Legal question regarding vandalism

Eliot Rosewater

So I went to a AAA baseball game last night here in Salt Lake City. Great night spent with my wife, daughter and niece. They were doing Christmas in June, which meant playing cheesy old Christmas songs and then had an awesome fireworks show afterward.

But my night was quickly ruined when I returned to my car and my driver's side door was keyed. Huge key marks all along the door. So I immediately tried to find anyone "official" in the parking lot. No one. I googled the event parking company. Nothing. I tried to map the event parking company. Nothing.

BTW, I only knew the name of the company because traffic was so awful that I didn't have time to grab cash before getting to the game. My daughter had arrived early and didn't want to make her wait. So as I drove by a paid third-party-administered parking lot I asked if they would take a check. He said he would for an additional $2 surcharge. Whatever, two bucks is fine and worth it to me to be able to get to my daughter sooner. So I pay this guy $14 to park two blocks from the ball park.

Does anyone know if I can go after the parking people to pay for my new paint job?

Oh, and one detail - the guy was directing parkers. He told me exactly where to park and even said, "back in right here and get as close as you can to this car." I was close to the car, but not THAT close. I'm a big dude and I was still able to get out of my car without dinging or touching the car next to me. So maybe these assholes came out of the game and thought I was parked too close so they keyed my car.

After I couldn't find any way to contact the event parking (J Event Parking, if anyone knows how to reach them) then I called the police. They weren't helpful. But I understand they've probably got more to deal with than a relatively minor incident of vandalism. They took some notes for a police report and said I will need to call them on Monday to get a copy of the report.

I just need my car fixed....and I don't feel like I should have to pay for it. My assumption is that I am paying this vendor to keep my car safe. I don't know the law. I don't know who is actually responsible. Maybe they could help find out who did it?

I have considered stopping payment on the check. Even though it will cost me $25 to stop payment on a $14 check, I think that's one way I can reach these people, J Event Parking, since I can't find any way to contact them.

Any advice or suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

mickeyrat

Have you seen this company running any other lots around town? Perhaps you could contact various venues to see who they use, under the guise of wanting to contract with them for your own event?

Eliot Rosewater

mickeyrat wrote:

Have you seen this company running any other lots around town? Perhaps you could contact various venues to see who they use, under the guise of wanting to contract with them for your own event?

That's a good idea, thank you. I've never seen this company or heard of them before. I guess it's a good thing I didn't have cash or I would have never even known the name of the company. I will contact the venue and see if they can give me any info. I'm also going to call the police dept back on Monday to see if they can give me any info on J Event Parking but I'm not sure they can or will give me any info.

Also, I'm not sure I even have any legal legs to stand on. My assumption (although I am probably wrong because laws are so ass backwards) is that if I pay someone to park in their lot they should keep my car safe. But I'm finding conflicting information online regarding liability of parking lot owners. So I'm hoping someone here can offer some insight into this before I waste too much time and effort on this.

It's just a shitty situation. I'm really pissed off that I followed their directions exactly and seemingly got my car keyed for doing so. It seems obvious that the car next to me wasn't happy that I parked closely to them, but that also seems like it would be difficult to actually prove. Too many assholes in this world. I am really struggling to understand how someone could just maliciously do something like that. But then again there are far more malicious acts carried out every second with no reason at all. I guess it's the same mentality though. We just need a little more love in this world.

mickeyrat

Eliot Rosewater wrote:

mickeyrat wrote:

Have you seen this company running any other lots around town? Perhaps you could contact various venues to see who they use, under the guise of wanting to contract with them for your own event?

That's a good idea, thank you. I've never seen this company or heard of them before. I guess it's a good thing I didn't have cash or I would have never even known the name of the company. I will contact the venue and see if they can give me any info. I'm also going to call the police dept back on Monday to see if they can give me any info on J Event Parking but I'm not sure they can or will give me any info.

Also, I'm not sure I even have any legal legs to stand on. My assumption (although I am probably wrong because laws are so ass backwards) is that if I pay someone to park in their lot they should keep my car safe. But I'm finding conflicting information online regarding liability of parking lot owners. So I'm hoping someone here can offer some insight into this before I waste too much time and effort on this.

It's just a shitty situation. I'm really pissed off that I followed their directions exactly and seemingly got my car keyed for doing so. It seems obvious that the car next to me wasn't happy that I parked closely to them, but that also seems like it would be difficult to actually prove. Too many assholes in this world. I am really struggling to understand how someone could just maliciously do something like that. But then again there are far more malicious acts carried out every second with no reason at all. I guess it's the same mentality though. We just need a little more love in this world.

could also check business licensing in your city or state. I'm sure requirements vary by state, but I should think that they would have to register AND be required to show proof of insurance not only for the business but with your workmans comp bureau for their employees.

Here in Ohio , this occurs with our Sec of State office.

One last thing I can think of, if the check was written out TO this company, wait for it to clear. Maybe you can track them down through the bank used to cash the check?

jethrojam420

more often than not they have these signs posted everywhere saying not responsible for theft vandalism etc posted throughout the lots, park at your own risk etc etc. not entirely sure that is a legally binding sign, but my guess is that without a camera seeing the person do it and then step back into his/her car you are most likely shit outta luck.

Sorry buddy

Fletcher: You scratched my car!
Motorpool Guy: Where?
Fletcher: [indicating with his hands] Right there!
Motorpool Guy: OH... That was already there.
Fletcher: You - -LIAR! You know what I am going to do about this?
Motorpool Guy: what?
Fletcher: Nothing! Because if I take it to small claims court, it will just drain 8 hours out of my life and you probably won't show up and even if I got the judgment you'd just stiff me anyway; so what I am going to do is piss and moan like an impotent jerk, and then bend over and take it up the tailpipe!
Motorpool Guy: [tossing the keys to Fletcher] You've been here before haven't ya?

lukin2006

Most parking lots I park in have signs that claims they are not responsible for damage...I dunno, never hurts to try though.

DriftingByTheStorm

no way in hell the lot will accept responsibility for the damage.
your insurance company, however, will repair it for the price of your deductible.
(probably $300-$500) ... :(
:( :( :(


This is the joy of America.
:(

sigh.

blackredyellow

Add on top of it, you can't prove that they car was keyed there... If it was that easy to get a parking company to pay for your damages, everyone who had some sort of damage on their car could just park and claim it was damaged in the lot.

It sucks, but that's why you have insurance.

For the life of me, I can understand what would make an asshole key a car... most cowardly thing ever.

DriftingByTheStorm

blackredyellow wrote:

Add on top of it, you can't prove that they car was keyed there... If it was that easy to get a parking company to pay for your damages, everyone who had some sort of damage on their car could just park and claim it was damaged in the lot.

It sucks, but that's why you have insurance.

For the life of me, I can understand what would make an asshole key a car... most cowardly thing ever.

The guy (OP) was probably parked "too close" to the key-man's car.
I understand that the attendant TOLD the OP to park that close, and i am NOT placing blame on the OP for parking there. I'm just stating what was probably the case.

Some drunk asshole came out, saw the OPs car parked "too close" and said, "fuck this asshole".

People are so self-absorbed and stupid in general, it amazes me.

The other day i'm driving to a job site, and some shmoe is somewhere between the middle of the road and MY side of the road (ie. he had crossed the center line and was over to oncoming traffic) in a residential neighborhood, with his window down, talking to his neighbor who was out in the yard.

I am a pretty chill, level headed dude. I just slowed down, then stopped. I just wanted to make sure the car that was facing me was himself stopped. After 10 seconds, when i realized he was talking to his neighbor through the window, i proceeded to turn my wheel left to go around this guy on the other side of the road (since he was on my side). As i do this, the guy rolls up his window (like i was somehow rushing him) and starts driving. We then pull the infamous "i go left, no you go left. no you go right. no i go right" confusion ... I mean, it probably would NOT have been confusing, had he NOT been on the wrong side of the road to start. This lasted a whopping 10 seconds itself (the confusion) at which point, i got back on my side, he on his, and we both drove by ... BUT ...
BUT
not before the dude throws up he hands and starts making the "go fuck yourself" face while mouthing some surely-obscene remarks my way.

WTF?

What in the FUCK did ***I*** do wrong? besides try to SLOWLY go around someone who was parked in the wrong lane on a street???
Sheesh.
:roll:
people kill me.
I mean really.
THAT is why people key cars.
They are so fucking self-absorbed, they have ZERO conception of reality, or the fact that the other person probably could have given two shits about trying to piss them off or do them wrong -- and in truth, probably DID NO WRONG. Its only because the person with the attitude HAD AN ATTITUDE going in to the situation, that the results were the way they became. This guy keyed this guys car because he was an asshole at the outset, and was literally LOOKING for a reason to act out on this impulse.

my two cents.