I've been in a couple of accidents, most recently got sideswiped when my Audi was 4 weeks old, (on my birthday no less). I know it's no fun, and I didn't mean to imply that you are a frabicator. It's just that I've marveled at this particular facet of Audiworld for some time. Anand's comment just made me voice it.
No offense meant.
Certainly I've been in a couple of accidents, most recently got sideswiped when my Audi was 4 weeks old, (on my birthday no less). I know it's no fun, and I didn't mean to imply that you are a frabicator. It's just that I've marveled at this particular facet of Audiworld for some time. Anand's comment just made me voice it.
No offense meant.
04-01-2001, 05:51 PM
#10
AudiWorld Super User
Hate to say it, but I doubt you'll get anything...
MWZafar brings up a good point, that you can have your car inspected BEFORE you leave it with the valets.
Even if you don't have that inspection, you would still have a much stronger case if you noticed and reported the damage before leaving the lot.
Whenever I use a valet lot (I used to valet my Integra all the time) I would always do a quick walkaround when I picked up the car. With the garages that I used frequently, I did not want to insult the attendants, so I would make an excuse to walk around the car -- like putting my suitcase in the trunk.
Since you left the lot without reporting it, you will most likely have the eat the damage. Even if you take them to court your evidence is "circumstantial" at best. You cannot prove that the damage happened in their lot.
If the damage is bad enough, you might want to think about putting in a claim against your comprehensive policy.
And remember -- comprehensive claims DO NOT affect your premium.
For future reference, park your car in a "park and lock" facility. My favorite is on 42nd between 9th-10th. Also nearby is 53rd & 8th.
Or if you are downtown the Battery Parking Garage.
There are also SOME good areas to park your car on the street.
Good luck,
Peter
another NYC resident
Even if you don't have that inspection, you would still have a much stronger case if you noticed and reported the damage before leaving the lot.
Whenever I use a valet lot (I used to valet my Integra all the time) I would always do a quick walkaround when I picked up the car. With the garages that I used frequently, I did not want to insult the attendants, so I would make an excuse to walk around the car -- like putting my suitcase in the trunk.
Since you left the lot without reporting it, you will most likely have the eat the damage. Even if you take them to court your evidence is "circumstantial" at best. You cannot prove that the damage happened in their lot.
If the damage is bad enough, you might want to think about putting in a claim against your comprehensive policy.
And remember -- comprehensive claims DO NOT affect your premium.
For future reference, park your car in a "park and lock" facility. My favorite is on 42nd between 9th-10th. Also nearby is 53rd & 8th.
Or if you are downtown the Battery Parking Garage.
There are also SOME good areas to park your car on the street.
Good luck,
Peter
another NYC resident